Band : Gauge Means Nothing
Album : The Adsent Trail of an Echo and My Future Plagued By Surrender
Release Year : 2003
Genre : Screamo | Post-Rock | Experimental
Tracklist :
1. pilgrims
2. my glasses reflect untrue view on my eyes
3. boku wa bikaiin [i'm glorify comissioner]
4. (surely) dyes black
5. right hand (12" version)
I'm going to start this review by saying the title of this album is almost longer the album itself. Now that I have that out of the way, GMN are a hardcore band from Japan who play epic hardcore music. Imagine God Speed You Black Emperor meets Marakate at a Therion band practice.
Gauge Means Nothing hail from Tokyo, Japan. They started in May of 1997, and have suffered many member changes since then. In September of 2000 they recorded and self-released their first demo on tape format. Between 2001 and 2002 they solidified the line-up, adding Tamao Kamiya (vocals/tambourine), and Yuki Tanaka (vocals/guitar).
In December of 2002 they were included on Tokyo’s Ku Records’ “My Notebook is Full of Scribbles” compilation. Then in the Spring of 2003, they recorded their first EP, entitled “The Absent Trail of An Echo and My Future Plagued by Surrender”. Nashville, TN’s I’ve Come For Your Children decided to release the vinyl version. In September of 2003, Yuichi Kasanuma (vocalist/bassist) released the EP on CD from his label, Endless/Nameless Records.
In December, I’ve Come For Your Children released the 12” version in America. The first week of December, Gauge Means Nothing toured Malaysia and Singapore with two other Japanese bands, tiala and Cohol. They followed up with a short tour of Japan. In December 2004, the band toured Japan for 9 days with My Precious from Singapore, and Endless/Nameless Records released the split CD with My Precious, entitled “Missing Tom Split CDEP” for their Japan tour.
Papakerma Records from Malaysia released “Missing Tom Cassette EP” for the South-East Asia kids, and I’ve Come For Your Children released the “Missing Tom Split CDEP” American edition in 2005. Ghetto Records also released the “Missing Tom Split CDEP” European Edition in 2006. The band broke up in Christmas of 2005.
Although incorporating some unusual and interesting arrangements, Gauge Means Nothing's EP is a rather mixed bag. The inclusion of a female vocalist who resembles something out of a J-pop song is amusing at first, but quickly deteriorates into something terribly annoying. Instances where her voice seems to 'work' are quite good, but these are very rare. Her high pitched whining during sections of 'My Glasses Reflect An Untrue View On My Eyes' are simply grating on the ears. An element of progression can be found within the music, and on the whole the album is musically very appealing. The longer tracks, 'Pilgrim' and '(Surely) Dyes Black' are sublime in showing off the band's ability at putting together a decent composition. A higher score would have been warranted had it not been for the hit or miss female vocals, and the very bad male cleans. If you can stand J-pop, this might be the emo album for you.
