Ekibyo The Final Goodbye EP
Although “ekibyo” is the Japanese word for “pestilence,” this band lives far from Osaka—Tampa, Florida, a place with significantly more shorts than crust pants. The Final Goodbye is the band’s third (and hopelessly not final) recording, and they haven’t changed in terms of influences, nodding lovingly to the distorted, crusty hardcore sound from Japan. This is a rather lo-fi affair, and I can appreciate that they don’t try to go for the total blown-out crasher crust and are probably closer to a spontaneous and energetic blend of LEBENDEN TOTEN and UNARM, and I can’t help thinking of ANTIPRODUCT, too (possibly because of the shouted vocals). At times, I don’t totally understand what they are going for and it can get a little messy, but I certainly like the raw DIY spirit of the band (shoutout for the sloppy cut’n’paste cover that I absolutely love), and would grab the EP if I came across it.