SXSW SPOTLIGHT: Yakuza Channel the Ghost of Coltrane With Their Most Metal Sax-Led Songs Yet

Photos by Andrew Parks

The Artist & Their Latest Release: Yakuza, Of Seismic Consequence (out 6/8 on Profound Lore)

The Showcase: 20 Buck Spin/Profound Lore @ Headhunters, 3.19.10

The Set In a Few Sentences: We’ve long believed that Yakuza is one of the most underrated bands in underground metal, a truly progressive force of nature that would be bigger than Opeth in a perfect world. The music’s tight enough as is, but at the heart of it all is frontman Bruce Lamont, a sax-wielding madman that can gnash his teeth harder than any death-metal vocalist one minute and nail a heaven-sent harmony the next. He proved that to great effect at this intimate showcase, as Yakuza blew through several winding new songs, only to deliver one hardcore-like outburst near the end when the sound guy said their time was almost up. And with that, Yakuza’s next one became one of our most anticipated albums of 2010, metal or not.

And a Letter Grade: A-