Review: Rocky & The Sweden ‘Punks Pot Head’
Despite considering myself to be knowledgeable about both punk rock, as well as Japanese music and culture in general, I had somehow never encountered Tokyo hardcore punk and roll legends Rocky & The Sweden. That changed when I saw the press for their latest release Punks Pot Head, on both Relapse Records social media and The Shaman’s promo vessel.
Curiosity quipped; I dug in with enthusiasm. Apparently, Rocky & The Sweden have been releasing music since 1997, which only left me feeling even more confounded, as that period in my life I was listening almost exclusively to underground, garage punk, with some hardcore, for good measure. In true quirky Japanese rock fashion, Rocky & The Sweden are obsessed with the devil’s lettuce. For nearly three decades, they have laid down odes to the green with album titles like 1998’s Total Hard Core (THC), 2000’s God Save The Green, and 2019’s City Baby Attacked By Buds (a nod to UK punks GBH’s debut, City Baby Attacked by Rats).
Furthermore, iconic Japanese legends Boris – one of my all-time favorite bands – did a split with them back in 2022. That release also flew right by me, which isn’t surprising given the sheer volume of material Boris release as at the end of the day, there is only so much music one can discover, listen to and absorb.
We begin this stoner-punk ride with the sound of a needle hitting some crackly vinyl, as the main riff from Cheech and Chong’s ‘70s stoner anthem Earache My Eye kicks the door open to the – ahem – blazing, and aptly titled opener, Up In Smoke. The track is an instant face-melting, fist-pumping, punk rock homage to the iconic stoners. It features all one could look for in a punk song: gnarly, fast rock and roll riffage served up with a belligerent tone and attitude. Backing that up is driving bass, pummeling d-beat drumming, and pissed-off, manic vocals – which, despite being sung mostly in Japanese, get the point across just fine. For good measure, they drop back into the Earache My Eye riff before igniting the pit with a crazed outro.
Next up, BxBxBwastes zero time bludgeoning the listener with an addicting, vicious main riff, galloping rhythms, and in-your-face, shout-along vocals. They tease a more mid-tempo approach at the beginning of Sennou Ch, before letting fly with another insane blast of adrenaline-fueled, perfectly toned, punk rock and roll mayhem. Killer Weed features an awesome, walking bass line, and an almost rockabilly punk insanity that’s as manic as it is awesome. If that’s not enough, guitarist S-Park Sweden unleashes all sorts of nasty, surf rock vibes during the verse, as well as plenty of pick slides and dizzying rock and roll shred.
gnarly, fast rock and roll riffage served up with a belligerent tone and attitude…
Rocky himself sounds completely unhinged vocally, but not in any sort of hardcore, tough-guy way. He’s got a manic rock and roll voice, with insanity and swagger to spare. Burning Again (One More Burn) – are we sensing a weed theme in these song titles yet? – is a, here-we-go-again, burner of the highest order. I mean, this fucker pummels the listener with an insane aggression that is all at once totally menacing as well as being completely accessible, while possessing perhaps my favorite riff on the album. Recalling ‘90s garage punk marauders like Zeke and Easy Action, the track is propelled by a totally off the rails, d-beat battering from drummer Masaaki ‘Koba’ Sweden, who totally owns this performance.
Meanwhile, as we head into the second half of the album, the band do not take their foot off the gas for a second as the punk rock lunacy of THC puts on a vivid display. This is followed by Seven, with it’s unstoppable ‘90s garage punk riff, which reminds me of prime New Bomb Turks. And, as witnessed throughout, Rocky completely kills it from the jump with his delivery and overall rock and roll madness. Chain Smoke begins life with an ‘80s thrash-style, mid-tempo chug, before blowing the proverbial roof of the joint with a ferocious, punk rock assault. Bakugeki Blaze follows suit with another merciless, d-beat punk rock attack.
The awesomely titled Rub The Magic Bong had me thinking we’re going to drop into full-on Link Ray style garage rock instrumental, before they, once again, blast off into space like they’re strapped to a fiery punk rocket. We reach our conclusion with R&R Highway, a road Rocky & The Sweden clearly travels on frequently. Sounding like its name, it’s a fiery, mid-tempo blast of crazed, fun-ass punk rock.
I really dug this record. The tones are fantastic, played with a confidence and attitude that oozes out of the speakers with all four musicians really shining throughout. It’s tempting to point at Rocky and his deranged vocal performance, but S-Park Sweden’s guitar work is pure electricity with punk rock fire all over this record. And that rhythm section is about as perfect as it gets for this type of music as you can get. The quirky-ness of the weed obsessions makes the whole thing even more ripping, bonkers, and off the wall. I may have found my new favorite punk rock, even if it’s three decades late. Enthusiastically recommended.
Label: Relapse Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Martin Williams
