Album Review: 想失 by らせん – A Raw Rock Punch from Japan
Alright, buckle up. This one’s gonna hit you like a kick to the gut. 想失 (pronounced "Soushitsu," if you're wondering) is a no-bullshit rock album that slaps harder than most of the polished crap flooding your Spotify playlists. Released in 2017 under Not On Label—a fitting name because this ain’t mainstream garbage—らせん (Rasen) delivers something raw, unfiltered, and straight-up chaotic. It’s not perfect, but who gives a damn about perfection when it feels this real?
The title track 想失 grabs you by the throat right outta the gate. The opening riff hits like an adrenaline shot, messy yet razor-sharp, and before you know it, you’re screaming along even though you don’t understand Japanese. That’s the magic here—it doesn’t need fancy lyrics or overproduced layers to get its point across. You feel the desperation, the frustration, the sheer chaos spilling out of every note. By the time the vocals kick in, all gravelly and unhinged, you’re either hooked or pissed off. Either way, mission accomplished.
Then there’s another standout—I’ll keep it vague so you dig deeper—but let’s just say it throws down some seriously haunting guitar work. Like, imagine someone took Radiohead’s experimental edge, mashed it with Nirvana’s grunge rage, and sprinkled in a little J-Rock weirdness for good measure. That solo? Man, it lingers. Days later, I caught myself humming it while waiting in line at the grocery store, which felt wildly inappropriate given how heavy it was.
What sticks with me about this record isn’t just the music; it’s the attitude. There’s zero effort to cater to anyone outside their zone. No glossy production tricks, no radio-friendly hooks. Just pure, untamed energy. And yeah, maybe that makes it inaccessible to some people, but screw ‘em. If you’re into music that challenges you instead of spoon-feeding you sugarcoated vibes, this is your jam.
Here’s the kicker, though: listening to 想失 feels less like entertainment and more like eavesdropping on someone losing their mind. Is that uncomfortable? Hell yes. But it’s also fucking brilliant. Now go listen to it loud enough to piss off your neighbors. They deserve it anyway.
Oh, and P.S.—if you think indie labels can’t punch above their weight, this album will slap that notion right outta your brain.
