Guitar Wolf
Golden Black
In-Fidelity


A few weeks ago I was privileged enough to witness the unstoppable punk rock force that is Japan's Guitar Wolf as they absolutely tore up Jive. 'Golden Black' is a comprehensive 26-track retrospective of their career to date and a fitting tribute to original bass player Billy who passed away suddenly last year.

Also featuring Seiji on guitars and vocals and Toru on drums, Guitar Wolf are chock full of pure rock attitude. They combine high speed, heavily distorted '70s flavoured punk with a dash of rockabilly and just a nod towards Link Wray-style surf guitar.

Those looking for profound lyrical content will be sorely disappointed. The rest of us can take great delight in ditties about topics like UFOs (Mars Twist and UFO Romantics), motorcycles (Kawasaki ZII750 Rock'N'Roll), jets (Jet 13 and Sky Star Jet), jets and beer (Jett Beer) and, er, missiles (Missile Me). As for what on earth Shinkansen High Tension and Can Nana Fever are about, well, who knows but they sure as hell rock. Big time.

Some older tracks sound as if they were recorded in a tin shed, but there is still no hiding the raw energy and fury of tracks like Red Rockabilly, from 1993's 'Wolf Rock' and Invader Ace from 1997's 'Planet Of The Wolves'. The production improves slightly on more recent tracks, which helps the catchy melodies to emerge from beneath the manic distortion and throat-shredding vocals. Prime examples are Loverock, the title track from the 2004 album and the frenetic Jet 13.

Special mention must also be made of the final track - a blistering, feedback-drenched version of the old Eddie Cochrane classic Summertime Blues. Brilliant stuff.

With new bassist Ug now on board, Guitar Wolf have already recorded some new material. In the meantime, 'Golden Black' is a terrific introduction to this cult band and their fast, furious, trashy and totally rocking world.

James McKenzie