Tojo Yamamoto – S/T - New 10"

Location: Lexington, Kentucky
Genre: Fuzzed-Out Rock. 

Not only focusing on the subject of wrestling, but sounding like that as well. Totality of effect. 100 proof Kentucky mash to bash in your ears. -- winch 


"Most bands, if they’re lucky, have one or two interesting aspects to their existence, and yet here’s Tojo Yamamoto racking up the notable details: they’re a wrestling-themed, blown-out rock band featuring members of Nine Pound Hammer and ZZ Top. Elwood Francis replaced Dusty Hill after he passed, and he handles guitar duties on Tojo Yamamoto’s debut. Musically, this is blown-out, grooving noise-rock in the Am Rep tradition, not too far from The Hammer Party (or the more locked-in riffage of Landed) and Cows. It’s not excessively noisy, but the primitive, laid-back riffing and caustic guitar tones are all redolent of the traditional noise-rock formula, punk rock’s greasy, sluggish offspring. Larry Joe Treadway is a capable vocalist and deserving of his two first names, sounding like he’s crashed at least one car that he was able to walk away from without a scratch. All that, and the lyrics are mostly referencing various old-timey bad-ass wrestlers, the guys whose Dark Side Of The Ring episodes were more about shooting pistols at bloodthirsty fans than wasting away on pills. If none of these various attributes strike you as intriguing, well you must be a far more sophisticated person than I." -- Matt Korvette (Pissed Jeans)

Veterans of the great noise rock wars of the 1990s, featuring members of The Mighty Skullhead, Nine Pound Hammer, Supafuzz, Ted Abusement Park and more. Making modern, noisey rock with just a hint of danceability and disgust. Part of the Forbidden Place Records fam. 

Tojo Yamamoto, the Kentucky fried noise rock collective, quickly follow up their 2023 10"  with their highly anticipated 12", “Turning Face!” Released December 6, 2024, this EP finds the band in prime form, expanding their sonic horizons with the addition of keyboards to their signature fuzzed-out rock sound. "Turning Face!" delivers six intense tracks that will make you want to kick back and crank up the volume.

"Crazy noisy sextet dedicated to the titular bad guy wrestler, who was one of the most popular villains of the southern circuit. The raw-throated lyrics, harsh-edged guitar riffs, and proto-grunge muscle hit me right in my pre-Nirvana sweet spot." – Byron Coley, The Wire

"One minute, you're being beaten over the head with hardcore; the next, you're faced with fuzzed-out, post-punk walls of sound. It’s divine sonic madness." – Dave Franklin, The Big Takeover

"A wrestling-themed, blown-out rock band. A raw, grooving noise-rock experience that’s a perfect mix of riffage and caustic guitar tones." – Matt Korvette, Yellow Green Red

"Disturbing tunes that smash your ears like a brick, sandwiched between two Jesus Lizard records."
– Dann Lennard, Betty Paginated

"Fans of Cosmic Psychos, Ty Segall, and Cherubs will find Turning Face! a perfect blend of raw energy, fuzz, and noise rock intensity. Don't miss out on the chaos; get your copy of Turning Face! now!"