published by Punknews.org on Apr 04, 2002
Kung Fu Killers - Game of Death CD ep - TKO The first time that I read a description for the Kung Fu Killers I nearly wet my pants with excitement. I have waited years to hear a band that could match early '80's hardcore intensity and add something new as well. Then I immediately went to look for some of their songs, but couldn't find any. Now, 2 months later, I have bought this EP and I must say- this is gonna be one hell of a band.
The opener, "Burning Bush", is a fast, angry song with a vocal sound similar to Chavo from Black Flag and maybe a little Glenn Danzig. The second song, my personal favorite, "Werewolves In Our Youth", is even more intense than the first and has a very misfits-esque feel and sound. That song is followed by another gem "KFK Theme" which is basically a hardcore anthem. The last three songs are covers of classic hardcore tunes. The first one, "Wasting Time" is excellent, although I'm not sure which band originally wrote this. The last two are the Misfits' "I Turned Into A Martian" and the searing Black Flag classic "Room 13". Both of these covers are wonderful and pay perfect respect to those long deceased hardcore masterpeices. "Room 13" is especially intense, not quite as much as Rollins, but the better production gives the song a very eerie sound. It works beautifully.
This album is a must for anyone searching for music with balls and intensity- this is the future of hardcore. Hopefully you will read this and begin bugging the hell out of TKO to give this band more coverage and a wider range of distribution- it took me weeks to find this EP, so I finally just ordered it...
5 Stars
(Brandon Sideleau)
Punkbands.com
Kung Fu Killers - Game Of Death
Label: TKO Records
The "Game Of Death" EP is the TKO debut release of the mysterious band known as the Kung Fu Killers. Even though the identity of the band is yet to be released, a few things that make this street smart band unique is their mix of old school hardcore punk with influences of punk rock greats like Black Flag, The Circle Jerks, Bad Brains, and The Misfits. The CD features three covers including "I Turned Into A Martian" by The Misfits, and also three originals recorded in a secret hideout in the woods of New Jersey. Even though TKO Records is sworn to secrecy and told not to reveal the idenities of these punks... their past bands include The Doom Patrol, Crimson Gash, and Slap Of Reality. One thing that can be said is that their sound is "Electric", and reflects an "Electric" band of the past. The band's goal is to deprogram the punk rock youth from the brain-rot that they have been listening to over the past decade, and I can say they have started off with the right Kung Fu move to do that.
http://www.stormbringerwebzine.co.uk/Reviews/K/KungFuKillers.htm
First thing that comes to mind listening to their new EP is they got a reckless style of playing that recalls those unheralded greats of our Punk Rock past.
Driven by distasteful vocals knifing through rhythmic bitterness, these guys are the menacing persona that offsets the sunny sky schoolboy charm that many Pop/Punk crossovers have dealt over the years-these guys keep it simple, stupid and sincere.
The first two tracks are a little too similar however considering we're dealing with only four originals-"KFK Theme's" a Greg Ginn-like bottle over the head with that shredding guitar sound and sandpaper vox, "Wasting Time's"
nearly anthemic with its "No, No, whoa, whoa" post-chorus thing going on-damned if I can make out a word.
They plaster two vintage covers to cap off their six track, six pack jaunt through the yesterday generation of thrash-fit thrill seekers-"I Turned Into A Martian," the ol' Misfits' tune that's fine till they kick in with the indigestion-inducing backing vox; "Room 13" non-coincidentally brings back a bit of Black Flag, and if you're going to point to two or three of the early pioneers, ain't a bad selection here-this version takes it over the other.
So we got five guys all under assumed identities of the Asian persuasion-collectively the Kung Fu Killers, bringing some o' that fierce demo-quality Punk Rock purity that'll leave ya sprawlin' on the sidewalk.
Released by TKO Records
TKO Records, 4104 24th st. 103 San Francisco Ca 94114
Website: http://www.tkorecords.com
Review by Vinnie Apicella
http://www.cosmik.com/aa-july02/reviews/review_kung_fu_killers.html
Just a short little blast from Yung Maniac and the gang. Four originals and a couple of old school covers (Black Flag, Misfits), just so's we know what these brats were weaned on. Can't complain, the Kung Fu Killers have their California punk chops down, passing on the legacy just like in a bad David Carradine TV movie. Good shtick.
© 2002 - John Sekerka
www.rocknrollpurgatory.com/musicreviews5.html New Jersey spawns yet another punk band, and like most of them, this one ain't bad. The Kung Fu Killers play hardcore punk that'll take you back to the eighties, and apparently some of the members actually come from bands of that era (Doom Patrol, Slap of Reality, Crimson Gash). You gotta love their stage names: like "General Tzo Wat" on bass and "Chow Maniac" on lead guitar. This CD EP contains 6 songs, and two are covers, including the Misfits' "I Turned Into a Martian." - BL
Razorcake Reviews....
KUNG FU KILLERS: KFK Theme: 7" This is fast-and-furious Cali-style "old school" punk that makes a person wanna permanently ditch his or her job and then form a band that plays nothin' but the most passionate of anti-corporate punkrock noisiness. I've been loudly blastin' this ear-sizzlin' lil' 7-incher all damn afternoon, and I just can't seem to stop stompin' my Converse-enshrouded feet while spastically knockin' holes in the wall with my head like orange-haired Vivian of "The Young Ones". If I were God, I'd make both songs contained herein our new national anthems that would be raucously played each and every time Prez Dumbshit Dubya showed his gooberish Howdy Doody persona in public. Hell yeh, this is a spirit-rousing auditory ruckus if ever I've heard one! - Roger Moser, Jr. (TKO)
KUNG FU KILLERS: Game of Death: CD EP If you were raised in a bland semi-normal household, your mother assuredly warned you about pugnacious punkrock bands like this. Well, all I gotta say is: FUCK PARENTAL AUTHORITY! This is some of the most gawddamn ass-kicking, riot-inciting punkrock rebelliousness to rear its ugly, unruly head in an extremely long time, and it certainly has the "old school" seal of approval vigorously stamped all over it and every song in between! KFK are the most brutally raging group of auditory hell-raisers since Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Descendents, and The Cheifs. So yes, kiddies, please fervently ignore your parents' constant pleas for complacent normalcy within their household. Smugly defy them by loudly blasting "Game of Death" at all hours of the day and night while savagely running amok through the neighborhood and destroying all forms of conventional mediocrity. That'll do the Kung Fu Killers proud, I'm sure" - Roger Moser, Jr. (TKO)
Deep Fry Bonanza
TKO Records continues its recent spate of hardcore-oriented releases with this trio of records from the Kung Fu Killers. With a resume that namechecks everyone from Christian Death to Slap of Realty to Electric Frankenstein KFK should have the chops to bang out some pretty darn memorable hardcore, and since the five dudes who play on this record are probably older than your dad you can bet there won't be any of the tired Youth of Today or American Nightmare-isms that ruin so many hardcore records nowadays.
The Burning Bush single is probably the most consistent of these three records. The title track's extremely straightforward early 80s LA hardcore sound peppered with the slightest hint of melody reminds me a great deal of the Adolescents, and while the pace doesn't exactly sound breakneck next to modern speed demons like Tear It Up no one is going to be calling this track slow. The b-side, "Werewolves In Our Youth" is delivered at almost the exact same tempo and with a similar riff, and thus is distinguished from its counterpart only by its immediately catchy chorus and the melodic lead guitar that flutters inconspicuously in the background.
On the KFK Theme single the band branches out a bit, with the title track speeding things up to a more DC/Flex Your Head-style pace. Like "Burning Bush" there isn't a whole lot of melody to grab onto, but the interesting breakdown and backing chants of "Kill Kill Kill!" keep it from devolving into by-the-numbers thrash. The flipside of this disc, "Wasting Time," is the only point at which the band's affection for rock and roll rears its head; it's a mid-paced melodic song that falls somewhere between the Ramones and mid-period Screeching Weasel with a touch of the Rip Offs' charming amateurism. Oddly, this track displays absolutely none of the hardcore influence that seems to be the band's calling card.
Luckily for you both singles are collected on a CD called Game of Death. Along with the four tracks that appear on the singles the Kung Fu Killers have tacked on covers of two bands that should never, ever be covered: the Misfits and Black Flag. While KFK's version of "I Turned Into a Martian" is only as flat as any other piss-poor Misfits cover I've ever heard, "Room 13" is an embarassment. Not only does the vocalist have none of authenticity of Chavo, but compared to Greg Ginn the guitarist sounds like he's playing a freaking ukelele. While both the Misfits and Black Flag had excellent tunes, the thing that really made them special was the performances, and I can't think of many current bands that can match the level of ferocity and technical prowess that those two bands displayed. What's more, if a band were that adept at conjuring demons, they'd probably have more than enough inspiration to write their own amazing hardcore songs.
Posted by Daniel at 12:00 AM
www.rgj.com
Kung Fu Killers' "Game of Death" (TKO, 3 stars out of 4) are lifting a well-established style (hardcore punk circa 1981), but they make it as commanding as an early Circle Jerks or Black Flag record (they do a great cover of the Flag's "Room 13"). I didn't really "get it" at first, but after listening to some of the more melodic punk fare on my plate, I actually started to enjoy their funny, aggressive, B-movie-obsessed take on punk (although I can do without the bad Misfits cover tune).
— Mark Earnest, Reno Gazette-Journal music critic
http://horrorwoodbabbleon.com/
KUNG FU KILLERS
Game Of Death
(TKO)
Originally thought to be just another in a long line of bands I don't know a damn thing about, it didn't take me long to warm up to New Jersey's KFK and their penchant for old-school Black Flag/Misfits delivery (ie: complete shambles). In fact it, it was KFK's covers of the aforementioned icons ("Room 13" and a miserable "I Turned Into A Martian," respectively) that hastened my listening to GAME OF DEATH and it was a pleasant surprise to find their four originals hold their own quite well. No idea whether KFK's appearance and stage antics align with the schlock-schtick their songs suggest, but the likes of "Werewolves In Our Youth" and the bean-busting "KFK Theme" have convinced me to find out. Dim, but dandy.