Krimewatch – Self-Titled

New York City’s KRIMEWATCH are part of the new wave of excellent young bands taking the punk scene by the storm. If, somehow, this is your first encounter with the band and their notorious logo, I recommend you to pay close attention to this one.

To find an outstanding DIY punk-rock band in a sea of d-beat, crust and metal is like searching for a needle in the haystack. Because of this, NYC’s Krimewatch has gained a well-deserved attention over the last couple of years, and I’m really excited that they’ve finally managed to release a proper, even though just a twelve-minutes long, album. The LP includes all the thrills from both previous releases. Present here are the instant favorites “Machismo” and “New York Nightmare” from their promo flexi on Boss Tuneage, while “小便 たれ.” and “Coward” were all rage and fury on their highly acclaimed demo. In addition to the new kick given to these four songs, there are also five brand-new bangers that follow the same path; short, catchy and distorted punk-rock with shouted female vocals and driving beats that have a knack on Japanese punk and the pinnacles of New York Hardcore sound.

The singer Rhylli knows how to deliver shouty vocals, while spitting lyrics in both her native Japanese and English, in a way that sounds interesting and eventually sticks into your head. Emma’s active bass lines build up a relentless punk-rock rhythm, while the breakdowns and guitar riffs will not be the same without the influence of heyday NYHC classics such as Krakdown (also an influence on Krimewatch’s name), Leeway, Warzone, or Agnostic Front. The cover artwork is also a stand out—the omnipresent Krimewatch dark silhouette (a subversion of the Neighborhood Watch symbol) overseeing over a graffiti-like drawn representation of upstate New York. The Japanese lyrics and influences are also in no way contradicting to the overall theme but rather add to the whole picture of NYC as a multicultural melting pot that spawned generations of angry youth of all creed and color, for which to this day subcultures and music scenes continue to be their strongest means of expression. At the same time, the great community vibe is threatened by personal conflicts and striking social issues like poverty, sexism, racism, police violence, or a gentrification of the hood. So here comes the shady Krimewatch figure on patrol, more like a street justice hero to protect your friends and neighbors from the violent gangs of macho assholes, cops, and businessmen. Grab your copy from Lockin’ Out Records!