added: 11/5/08

Say Bok Gwai - "Chink in the Armor" - Edgetone Records

San Francisco's Say Bok Gwai is back for a second round with their sophmore album "Chink in the Armor." Self declarded "Canto-core," the band mixes punk, metal, hardcore and little bit of expermental into the furious mix of sometimes serious, sometimes not, unique music. Vocals go back and forth from Cantonese to English and are often not exactly for the PC minded. Just like the last album, it's a tough swallow at first but after repeated listenings I found the band has quite a lot to offer. Also, like the last album, my main complaint is the recording quality which doesn't do the songs or the band justice. If you're into bands like Spazz, Dead Kennedys, D.R.I, etc and have an open mind for some original music check out Say Bok Gwai. Their myspace page is at myspace.com/sbg. 

SAY BOK GWAI – Chink In The Armor

Punk and doom metal, hardcore and splatter. The whole sung in English and Cantonese, to create a new genre: CantoCore. The duo of Alex Yeung (guitar, bass, vocals) and Andre Custodio (drums, vocals, electronics), Say Bok Gwai present 31 mostly short tracks in which they show a remarkable technical command – the overdriven mess hides nice chops. A lot of positive energy, screaming lyrics, power chords and “terrifying scales 101” a go-go, powerful drumming. Everything very funny and in some case exciting, the only exception being that several of the pieces sounds too similar, causing a little bit of humdrum to kick in after about half an hour, which would have been the perfect length for an album like this instead of its over 50 minutes. Otherwise, amusing stuff.

Say Bok Gwai – Chink In The Armor {Edgetone / Monkey King}

Gotta give it up for duos that destroy like Population Reduction, Lightning Bolt, Big Business, No Age, Pink & Brown, I Will Kill You Fucker and SAY BOK GWAI without a doubt!  This San Francisco Canto-core terror twosome (guitarist & vocalist Alex Yeung plus Andre Custodio on drums & vox) unleash thrashing metal, noise rock, & hardcore punk plus a bit’o animalistic screeches bizarro segues with vulgar hilarity & foul mouthed criticisms sung in spastically nasal English & Cantonese.  They touch on silly stereotypes, national & personal politics, consumer whorism, the idiocy of white America, stickin’ it to religion, takin’ pride in being Chinese American, dissing corporate music and diggin’ on frozen taquitos.  Songs are super short fast blasts o’ hardcore with more moderate metal moments.  Energetic Asian Explosion

http://spidey.kfjc.org/?p=3381