[CD REVIEW] 戳麻 (Chock Ma) – Demo (2007)

You know that feeling when you hear music that really comes together?  Well that is exactly what comes to mind when listening to this self released Demo from a young Hong Kong band named 戳麻 (Chock Ma).  I surely have not been this excited about any Chinese band in a long while.

The first track, “隨風去” (“Gone by the Wind”) is an Erhu (二胡) driven instrumental post rock number that combines Traditional Chinese instrumentation with a Modern Rock Sound.  It is immediate and helps set the tone for the coming songs, the 2nd track “蹉跎闕” (“Passage of Time”) –– which opens with an interweaving arpeggio riff,  shows the band blending things further by throwing everything from Traditional Chinese sounds, Post Metal to Alternative Rock into a big melting pot.  For most, this might have spelled disaster, but in Chock Ma’s case everything comes into its own and crossbreeds to become something that is familiar yet also unique.  The last song, “滿江紅” (“Crimson River”) has its namesake and lyrics taken from the famous poem by historic Chinese patriotic hero 岳飛 (Yue Fei). This track is definitely the highlight of the demo and shows the band’s ability to directly transpose the brutality and injustice of the poems content into intense Heavy Metal magic.  Other than relying on Metal riffs over riffs, it is in their compositional details that this band really shines –– this is apparent in the off scale blues lick that gives the song its edginess and the syncopated riff in the last few bars which ends the song on a forceful note.

These guys definitely get my recommendations, and I cannot wait to hear a full length from them.

蹉跎闕 (live recording by mollymollymomo) | 戳麻

Recommended tracks: All

Track Listing:
01. 隨風去 (Gone by the Wind)
02. 蹉跎闕 (Passage of Time)
03. 滿江紅 (Crimson River)

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lojun

I like to spend my time on the internet searching for the meaning of life. When I am not doing this you can find me listening to music or playing the bass…or stuffing myself silly on Burritos.

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