Swedish punk/metal ruffians streamline their assault. Swedish crashers Paranoid have been charting a funny old course, teetering between bigger – albeit reliably outré – labels like Svart and Southern Lord and the ultra-DIY likes of Viral Age and At War With False Noise. Now they seem to be giving straight-up heavy metal a try by signing with The Sign, though if you’ve heard their Sepultura, Celtic Frost and Pentagram covers, then the hook-up kinda makes sense. Heavy Mental Fuck-Up! sees the band’s deft mix of Scandinavian d-beat and Japanese hardcore fully intact, expertly played and shot through with a motörcharged sense of metallic fury. Things are cleaner and perhaps a tad less reckless than previous recordings, but the passion, energy and excitement are still there – no mean feat considering the template they’re relying on is almost 40 years old.
//Metal Hammer, Alex Deller (7)
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偏執症者, better known as Paranoid, is a band you feel in your very core, a bludgeoning wall of sound. On Heavy Mental Fuck-Up!, the Swedish group continues to fuse d-beat’s intensity and extreme metal’s sinister darkness. Opener “Jikeidan” combines a pummeling beat with screaming dual harmony guitar leads. Musically, the band’s rampage borrows heavily from Japanese d-beat ragers like Disclose and Kriegshög. The raw vocals bring to mind 1980s extreme metal groups like Venom and fellow Swedes, Celtic Frost. While the marriage of these styles isn’t anything new, Paranoid does an excellent job of carrying on this tradition while also sculpting their own identity. This album is far less chaotic than their immensely noisy debut Satyagraha, which won over many fans through sheer sensory overload. Three years later, after releasing a plentiful array of smaller releases, the group has refined their assault to make a more conventional yet still devastating record. Many of the tracks—such as “Jikangire” and “Daigyakusatsu”—feel like a tidal wave crashing down, laying waste to all in its path. Paranoid may be more refined than ever, but their music hasn’t gotten any less intense.
//Antigravity Magazine, William Archambeault. Posted: 2019-03
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Même le singe tombe de l’arbre.
Cette année, niveau punk, au sens large, on a eu deux ou trois trucs de bien troussés comme le Sick Of It All, le Youth Avoiders et le second Strafplanet et The Dog. Bon, j’oublie Adacta et son crust racé et le D-Beat ravageur tout frais de War//Plague.
Par contre ne me faites pas marrer avec le second Nag ou le sirupeux Idles plébiscité par Touk Touk, s’il vous plaît, le Punk, c’est sérieux.
Se cacher la tête sans se cacher les fesses
Cette intro oublie volontairement la Suède. Et Paranoid. Qui se cogne d’être chroniqué et limite écouté aussi. Pas que les gars soient des snobs, oh oh oh non ! Mais leur musique respire une telle décontraction Japcore que ça en devient outrageux. Chacun sa vision de la décontraction.
Oui, les mecs de Bastard et de Death Side étaient/sont un poil désinvoltes ou alors t’as jamais maté une de leurs photos exotiques.
Frapper à Nagasaki un ennemi d’Edo
Et Paranoid balance directement un hommage à ces derniers en plein dans nos mouille à nous là, jusqu’aux titres imbitables de leurs morceaux. Alors autant causer patois. C’est donc un Punk de tabannés fortement métallisé de Thrash crossover fonçant dré dans l’pentu qui nous secoue la carcasse là.
Un truc pas trop coffe niveau son, mais tout de même produit au fond d’la balme.
Quand il le faut, la souris peut devenir un tigre.
Grémottus, les Suédois le sont, les gobilles injectés, braillant alors des beuferies incompréhensibles. On a ainsi l’impression de se prendre une abadée perpétuelle par le chanteur qu’on ne pige rien à ski dit ! Tout son staff (bon sont trois en tout) s’émourge autour avec bonheur: ça gratte donc.
Ne laisse pas ta femme manger des aubergines d’automne.
A l’écoute de ce deuxième Paranoid, on en reste, en effet, tout ébouélé, les cheveux d’un côté, les spatules de l’autre, avec des trucs qui traînent par terre. Un skeud à faire la rioule et à mouiller le meule plus sûrement qu’avec les Démons de minuit.
Et si vous ne comprenez rien aux patois savoyards et aux proverbes japonais et bien il vous reste à écouter cet album pour ce qu’il est : du pounk as founk.
Même qu’il est dans le Top 10 du top swag Cvlt Nation alors alors… voilà quoi.
//Coreandco, Crom-Cruach (7/10). Posted: 2019-01-25
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A threesome from Sweden with an oriental name…why would you do that? And after listening to this second full-length album I know what reason it perhaps could be. According to me it’s just because their sound is special in its own way…a blend of d-beat (the main ingredient), rawpunk, black metal, hardcore, speed metal and rock ‘n roll, but executed in a very energetic manner. But I have to warn you, cause I don’t think that a normal metal fan will embrace this album. Therefore there’s too many sizzle going on at “Heavy Mental Fuck-Up”. The production is very neat and the guitar-and bass riffs are fast and get a great backing from the drums, accompanied with aggressive vocals, but in it’s general this is too much to swallow with the different styles involved in this album for me personally. Also all tracks have oriental names but after several listening sessions, I can answer affirmative: English. As said: very special.
//VM-Underground, Fredde. Posted: 2019-01-10
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Οι Paranoid δημιουργήθηκαν το 2012, έχοντας στο ενεργητικό τους ένα άλμπουμ, το “Satyagraha{ (2015), ένα split και μια σειρά από τέσσερα EP’s επιστρέφουν με το δεύτερο άλμπουμ τους με τίτλο “Heavy Mental Fuck-Up!” το οποίο κυκλοφόρησε μέσω της The Sign Records στα τέλη Σεπτέμβρη. Μέλη των Paranoid είχαν προηγουμένως δραστηριοποιηθεί σε συγκροτήματα όπως Totalt Jävla Mörker, Desperat,Warvictims, Electric Funeral, Brottskod 11 και Hypertension δημιουργώντας Σουηδικό ωμό punk και ταχύτατο thrash metal για περισσότερο από μια δεκαετία.
Αυτοί οι τρεις Σουηδοί έχουν μια αγάπη , ένα πάθος για το ιαπωνικό hardcore και punk γι ‘αυτό το λόγο βρίσκουμε ένα Σουηδικό συγκρότημα που γράφει όλους τους τίτλους τραγουδιού και τους στίχους στα ιαπωνικά, τραγουδώντας στα αγγλικά αναμιγνύοντας d-beat, crust, κλασικό punk, thrash metal ακόμα και στοιχεία του black ‘n’ roll για να δημιουργήσουν αυτό το album.
Πρώτο κομμάτι το “Jikeidan” και οι Slayer πήραν στα φωνητικά τον Cronos (Venom) εξαπολύοντας μια εξαγριωμένη metal επίθεση, είναι το πιο thrash metal κομμάτι του άλμπουμ. Ακολουθεί το “Syuugeki” έχει το ίδιο σκηνικό, αλλά πηγαίνει πιο κοντά στο hardcore/punk μεταδίδοντας ενέργεια μέσα από τους ήχους της κιθάρας. Μέσα από το “Daigyakusatsu” διακρίνουμε black ‘n’ roll ένα γαμάτο κομμάτι με τα φωνητικά να θυμίζουν έντονα Bathory όταν φωνάζει ”massacre”. Το “Fukusyuu” καθώς ρίχνει ρυθμούς περιέχει ήχους από αλυσοπρίονο το οποίο το κάνει αρκετά διασκεδαστικό. Το “Shi Ni Itarumade” είναι γεμάτο δυσοίωνες ατμόσφαιρες, με μερικές ενδιαφέρουσες αλλαγές στις κιθάρες και στα drums καθώς αναδεικνύει την επιρροή των Motorhead σε μεγάλο βαθμό.
Με σαφείς επιρροές από Venom, Celtic Frost, Sodom, Possessed, Disclosed κ.τλ. οι Paranoid δημιούργησαν ένα συμπαθητικό album.
//Greek Rebels, Νίκος Λίλλης (6.5/10). Posted: 2018-12-27
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En svensk grupp med japanskt namn(Paranoid) och låtar på japanska. Efter vad jag förstår så älskar de japansk d-beat. Fick skivan från Gaphals som är ett av Sveriges mest intressanta skivbolag just nu. Men det känns lite rörigt just nu. Japanska band sjunger på svenska och tvärtom. Paranoid kommer säkert från någon slags kärlek till Black Sabbath också så det ska bli intressant att lyssna till detta. Det var mer än lovligt intressant för denna typ av hardcore gillar jag verkligen. Man hör att de verkligen har påverkats av både Discharge och Slayer på samma gång av Black Sabbath och den typen av hårdrock. Lägg till detta deras japanska titlar så blir det riktigt coolt. De har ett riktigt bra driv i sin musik och ni som gillar de nyss nämnda grupperna kommer absolut inte att bli besvikna. Ett sound som tar mig tillbaka till 80-talet tycker jag och det är menat som en komplimang och ett av Sveriges intressantaste band i denna genre på länge!
A Swedish group with Japanese name (Paranoid) and songs in Japanese. As I understand, they love the Japanese d-beat. Got the record from Gaphals, one of Sweden’s most interesting record companies right now. But it feels a little messy right now. Japanese bands sing in Swedish and vice versa. Paranoid certainly comes from some kind of love to Black Sabbath too, so it will be interesting to listen to this. It was more than legally interesting because this type of hardcore I really like. One hears that they have really been influenced by both Discharge and Slayer at the same time of Black Sabbath and that kind of hard rock. Add this to their Japanese titles and it will be really cool. They have a really good drive in their music and you who like the newly mentioned groups will definitely not be disappointed. A sound that takes me back to the 80´s, I think it’s meant to be a compliment and one of Sweden’s most interesting bands in this genre for a long time!
//Skrutt Magazine, Peter Thorsson (8). Posted: 2018-11-08
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It’s always a good time for some hardcore punk, especially if it’s played by some long haired metalheads who inject some d-beat and metal influences. So, in this case we eagerly embrace the second full length from Sweden’s Paranoid, who have been in business since 2012. Making a beeline for that ramshackle sound that makes raw punk such an energetic form of music, the Swedes sound like a bunch of guys who’ve already been jamming/drinking/smoking for an hour … and that’s on track one. Lucky for us, the intensity never lets up throughout the 12 songs that run 38 minutes.
Jocke D-takt’s vocals are of the hoarse roar style, akin to Jerry A. of Poison Idea fame. Exasperated, frustrated and tanked, they perfectly suit the confrontational cacophony that makes up the musical side found here. A rip-roaring good time of a record.
Faves: ‘Fukusyuu’ which skewers the main riff from Metallica’s ‘Phantom Lord’, including a ripping chainsaw conclusion, along with the two closest references to Discharge found here, ‘Youshanaki Satsuriku’ and ‘Yogen’.
//The Mighty Decibel, Chris Tighe (7.5). Posted: 2018-11-06
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This Swedish band do sound like a Jap version of Anti Cimex. Yeah, I know it is confusing but if you have any knowledge about hardcore you will know that japcore was and still is a big thing. I cannot say that I was the greatest supporter back in the 90s but I was very much aware of it back then. The whole cross over scene brought attention to the japcore scene. But enough about that and more about 偏執症者(PARANOID). This is crust punk/hc the way it should be played. With equal doses Discharge, Anti Cimex and punk this blast through my speakers like the end of the world is near. This is super duper cool stuff that should be blasted at high volume to make your neighbors aware of the fact that this is the end.
//Battle Helm, Anders Ekdahl (4/5). Posted: 2018-11-01
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Svensk metalpunk med en kraftig fetisch för japansk dito. “Heavy mental fuck-up!” har en i sammanhanget betydligt mer polerad ljudbild än “Satyagraha” från 2015 samtidigt som soundet drar mer åt metal i jämförelse med debuten.
Nyckelordet här är sammanhanget för PARANOID låter fortfarande som om åttiotalet aldrig hade tagit slut. Det är skitigt, smutsigt och kraftigt inspirerat av VENOM (och då menar jag självklart de stilbildande första åren med Cronos). “Jikangire” har sköna hardcoreriff medan “Fukusyuu” kanske bjuder på plattans fetaste groove och en samplad motorsåg.
Med tanke på bandmedlemmarnas samlade resumé (bland andra TOTALT JÄVLA MÖRKER och WARVICTIMS) hade jag dock önskat något mer catchy låtar, men det är en smaksak.
//Close-Up Magazine #211, Dante Thomsen (6). Posted: November 2018
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Displaying truly raw power, 偏執症者 (Paranoid) combines the likes of d-beat, punk and hardcore to create a raw, dissonant and unrelenting sound. Through twelve tracks you are greeted by a gritty and destructive sound that takes no prisoners. With ever buzzing riffs, searing solos, ever pounding drumming and vocals that are as hellish as you would like, 偏執症者 (Paranoid) provides you with a ripping and overall head banging listen that is hard to deny. Each track is an infectious and deadly romp that throws you back to the sound of the ancients as they gift you with a gritty and filthy sound that gets embedded in your mind for some time.
Heavy Mental Fuck-Up! blasts the dust off of your speakers right from the get go as they lay in with their opening scorching track never to look back as scorched earth lays in their wake. This release is a no holds barred barrage of sonic dissonance from beginning to end. Each track is an in your face assault, and as the page turns from one track to the next you are greeted with a similar uncompromising filthy sound that just sticks to your ribs. Heavy Mental Fuck-Up! is a blasphemous and unrelenting release as it is riddled with track after track of nothing but hellish metal.
偏執症者 (Paranoid) shifts from track to track quickly never to provide you with ample time to take any kind of breath. Heavy Mental Fuck-Up! suffocates you under its torrid pace as it rolls from track to track like a bulldozer over the dead. These twelve tracks are furious offerings that pepper you with hellish notes over and over again making you bang your head and twist your already crooked neck until it pops off. This is a highly entertaining and engaging listen from front to back as it has you holding your attention never to break it until you have to reach for the play button once more.
This gritty grave stomping release is just that. It is gritty, hellish and dark, but most importantly it is heavy and intoxicating. From beginning to end 偏執症者 (Paranoid) provides you with a great sound that is brought to you by sewing together punk, hardcore and d-beat to create an overall dissonant yet powerful sound that gets mashed deeply inside of your head. Heavy Mental Fuck-Up! is a memorable and engaging release that will surely please fans of each genre mentioned and then some.
//Cadaver Garden, Jared Harrison viralstampede. Posted: 2018-10-17
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Le nom officiel de ce combo particulièrement brutal est ????, qui veut certainement dire paranoïaque en chinois. Mais le Paranoid qui nous intéresse ici n’a de chinois que le nom puisqu’il est en fait suédois, originaire de la riante bourgade de Frösön, un bled situé sur un ilot en plein milieu de la Suède. Là-bas, il n’y a que deux solutions pour survivre à l’hiver : chasser le renne à mains nues ou pratiquer un punk hardcore particulièrement énervé et consommateur de kilowatts. C’est cette seconde solution qu’ont choisi Henrik Låsgårdh (chant et guitare), Jocke D-Takt (basse et chant) et Emil Bergslid (batterie), des types qui ne se sont jamais remis de l’écoute intensive d’Exploited, GBH ou Discharge.
“Heavy mental fuck up” est le deuxième méfait sonore du combo, dont on ne sait pourquoi il veut faire orthographier son nom à la chinoise, ce qui ne rend pas facile la tâche des concepteurs d’affiches de concerts ou des tagueurs qui voudrait faire de la publicité sauvage pour le groupe sur les murs des cités suédoises. Le premier album de 2015 s’appelait “Satyagraha” et donnait déjà dans un punk hardcore d’un extrémisme rare, de quoi faire passer Agnostic Front pour une chorale protestante sud-américaine. Déjà, les noms des titres étaient écrits en chinois, avec entre parenthèse la traduction en alphabet latin.
Eh bien, sur “Heavy mental fuck up”, on prend les mêmes recettes et on recommence. C’est très simple, ici, c’est tout à fond. Rythmiques chauffées au rouge, assauts acharnés de guitares virulentes et simplistes, chant beuglé avec un petit côté Venom pour faire joli, morceaux de deux minutes vingt maxi : on a tous les bons ingrédients qui font l’album de hardcore qui rend fou. Les meilleurs extraits? Disons ????? ou ????????, à moins que ce ne soit ?????” ou ????????. Tiens, vous l’avez remarqué vous aussi, ces titres sont en fait en japonais et non plus en chinois. Quels fins esthètes, ces gens de Paranoid! Ils pratiquent les langues orientales avec aisance et subtilité. Si ça se trouve, ces braves gens sont aussi professeurs d’université ou linguistes distingués quand ils ne s’enferment pas dans une cave pour se jeter sauvagement contre les murs en gueulant du punk sauvage.
En tous cas, si vous avez envie de vous défouler un bon coup, de faire partir précipitamment les quelques invités qui s’attardent lourdement chez vous lors d’une fête à la maison, ou tout simplement de découvrir jusqu’où on peut aller en matière de punk hardcore radical, un petit coup d’oreille à cet album de Paranoid vous permettra d’élargir vos horizons intellectuels.
//Music In Belgium, François Becquart (3.5). Posted: 2018-10-08
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Sweden’s 偏執症者 (Paranoid) has been keeping busy since the release of their debut full length Satyagraha back in 2015, putting out EP’s containing both original songs and Disclose covers to keep listeners hungry for more of their take on Japanese/Swedish d-beat/punk and Venom style black/speed metal. Now the group has returned with their second full length Heavy Mental Fuck-Up!, which changes up the production values slightly but still offers up more of the punchy riffing and precision that made their previous material so appealing. It’s not a drastic reinvention of what 偏執症者 (Paranoid) has been doing from the very beginning, but there’s still plenty of substance to keep any fan of d-beat satisfied.
One of the biggest differences between Heavy Mental Fuck-Up! and its predecessor is the guitar tone. Satyagraha had the type of noisy guitar that was so raw and abrasive it felt like it was going to cut through your eardrums, bringing bands like G.I.S.M. and Framtid to mind. This time around the guitar work isn’t quite as noisy, utilizing a slightly more balanced mix that emphasizes the drums and bass just as much as the guitars. While it’s not quite as abrasive there’s still plenty of intensity and you can feel the drums beating right into your chest at higher volumes, which is exactly what one should want from their d-beat. The mix sometimes reminds me of Tragedy, as there are some similarities to the way the bottom end pummels the listener but there are some melodic hooks standing slightly above them. Songwriting wise 偏執症者 (Paranoid) hasn’t changed that much, as the material remains focused on fast paced and heavy hitting d-beat that doesn’t overstay its welcome. There’s as much Venom and Motörhead to some of the tracks as there is Japanese hardcore, but listeners will find enough substance to the record to make them want to return. Admittedly a few of the later songs do blur together a bit, but the swagger of numbers like “Syuugeki” and “Daigyakusatsu” work in the band’s favor and help the album stand out a bit more overall.
Even when their recordings were at their noisiest, one of the biggest differences between 偏執症者 (Paranoid) and other bands of this style was how prominent the vocals were. Where a lot of other d-beat and crust punk acts had a tendency to bury their vocals in the wall of sound, these guys had them separated from the instrumentals. This is once again the case on Heavy Mental Fuck-Up!, as the screams boom over top of the record with an immense amount of force. I have noticed that the approach to the vocals has changed over time, as the main pitch throughout this album is a fairly low pitched scream/shout that’s closer to last year’s Praise No Deity than Satyagraha. It does seem a bit more one-dimensional at time, but you can’t knock it that much when the energy level is this high from beginning to end.
On their sophomore full length 偏執症者 (Paranoid) has scaled back the noise level slightly and continued their precise d-beat attack. While it hasn’t quite managed to grab me in the same way that Satyagraha did three years ago, there’s still plenty of noteworthy riffs to keep me coming back and these guys continue to do the style justice. Heavy Mental Fuck-Up! is available from The Sign Records and Konton Crasher, with the CD version offering two bonus track compared to the vinyl/digital release.
//Metal Trenches, Chris Dahlberg (Musicianship: 8, Innovation: 7, Enjoyability: 8. Average Score: 7.7/10). Posted: 2018-10-02
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ΓΙΑΠΩΝΕΖΟΙ ΣΟΥΗΔΟΙ ΠΑΝΚΟΜΕΤΑΛΛΑΔΕΣ
Θα ξεχάσουμε και αυτά που ξέρουμε με μερικούς. Έχεις μια σουηδική μπάντα με το όνομα 偏執症者 (Paranoid εις την Αγγλικήν). Μπερδευτήκατε; Λογικό. Απλά οι τύπο αποφάσισαν να παίξουν την μουσική τους χρησιμοποιώντας Κινέζικο όνομα και λογότυπο. Και αν στην αρχή (2012) χρησιμοποιούν ακόμα αγγλικούς στίχους και τίτλους, από το σπλιτ μαζί με τους Absolut to 2015 το γυρνάνε στο Ιαπωνικό. Το ντεμπούτο τους ‘’Satyagraha’’ ακουγόταν σαν d-beat raw punk με Ιαπωνικές hardcore πινελιές ενώ πλέον στο νέο τους δίσκο ‘’Heavy Mental Fuck-Up’’ (με σαφή υπονοούμενα στον τίτλο) ακούγονται πιο metal, με rock ‘n’ Roll διάθεση που φτάνει στο black metal. Στις ήδη άπειρες κυκλοφορίες των 偏執症者 προστίθεται ο νέο τους δίσκος που είναι διαθέσιμος σε cd, βινύλιο ή σε digital μορφή από την The Sign Records.
Σκεφτείτε hardcore, σκεφτείτε 80s τευτονικό thrash metal σαν Sodom and Destruction, σκεφτείτε σπηλαιώδη ήχο α λα Celtic Frost και Possessed, σκεφτείτε d-beat raw punk. Ρυθμοί ανάλογοι, μέσα στην καφρίλα, χαοτικοί και ενθουσιώδεις.Φωνητικά βαριά, ελαφρώς παραμορφωμένα, κάπου ανάμεσα σε angelripper και κάποιον black metaller με λαρυγγίτιδα. Rock ‘n’ Roll ρυθμοί, πρέπει οι Σουηδοί να ακούγανε πολύ Motorhead τελευταία. Τραγούδια σύντομα και μικρά όπως καταλαβαίνετε, χωρίς σολαρίσματα και πολύπλοκες ενορχηστρώσεις, κατευθείαν στο κόκκαλο. Φαρμακοriffs, διεστραμμένα και ανοργάνωτα, θορυβώδη και άμεσα. Περιττό να σας γράψω ότι δεν μιλάμε για κάτι το ιδιαίτερο, μουσική που δημιουργείται σε κανά γκαράζ για λίγους φίλους και για το μπαρ της γειτονιάς. Υπάρχουν τόσες καλύτερες μπάντες, πιο ρυθμικές, πιο μελωδικές, πιο ζωντανές, πιο καλλιτεχνικές, πιο ενδιαφέρουσες από κάθε άποψη από τρεις κουλούς Σουηδούς που έχουν μπερδέψει μπούτια και όργανα. Εννοείται ότι υπάρχουν και καλύτερες στιγμές όπως αυτά που είναι στη μέση του δίσκου αλλά γενικότερα τέτοια μουσική γράφει κάποιος φτάνει να ξέρει τα βασικά και να έχει πιει και δυο καφάσια μπύρες. Μέχρι και οι γραμματοσειρές ΄και το εξώφυλλο, άθλια είναι.
//Metal Zone, Dimitris Tsaousidis (60%). Posted: 2018-10-02
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Bands of this ilk are the reason I hurt my arm and damaged my pride 2 weeks ago. I am a portly man of 45 years who still cannot get past the idea that I cannot ride a skateboard. As part of my day job a teenage lad decided to teach me the basics. Then as I was starting to think of myself as the next Geoff Rowley (by this I mean rolling slowly for 2 feet) I went over backwards hitting wet tarmac to the look of concern from my young sensei. The concern for someone who obviously appeared extremely inept and old in his eyes is what stung most. 偏執症者 (Paranoid) are the kind of band that I have listened to since I was 14 that have made me want to whizz through the streets on 4 blazing wheels.
Paranoid (to give the pronunciation) are a Swedish Raw punk D-Beat band and Heavy Mental Fuck Up! Is their second foray into long play chaos. So far so “Dis” you think. Wrong! Whilst these three Swedes certainly have a love of Stoke’s most ferocious they also share a passion for Japanese hardcore and punk. It’s for this reason we find a Swedish band writing all song titles and lyrics in Japanese, singing in English and making a blistering beatific racket whilst doing it.
Heavy Mental Fuck Up! Is 12 tracks of true crossover punk. This is not metal meets hardcore. These dozen dazzlers mix up D-Beat, Crust, classic punk, Thrash, Metal, even elements of Black and Roll – most noticeably on Daigyakusatsu. (Try hearing the vocalist scream Massacre and not think of Bathory or Sabbat (JPN). This is what happened three kids Jack, Henrik and Jocke who between them grew up listening to Iron Maiden, Kiss, Discharge and Black Metal fell hard for Japanese bands like Disclose, Framtid and Contrast Attitude.
The result of this concoction is a fist pumping mix of frantic beats, chug along riffs, bonkers bass solos and out of control lead breaks. It all sounds like the best squat party you could ever go to or the sound track to those old skate vids Thrasher put out in the late 80’s.
The production is great. It treads the fine line between underground punk and great to listen to even on MP3 which many punk and thrash bands fail at- tending to veer one way or t’other.
Straight up D-Beat tracks like “Arashi No Me” are chops to the throat in a similar vein to the OD –B (see wot I did) Discharge “End of Days”. “Shi Ni Itarumade” turns up the Motorhead influence to great effect. Elsewhere there is pure nardcore ala RKL and original crossover kings D.R.I . traits are there as well – whether they mean it or not. This is what I mean by a true crossover album. I could go track by track typing about this chugging bastard of a section and that wild guitar solo but this is definitely an album to experience not read about.
The cd version has two extra tracks to piss over its MP3 brother. It’s worth it. “Shirarezaru Mon is a raw blackened punk blast that would have blown my hair off if I had any and Yogen has big brass balss made of metal. Venom meets Entombed with liberty spikes.
Heavy Mental Fuck Up! Could save your life. If you have had a bad day or a hellish year this will unleash all the demons. Trepanning for the ears. Ruddy marvellous. Uppa Punx !
//Ave Noctum, Matt Mason (8.5/10). Posted: 2018-09-28
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Krach aus Japan made in Sweden.
Wenn man die Kanji sieht, die japanischen Schriftzeichen, hält man 偏執症者 (Paranoid) automatisch erst einmal für eine dieser obskuren japanischen Krachbands. Umso überraschter bin ich, dass die Mitglieder aus Frösön am schwedischen Östersund stammen und vorher in Bands wie Mob 47, Brottskod 11 und den legendären Warvictims gespielt haben. Henrik Låsgårdh spielt die Gitarre und Joakim Staaf-Sylsjö den Bass, außerdem teilen sie sich den Gesang. Drummer Emil Bergslid vervollständigt das Trio, das Crust Punk/D-Beat mit metallischem Einfluss spielt und sich außerdem von japanischem Hardcore beinflusst zeigt, was dann auch die Schriftzeichen erklärt. Nach dem Debütalbum Satyagraha erscheint nun das zweite Album Heavy Mental Fuck-Up!. Da im hiesigen Kulturkreis aber nur die wenigsten Kanji lesen können, gibt es die Liedtitel zum Glück in lateinischen Buchstaben.
Nach einem nur kurzen Intro wird das Riffmonster „Jikeidan“ von der Leine gelassen, das von Thrash Metal und Crust Punk gezeugt worden ist. Die erste Hälfte ist mehr dem Thrash, die zweite Hälfte mehr dem Crust zugewandt. Der Gesang ist rau, ohne aber in Geschrei oder Gebrüll abzudriften, wie auch beim folgenden Song „Syuugeki“. Trotz aller Brachialität kann man hier aber auch feine Melodien erkennen. Nach einem ausgedehnten Rückkopplungspfeifen treffen einen die Riffs von „Shinryaku Kitareri“ mit voller Breitseite, und der D-Beat kloppt die Reste weg. Aber es gibt hier auch ein kleines Solo, das den Song auflockert. Ähnlich rollt auch „Fukurokouji“ über einen hinweg, nachdem die Riffs zu Beginn des Songs den Kopf in Schwingungen versetzt haben. Das folgende „Daigyakusatsu“ ist etwas gemächlicher und im Mid-Tempo angesiedelt, sofern man davon sprechen kann, denn es fühlt sich nicht wie Mid-Tempo an.
„Jikangire“ ist mit seiner auffälligen Melodieführung und der Tempovariation wohl der eingängigste Song. Trotzdem tropft hier die Wut, vor allem beim Refrain. Motörhead klingen bei „Fukusyuu“ durch, was nicht weiter verwundert, denn zu Anfangszeiten des Crust Punk sind sie ein wichtiger Einfluss der ersten Bands gewesen. Nur wenig Gesang gibg es bei „Youshanaki Satsuriku“, hier überwiegen eindeutig die etwas weniger heftigen Instrumentalparts. Dafür gibt es bei „Arashi No Me“ wieder fette Riffs, die schon sehr ins Metallische gehen. Zum Abschluss bietet „Shi Ni Itarumade“ eine schöne Rhythmussektion, die einen noch einmal in Bewegung versetzt, bevor das Album nach einem Break langsam ausklingt.
Die nächsten beiden Tracks sind als Bonus auf der CD enthalten. Wie ein D-Zug sitzt „Shirarezaru Mon“ auf der Spur und lässt sich nicht aufhalten, auch von leicht psychedelischen Einsprengseln seitens der Gitarre nicht. Das ändert sich auch bei „Yogen“ nicht, trotz kurzer ruhiger Zwischenparts mit den Drums.
Fazit: 偏執症者 (PARANOID) integrieren in ihre Version von Crust Punk nicht nur den dafür typischen D-Beat Marke Discharge, sondern auch mehr metallische Einflüsse der frühen achtziger Jahre, vor allem Celtic Frost und Sodom seien hier genannt. Auf Heavy Mental Fuck-Up! verschmilzt die rohe Gewalt von Venom mit der rohen Energie von Crust Punk und japanischem Hardcore, wodurch sich das Alleinstellungsmerkmal von 偏執症者 (PARANOID) ergibt. Fans der Genres sollten hier unbedingt reinhören, es lohnt sich. 偏執症者 (PARANOID) bringen den Putz zum Bröckeln, und genau das braucht meine derzeit extrem schlechte Laune.
Anspieltipps: Jikeidan, Jikangire, Arashi No Me
//Schwarzes Bayern, Mrs. Hyde. Posted: 2018-09-28
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Sous un patronyme pareil, on était en droit de s’imaginer ce groupe comme provenant d’une contrée asiatique comme la Chine ou le Japon : je t’en foutrais, ce trio vient de Frösön… en Suède. Bref, 偏執症者 (« Paranoid » en japonais) brouille les pistes et nous met en adoration devant l’inventeur du copier-coller. Formé en 2012, le désormais trio sort son deuxième album full length après Satyagraha (2015), un split et une chiée d’EPs.
Et pour définir sa musique, on pourrait parler d’un bon compromis entre le Hardcore, le D-beat, le Punk sous sa forme la plus raw avec un soupçon de Black Metal. Imaginons un peu Midnight qui fricote non seulement avec GBH, Discharge ou Motörhead mais aussi avec les vieux Sodom, Celtic Frost et Venom, le tout accompagné d’une colère typique du hardcore des années 80. On situe mieux ?
En une douzaine de titres d’une moyenne de trois minutes, Paranoid nous envoie autant de pains dans la figure sur une musique crasse, au chant Lemmyesque un rien saturé, avec une basse omniprésente. Autant dire que ça va pogoter sévère dans les fosses lorsqu’ils vont se produire sur scène. De plus, quand on sait que le trio sont des musiciens qui se sont aguerris dans des formations diverses comme Totalt Jävla Mörker, Desperat, Warvictims, Brottskod 11 ou Hypertension et qu’ils ont balancé un bordel monstrueux de raw Punk et de Speed/Thrash Metal en Suède pendant plus de dix ans, on comprend que le rendu est pour le moins crédible.
Bref, pour ceux qui aiment la férocité du hardcore combiné avec le bordel du D-beat, agrémentés d’influences Speed/Black Metal, ça devrait allégrement passer. Pour les inconditionnels du Metal progressif, euh, comment dire… ? Va falloir aller écouter autre chose…
//Soil Chronicles, Willhelm von Graffenberg (7/10). Posted: 2018-09-27
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偏執症者 (Paranoid) have built up quite a reputation for themselves over the past few years, with their mix of Disclose-worshiping D-beat grit, Japanese hardcore madness, and heavy metal heroics seeming like a combination that is perhaps an obvious one; but it’s one that few, if any, other bands do quite so well. New album Heavy Metal Fuck-Up!, as its title implies, has a much more metallic edge to it than previous releases, but it’s still recognisable as 偏執症者 (Paranoid) through-and-through. Imagine a combination between early Sodom and Disclose (but with a halfway decent production), and you’re pretty much there; and Heavy Metal Fuck-Up! is every bit as violent, energising, and exciting as that implies. It’s hardly original; but that doesn’t stop it being bloody great.
There’s what, on paper, looks like a fairly simple formula to Heavy Metal Fuck-Up! Start with a typical D-Beat rhythm; add some chainsaw guitars torn from your favourite proto-black metal record; and top it off with raw, shouted vocals, full of punk urgency. All of which might sound fairly standard for modern D-beat, where the influence of early extreme metal never seems to be far away these days; but in the case of 偏執症者 (Paranoid), there’s a charisma and sense of character that might be lacking in other bands. And, on top of that, there’s also something quite simple; the songs are simply good. The riffs are never complicated, and most of the songs follow the same kind of structures as those pretty much every D-beat song since the release of Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing; but there’s little use in denying the energy they put across, or their invigorating nature.
Yet nor is it possible to pretend that Heavy Metal Fuck-Up! is, in any way, an adventurous record. ‘Fukusyuu’ may throw in a mid-tempo mosh section around its half-way mark, and the chainsaw sample that follows is a lot of fun; opener ‘Jideidan’ features a killer heavy metal solo; and closer ‘Shi Ni Itarumade’ is full of ominous atmosphere, with some interesting changes in tempo and drum patterns; but these are the exceptions to the rule. Heavy Metal Fuck-Up! largely sticks true to its chosen template, rarely deviating from a formula that 偏執症者 (Paranoid) have pretty much perfected.
Which, in its own way, is absolutely fine. Heavy Metal Fuck-Up! may challenge few genre conventions, but that doesn’t stop it being a whole lot of fun. There’s no denying its swagger, that gives it real charisma even at its most vicious; or the energy the band put across throughout, which is infectious and all but impossible to resist. It’s the kind of album that will make you want to wear leather and spikes, to fashion your hair into a mohawk, and to tell your boss exactly what you think of them. It’s the spirit of protest and rebellion in musical form. If you’ve ever been a fan of D-beat – especially of the Swedish or Japanese schools – then Heavy Metal Fuck-Up! is sure to delight.
//The Sound Not The Word. Posted: 2018-09-26
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(PARONOID) are a band from Sweden that has had music reviewed before in this zine and plays a mixture of d beat and crust punk with some black, thrash and speed metal elements and this is a review of their 2018 album “Heavy Mental Fuck Up” which will be released on September 28th by The Sign Records.
A very dark and heavy sound starts off the album before going into a very fast crossover direction while the vocals are done mostly in a shouting style while the music also mixes thrash, d beat and crust punk together along with a great amount of 80’s influences but also sounding modern at the same time.
When guitar solos and leads are utilized they bring in more of an 80’s era thrash/speed metal style while all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them along with the music also mixing elements of old school black metal into some of the riffing and the music always remains very heavy.
On this recording (PARONOID) remains true to their mixture of d beat and crust punk while also adding in more black, thrash and speed metal influences this time around, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics are written in Japanese and cover angry themes.
In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from (PARONOID) and if you are a fan of crust punk and d beat you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE “Jikeidan” “Fukurokouji” “Fukusyuu” and “Shi Ni Itarumade”.
//DoomToGrindZine, (8 out of 10). Posted: 2018-09-22
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“Jikeidan,” comes in with both guns barrelling. The riffs are snarling monsters, the vocals are biting and roaring. “Syuugeki,” another song that delivers on the full frontal assault, pounding away with both guns snorting. “Shinryaku Kitareri,” another pounding machine of a song that delivers bouts of aggression and mixed tempos. “Fukurokuji,” another song that delves into the head pounding riff based territory. “Daigyakusatsu,” a snarling grit infested monster.
“Jikangire,” another song that weaves itself between the folds. A pounding bass line and some seriously catchy melodies thrown in for good measure. “Fukusyuu,” a song that delves into the ground and delivers some fascinatingly heavy pounding grooves. “Youshanaki Satsuriku,” a song filled with grooves and balance, ensuring the change continues apace. “Arashi No Me,” another song that weaves its way through the line, dancing all the while and snarling in turn. “Shi Ni Itarumade,” snarling and dancing, pounding the shit out of the listener’s ears.
//The Median Man. Posted: 2018-09-19
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How do you take your coffee? One teaspoon, two perhaps? A little sugar or maybe with a little milk? Coffee can be quite nice when served appropriately. It perks you up in the morning and gets the energy flowing for the rest of the day or sometimes even clears your head. Ah coffee, there’s never really a bad time for one (unless you’re trying to get to bed that is).
There’s a point to my rambling. Coffee is the metaphor for music in this review, and apparently no one taught Swedish band 偏執症者 (Paranoid) how to make coffee properly. With their sophomore album Heavy Mental Fuck Up!, they bought the cheapest bulk buy instant coffee they could find, tore the bag open, heaved with might the entire contents at an unfortunate, solemn, unsuspecting cup, filling it somewhat; making a mess of the kitchen in the process and then proceeding to pour the freeze dried flakes directly into their mouth (and everywhere else) while screaming and drooling.
Don’t you DARE judge them though! While their take on coffee consumption is interesting to the layman at best, their style is artistic at least.
This is where I’ll stop using the metaphor, hopefully the point has been made that these guys are weird and intense but not in a bad way at all! Blending aspects of underground Punk music, Black Metal, Grunge, Japanese flavoured insanity and terrible production values, 偏執症者 (Paranoid) have put together a terrific soundtrack to trash someone’s house to. Fuzz lovers will love the overabundance of Big Muff tones on the Guitar and Bass and drummers will be confused by the low-fi recording techniques used throughout.
There are plenty of time signature changes, samples of Chainsaws (or leaf blowers, it’s hard to tell) and overall ridiculousness. Fans of Celtic Frost, Sodom, Possessed, Disclosed and Venom will be very pleased!
The more I’ve listened, the more I’ve grown to really enjoy it! As mentioned, there is very little in the way of production with all of the songs sounding relatively similar. Blasting chords and punk esque growls hollering almost at all times. There are no dynamics, heck I don’t even think the album is in stereo! The whole point is just to be loud, noisy and difficult to listen to. The aesthetic is pretty damn cool though, it’s the quintessential anti-album, a rebellion. A brilliantly bellowed statement that nothing musical needs to be close to perfect to be amazing and that attitude can definitely be enough. I’d even go as far to say that the simplicity on show is virtuosic.
Maybe even a little too virtuosic. The band is a live band, making albums appears to be a side effect of playing music in general but that is just my guess. I’d rather be seeing them live to be frank, their shows would be crazy! I could easily imagine flung chairs, lobbed bottles cracking on walls and skulls, kicking and punching… possibly even some G.G. Allin style action.
At heart, it’s the production of a few guys that love punk music and black metal combining the two with a rock and roll attitude to make something intense and fun without the worry or rigor of deep meaning or thought. This presents a bit of a barrier for entry for potential listeners; if you need to draw such things from music in order to get something out of it then this is not the album for you. If you can listen to chaos and gain catharsis out of madness then you’re in luck! In any case, I’m sure they care little for my opinion or yours, we either like it or we don’t. On that note though, I think it is refreshingly rad. *sips soy latte*
//Overdrive, Nathan Mesiti. Posted: 2018-09-17
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Paranoid with “Heavy Mental Fuck-Up” are a great example of what was called crossover a few years ago. It reminds a lot early Slayer and the great Warfare due to their ferocity and straight ahead sonance. Paranoid use the hardcore chordal riffing system. That’s what makes them so straight ahead. Fast and direct guitar riffing and extreme-velocity drumming. Killer combination, if I may. It’s been a while I don’t hear a band with so much health. Or mental health. And to get even crazier, it’s impossible to decipher the language they sing.
Though the name of the album is “Heavy Mental Fuck-Up,” it has a much more hardcore vibe. There are some passages that are more Metal than the others, but the actual vibe of “Heavy Mental Fuck-Up” is hardcore. An angry voice, the aforementioned chordal guitar riffing, extreme-velocity drumming, straight ahead bass playing. The right recipe for a great hardcore band. And why not to please a Metal fan? Well, Paranoid sure do. “Shirarezaru” has all this. Its following, “Yogen,” seems a bit more metal, but the bass sequence makes no mistake: hardcore.
Do you know those days you are in the mood of sending everything and everybody straight to hell? Sure do. Well, Paranoid with “Heavy Mental Fuck-Up” would be the perfect soundtrack to them. An album to get into your room and burn the house down. Of course, if you survive to first track “Jikeidan” and its furious attack. “Jikeidan” has the most Metal grip in all album. Its beginning is very nice. Not exactly new, but very effective. “Syuugeki” has the same vibe, but goes approaching more to hardcore. I just love those psych chordal riffings. They’re great with so much energy. It makes you bang freely.
//Metal Addicts, Poleto. Posted: 2018-08-19
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Cuando llegó este álbum a mis manos me esperaba el típico disco de Speed/Punk o Black/Speed que emulase a Venom o los Midnight pero me encuentro con actitud a raudales y calidad también. Se trata de una banda sueca, que no os confundan los títulos de los temas pues no se trata de una banda japonesa aunque efectivamente emulan la escena del Black/Speed/Punk japonés y tienen cierta similitud con bandas como Barbatos.
Jikeidan es un tema de Speed/Punk/Thrash/Black acelerado a más no poder pero nos sorprenderá la rabia que desprenden y sobre todo ese pasaje melódico en la guitarra que no te esperas para nada. Syuugeki es un corte donde el Punk está más presente que nunca y de nuevo en el estribillo vuelven a sorprender no tan solo por su garra sino por su feeling compositivo.
De hecho ya han girado por Usa, Europa, Escandinavia y es que con temas como Shinyaku Kitareri ponen el dedo en la llaga a la hora de buscar su hueco en el underground es cierto que no se trata de una banda nada original pero tienen una técnica muy superior a la inmensa mayoría de las bandas de este estilo e incluso muy superiores a los iconos de este estilo como es Midnight.
Daigyakusatsu es un tema donde con una producción muy sucia y un sonido de bajo amplificado mantienen no solo esa esencia Punk sino que logran sonar más agresivos y pasarse al Crust Punk pero con una base rítmica de Thrash y vuelan en este álbum los clásicos solos de guitarra sin pulir y disparatados tan propios de este estilo musical.
Aunque de vez en cuando apuestan por medio tiempos para romper la monotonía como Arashi No Me o Yogen donde la banda tiene un Hardcore agresivo y visceral que recuerda a los grandes mitos en los que se basó el Crust Punk para surgir como estilo, siempre buscando a los pioneros del Crust, Hardcore y Speed en todo momento.
Shi Ni Itarumade tiene la oscuridad de los Black Sabbath pero estilísticamente y técnicamente no tienen nada que ver, cae de cajón. El caso es que de vez en cuando se sacan riffs adictivos de la chistera y esta banda sueca sabe como extraerle el jugo a la perfección.
Su estilo no es nada complejo pero esta banda sin fisuras hace un ejercicio clásico de estilo tirando de Speed/Hardcore/Thrash/Black y sobre todo mucho Speed Metal añejo y oscuro con raíces en la Suecia de los Anti Cimex y con raíces en el Japón de los ochenta loco del D-Beat que tan buenos nombres dio a la escena Underground. Se trata de un álbum adictivo este “Heavy Mental Fuck Up” y con un par de temas a medio tiempo con unos riffs muy oscuros que sirven para romper la dinámica veloz de la banda, se trata de un grupo que nació para tocar en directo, lo llevan en la sangre.
//Metal Brothers, Jordi Thunder (Feeling: 4/5, Originalidad: 2/5, Técnica: 3/5, Producción: 4/5. Puntuación: 7,75/10). Posted: 2018-08-18