Tojo Yamamoto - Turning Face!

Tojo Yamamoto, everyone's favourite wrestling obsessed Lexington, Kentucky rockers are back with a brand new EP in the shape of Turning Face!, the long awaited follow-up to 2024's cover of David Bowie's 'Heroes' and 2023's 山本東条 (S/T) debut. All releases have thus far been put out by the brilliant Forbidden Place Records, home past and present to Gary Lee Connor, NAQOY, Dead Mammals, Prosthetic Bung etc.

A five-piece consisting of members drawn from the likes of ZZ Top, The Mighty Skullhead and Nine Pound Hammer (to name a few), the band are Larry Joe Treadway – Vocals, Elwood Francis – Guitar, Darren Howard – Drums, Will Pieratt – Bass and Jason Groves contributing as a live engineer/multi-instrumentalist. Both the album's colour scheme and use of an exclamation mark in the title (think Eric Dolphy's Out to Lunch! as an example) gives one a 50's/60's retro Jazz vibe, ala the Blue Note label, Tojo Yamamoto himself once again making an appearance on the cover. Seeing as the band made my first Clean Sheets end of year top ten (2024) I'm stoked therefore to be covering this their latest release.

As stated earlier, the lads have a love for all things wrestling related with 'Las Vegas Leglock' being named after a move made famous by Austin Idol. Musically its breezy, uptempo Noise-Rock with a strong melodic streak, one could boldly state with Power-Pop or 90's Alt-Rock thrown into the mix. Fans of the band's previous EP will not be left disappointed, a solid opener. 'Loser Leave Town (A Cautionary Tale)' is a little darker but still with those irresistible hooks, like a catchier Jesus Lizard if you like. The music positively swings with a Bluesy swagger which shouldn't surprise considering the aforementioned ZZ Top connection. If the Texan trio ventured towards a more 'contemporary' sound it wouldn't be a million miles from what's heard here. 'Turning Face' is a slower, brooding, muscular piece with a Hard Rock heart. Remember Metallica from around the time of Load/Reload and even Garage Inc and what a hash they made of those records in a desperate attempt to stay relevant? THIS is the kind of track they should have written and is an example of how you evolve and experiment without compromising your integrity. Superb.

The tempo is up'ed once more with 'Work', the first track released from the record. The Dance-Rock, Post-Punk and Funk flourishes certainly give one glimpses of Gang of Four and Talking Heads, making this a certifiable floor filler. The accompanying video also guarantees the whole experience to be a fun one and as such marks out the track as a personal favourite. 'Hardway at Shitsville' is a little Grungier, recalling prime time Mudhoney what with the abundance of Fuzz on display and Mark Armesque Vocal stylings of frontman Larry Joe Treadway. Fantastic Sludgy Garage-Punk of the highest order. 'A Face Made For Radio (Hog Jowls)' judging from the title is hardly a ringing endorsement of whoever the track is referencing. The humorous element that's present is not far removed from the Melvins at their most eccentric, while also resembling Black Flag's latter day Metallic infused Hardcore inclinations ala Loose Nut era as well as the more Rock 'n' Roll tendencies of early Rollins Band. A bracing conclusion to the record.

Its been something of a wait for fans but one that has proven well worth it with Turning Face! Tojo Yamamoto's ability to incorporate a number of musical styles while remaining resolutely themselves is extraordinary, thus making the EP a must have purchase.