The latest 5in5 release comes from the solo project of Phil Dole, X-Bax. The EP draws inspiration from cutting edge Japanese cinema & the gray area between longing & death with the title itself refering to a forest near Mt. Fuji that is a suicide destination for the Japanese. Despite only going for 5 minutes in total, the EP manages to bring out the dark and confronting themes with great power!
Visitor Izo is a soft prog rock / metal tune sounding like Pink Floyd and Metallica’s softer moments.
Katakuri is a dark and menacing tune with curious bird sounds in the background adding to the murky atmosphere.
Shinjuku is a soft ambient tune with a dark, medieval atmosphere to it, making you feel like you are traveling round a dark castle.
Yakuza is a much louder rocking song that really gives you a shock after the quietness and solitude of before. There are some tight riffs that give off great rocking energy.
The dark industrial sounds of Gozu the Killer finishes the EP off. The slow drones paint a dark picture that ends with what sounds like the start of someone being tortured only for the song to suddenly end.
This is a brilliant offering of 5 short and sharp tunes. Each track takes you on a short yet action packed journey with all manner of atmosphere crammed in to just 5 minutes.
Check out Silber Records 5 in 5 webpage to find out more!
