Samurai Pizza Cats
You're Hellcome
ft. Nico Sallach, Fabio Schäfer, Alma Alizadeh, Maria Lessing, Mrs. Nina Chartier, Emmy Mack.
Genre: Metalcore.
Released: 22/09/2023
Via Easthaven Records
Album Review: Samurai Pizza Cats – You’re Hellcome
Have you ever heard of catcore? Neither had I before I was made aware of the Supergroup Samurai Pizza Cats! The brainchild of Daniel Haniß from Electric Callboy and Sebastian Fischer of Fall Of Gaia, the band offer a gritty yet humorous sound that is quite unlike anything out there at the moment. Their debut album ‘You’re Hellcome’ has certainly had some hype around it’s release so I just had to check it out for myself. Here are my thoughts on the new release!
The album’s opening song ‘The Wolf In Me’ gives off major Doom vibes. Making the listener want to blast their way through all their life’s problems with a backing track that not only packs a punch but is a bit groovy as well. Keeping with the action-packed theme is the track ‘Outcast’. Extremely energetic bursts matched with a simple yet catchy chorus that is just begging to be sung at the top of your lungs. Not wanting to disappoint, ‘Last Player’ really lives up to the whole video game feeling. If there was a metal arcade game around in the 90’s, that would be the song to accompany it!
For those of you who found this band through Dan’s connection with Electric Callboy, ‘Pizza Homicide’ may sound a bit familiar to you. Utilising the vocals of Nico Sallach, Samurai Pizza Cats unleashes a comical yet brutal track about one of the most controversial subjects… Pineapple on pizza! Despite having quite a lot to live up to, ‘Kill It’ comes through massively. The way the song quickly shifts from the bands heavy as nails sound to almost angelic cleans never gets old. Maybe an early contender to be an anthem esc song for the band.
The second feature on the album comes from the amazing Emmy Mack of RedHook on the track ‘Have A G.O.O.D Day!’. Her more centred vocals provide a satisfying contrast to the chugging riffs being laid down throughout the song’s entirety. A song for all the mothers out there now! ‘Burn’ takes no prisoners and doesn’t apologise for the mess it creates. An infectious beat carries you through the synth-filled brutality and you have no choice but to enjoy the ride.
Headbangers can rest easy as they are covered too. ‘Fake’ is a real endurance test for those neck muscles as the beat is never-ending and heavy as hell! Its clean-sounding chorus only encourages you to let it all out as it drops back into the cathartic verse instrumental. I can’t help but feel like ‘Falling Down’ may be this album’s resident circle pit track. High-paced and intense all the way to the core. Boasting some of the best gutturals on the entire album, this track ranks highly on my scoreboard.
Another track, another feature! This time the song captures the help of Mrs. Nina Chartier who brings a more urban edge to proceedings. Ludicrously heavy and full of attitude, ‘Alpha’ won’t just steal the candy from the baby, it’ll make it watch as it consumes it all as well. If a song needed a warning for the faint-hearted, this may be it! Continuing the special guest section of the album is ‘Freakshow’ which enlists the support of Maria Lessing of Future Palace. A song for the two Steppers is how I’d describe this one as it gives off some early 2000s angst vibes.
Arguably the heaviest track on the album, ‘Welcome To The Fightclub’ captures the vocals of Fabio Schäfer and transforms them into hell incarnate. A disgustingly heavy breakdown to close out the song is an extremely fitting way to bring the album into its final song ‘You’re Hellcome’. Alma Alizadeh of For I Am King needs little introduction and the way his vocals intertwine with the harsh gutturals from Sebastian Fischer leaves the listener in a state of amazement. A fitting end to a stellar album!
For a debut album, this is an extremely strong release! Supergroups can often leave a lot to be desired however, Samurai Pizza Cats seem to have already found a very unique sound and have produced a highly memorable album. The only way is up from here if the quality of music stays on this level!
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