King Brothers “HELL OH! UK– FIRST UK TOUR 2015-“

Review: King Brothers – HELLO OH! UK limited-release analog 12-inch

Release: November 2015 – On Tour venues

Clear your whole damn schedule and buy some new earplugs because legendary Japanese hardcore blues punks, King Brothers, are coming to the UK for the very first time. King Brothers have been around since 1997, when band members met in high school in Nishinomiya City in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. They quickly gained notoriety by getting banned from Osaka venues as a result of their no-holds barred live performances and soon attracted the attention of their favourite band and fellow kindred spirit Guitar Wolf. They released their first album on independent Bulb Records in 1998 and have gone on to play with bands like Oblivians, Thee Oh Sees, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Andre Williams among others.

Current members, Keizo Matsuo (president, guitar, vocals), Masafumi “Maya” Koyama (guitar, screams) and Zony (drums), are guaranteed to wreck some serious havoc on this tour. Keizo has described the band as the “ultimate nonstop killer bulldozer. It destroys everything and still keeps going ahead.”

And, if their first UK tour wasn’t enough, King Brothers are also bringing 200 copies of a limited-release analog 12-inch, HELLO OH! UK. It contains a re-recorded collection of their released works from 1998 to 2015. Tracks include everything from the rock ‘n’ roll slap in your face, “Sell your Soul.” off of their self-titled 1998 album to the dirty blues of “Keep on Rollin” from their split EP in 2014 with The DHDFD’s.

The King Brothers are only playing nine shows and plan on selling the record at each venue so you better grab it while you can.

By Laurie Jane