Angel Face

Reviews

Angel Face 5.1 / Driftin’ Away 7”

Debut single from Tokyo’s ANGEL FACE. The band features Fink (TEENGENERATE, FIRESTARTER, RAYDIOS) on guitar and vocals, Toyozo (FADEAWAYS) on bass, and Rayco (RULER, TRIPLE JUNK) on drums. “5.1” is a blaster from the start, featuring a straight rock’n’roll riff on repeat with clattering drums and gut chugging bass—really high energy, almost like a DEATH arrangement, with fast changes and endless drum fills that eventually break for that main riff to grumble alone. On the back side, “Driftin’ Away” has a little more space for lyrics that have a similarity to Eugene Hütz’s snotty vocal intonation. Very cool release. Reno’s Slovenly Recordings has picked up the band and already released another 7” single as well as their debut self-titled LP, if you’re hungry for more. ANGEL FACE is not to be missed!

Angel Face I Can’t Go Back / New Generator 7″

Tokyo punk lifers Fink (TEENGENERATE, RAYDIOS, RULER), Rayco (RULER), Toyozo (the FADEAWAYS), and a vocalist named Hercules (who appears to have spent time drumming in a handful of acts) team up to bring us this new group, which sounds like a true amalgam of their previous bands. Overall, things lean pub rock or power pop, but you can hear a little beat/garage in the mix as well as, of course, punk. It impressed the bigwigs over at Slovenly so much that they decided to simultaneously release this 7” and their debut LP. Both tracks are pretty great. “I Can’t Go Back” sounds a little like something that might have come off CHEAP TRICK’s Heaven Tonight had it been put out by a mid-’90s Rip Off Records band, and “New Generator” is more of a revved-up number that almost sounds like an Oi! band really leaning into their EDDIE AND THE HOTRODS and SLADE influences. I haven’t checked out that LP yet, but if this 7” is any indicator, it’ll be a ripper.