Nātïonstāte – 業火の残像

Nātïonstāte hail from Osaka and were a relatively short-lived band existing from 2003 to 2006. During this time, they released a demo tape, a split CD with a Japanese band called ВОЛЯ, and the following 業火の残像 (Gouka no zanzou) album, released on CD and vinyl in 2006 by F.T.U. Records.

While all three of their records are remarkable works, I think this LP is the pinnacle of their achievement. Musically speaking, Nātïonstāte play this thick ’90s style crust with dual male-female vocal onslaught and heaps of raw power.

The production of this record is simply amazing and the metallic riffs are astonishing by all standards of hardcore punk musicianship. With influences ranging from the heavyweight crust of Misery and Nausea to the intense juggernaut of destruction that is His Hero Is Gone, there’s no single track on this record that’s not absolutely dense, heavy and demolishing from start to finish. Forget about all those raw and primitive noise-infused bands from Japan, this is powerful American sounding crust with lyrics sung entirely in Japanese. This record rates among the best crust releases I’ve heard lately.