Yuriko I Hope Your Cancer Kills You

As someone who’s lived in Denver for most of their lives, I can safely say that, while it’s a closely-knit scene, it doesn’t spawn the mega-bands that places like Orange County, Boston, and NYC are known for. In fact, the only bands that have gained any notoriety outside Colorado would have to be Shogun, One Dying Wish, and Fear Before the March of Flames. Simply put, Denver’s a hard place to break out of, and even the most remarkably talented band have little to no chance of gaining a foothold anywhere else. Such is the case with Yuriko. Yuriko has been around a long while under various names and several member changes. After self-releasing a full-length under their current incarnation, however, Yuriko has become something very much worth listening to. I’d hate to seem extra biased here considering that Denver is my “hometown” and all, but considering that many of you would never hear this band without a review such as this really saddens me. And so as an introduction, I’ll present a tidy description of them: Yuriko is one of the most hauntingly somber and dark bands I’ve had the opportunity to encounter and know personally, period. This may sound like a stretch, but until you’ve listened to what they have to offer, you’d know what I mean. The opening track to “I Hope Your Cancer Kills You” is a strange albeit “pretty” chorus/drum piece all done in Japanese. I have a feeling this was lifted from some obscure anime film, but either way, it serves as a perfect launching pad into “Test the Waters,” a track which pretty much epitomizes Yuriko’s sound: screamy and dissonant vocals, wailing guitars that turn crushing in an instant, and drum fills galore, all displayed within an eerie, melodic context. As the song beats to a close, the band glides into a lingering air that spans over five minutes, with vocalist Dave Blackwelder sounding almost like Billy Corgan near the end of Smashing Pumpkins' career. From this, the band again launches into “Eyes Are Black” and “A Lack of Things to Talk About,” two more screamy metal attacks laden with frantic guitar licks and numerous false harmonics. From this, Yuriko again switches to “Kill or Cure,” undoubtedly the band’s “epic” seven-minute track, a sweeping array of excellent crescendos and descents. “Sleep Well Jackson” and the tenth hidden track are two short piano pieces that help bind that albums closing songs, “Short of Tranquil Sleep” and “The Boy With Nails in His Eyes,” The latter akin in arrangement to “Kill or Cure.” As far as self-released recordings go, most are pretty terrible, but Yuriko has managed to record an album that sets some pretty high standards for anyone else thinking of putting out a full-length on their own. The sound quality is top-notch and yet still raw enough to please the ears, and the CD packaging and artwork is all hand-assembled and incredibly well-executed, i.e. a hell of a lot more aesthetically satisfying than almost any pre-assembled label released material. Bottom Line: Yuriko is something of a rarity to me, an incredibly unique outfit that I can only vaguely describe as a cross between Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Saetia. Yuriko has worked hard to get where they are now, and I can only hope that they can steal some of the spotlight that is constantly shining on the “big” hardcore and metal scenes. I highly suggest listening to a few tracks from this CD.