Hiretsukan “End States” CD

I was a big fan of Hiretsukan's debut EP, "Invasive//Exotic", when it hit the streets in 2002, but the band broke up shortly thereafter, so when they reunited a few years later for "End States" (released by G7 Welcoming Committee in 2005) it went under the radar and I foolishly kept forgetting to pick up a copy. I eventually grabbed it from eMusic, but I've yet to write about it here on the site, so... I'm finally doing that now! Somewhat rawer and slightly more abrasive than the EP, these 10 tracks in just over 26 minutes lean more towards the underlying "screamo" vibe of "Invasive//Exotic". It's clearly a more diverse and dynamic outing, though. I'd say there's definitely more melody seeping through the discordant riffing and jagged rhythmic patterns, some beautiful little clean passages fall into place here and there, and despite the appearance of some soft singing throughout much of "19 Year Barrier", the primary vocal approach is still that absolutely fierce screaming. Even more forcefully and efficiently than before, Hiretsukan strikes the perfect balance between explosive aggression/acerbity and powerful songwriting/emotion. There's always a strong sense of true feeling in the delivery (musically and lyrically) that really creates a huge impact and makes their work far superior to many comparable groups. All too often bands that can even remotely be associated with the term "screamo" are just fucking irritating on some level, so I want to stress that Hiretsukan is simply above and beyond any of that bullshit. This music really hits you at the core and strikes up an emotional response, and that's always a rare characteristic that should absolutely be held in high regard.

Hiretsukan "Manual Function"
Hiretsukan "Click and Repeat"

This picture was painted by numbers. This promise was drawn from lies and mistakes. I'm thinning out my outlook while you're turning action to inaction in disguise. Can you speak your mind, does it come out like a story or forced through a sieve? Your scars hold more than history. Fight like you mean it, like you mean to end it all. The world keeps turning and handshakes and shaking are going full-circle.

G7 Welcoming Committee (CD/mp3)
Interpunk (CD)
Amazon.com (mp3)
eMusic (mp3)
iTunes (mp3)