Boris – ‘Pink: Deluxe Edition’

By Glen Bushell

Trying to categorise Japanese musical pioneers, Boris, is as difficult as trying to figure out the meaning of life. No one really has the answer, and even trying to put them under the all encompassing banner of a “rock band” doesn’t really do them justice. Whether it’s avant-garde, noise, doom, sludge, drone, indie rock, j-pop, metal, shoegaze, Boris have just about done it all. In fact they may as well have their own genre, simply known as Boris.

If ever there was a record in their lengthy back catalogue that comes close to defining who or what Boris are exactly, its their 2006 release, ‘Pink.’ To celebrate the 10th anniversary of this milestone record, it has now been given a deluxe reissue, which has opened up the world of ‘Pink’ more than you could possibly imagine. The inclusion of nine additional tracks from the original ‘Pink’ sessions, known as ‘Forbidden Songs’, gives you the complete picture of where the band were heading 10 years ago.

The original eleven tracks still sound as fresh and relevant as they did back in 2006. Drawing from the heavier side of their influence – while flecked with humming ambience, it plays out like sonic assault of shredding leads, earth-shattering bass lines, and frenetic drumbeats.

Wata’s monolithic guitar riffs are at times droning through ‘Farewell’ and ‘Blackout’, before dropping into white-hot punk-metal during ‘Woman on the Screen’ and ‘Psuedo-Bread’. The dual vocal of Atsuo and Takeshi wail through ‘Afterburner’, and the gritty distortion that shrouds ‘Six, Three Times’ sounds even more blistering.

While ‘Pink’ was an aural endurance test in its original incarnation, the 10th anniversary edition is even harder to digest. Ultimately the end result is worth putting yourself through it, even after the nineteen minute closing track of the original, ‘Just Abandoned Myself.’

The haunting, shoegaze-tinged ‘Your Name Part 2’ bleeds into the crushing ‘Heavy Rock Industry’, in which some of the biggest riff’s in Wata’s arsenal collide into one another. The slower tracks, ‘Room Noise’ and ‘N.F. Sorrow’ are just as menacing as any of the metallic tracks that permeate ‘Pink’, before the beautiful instrumental track, ‘Tiptoe’, decays until the final moments of the album.

Even if you are already familiar with ‘Pink’, the 10th anniversary edition is still an essential and worthwhile investment. The addition of ‘Forbidden Songs’ alone makes it feel like an entirely new record. Where Boris head from this reissue is anyone’s guess, and given that this is their second release in six months, the creativity that spills from this band will surely mean a new record is right around the corner. For now, relive one of the most inventive albums from their illustrious career.

GLEN BUSHELL

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