Pazahora / Kah-Roe-shi

Both bands on this split seven-inch hail from Singapore, and both play more on the crusty side of punk. Pazahora start it off and are definitely the stronger, and more melodic, of the two bands. Their sound is epic and punishing, with melodies that build and intensify before setting off into chugging, rhythmic-fuelled bursts of back-and-forth male/female vocals. Kah-Roe-Shi’s name means "excess-labour-death” (or translated literally from the Japanese, "death from overwork”), so you have some idea of what you’re getting into before you drop the needle. Where Pazahora are melodic, Kah-Roe-Shi are just straight punishment and musicianship. Blast beats abound, interspersed with tough-guy breakdowns that are sure to get any kid punching the floor. The piano on "Race Don’t Exist” adds a nice dark melodic element before heading into a thundering breakdown and taking off at a piss-your-pants-pace, with the vocals grunted and growled to the point that, without the lyric sheet, it’s nearly impossible to understand what’s being said. This is a solid release and it comes on pretty pink vinyl to boot!