Turning Face! – Tojo Yamamoto

Tojo Yamamoto’s Turning Face! EP is a 24-minute gut punch of noise rock bravado that refines the Kentucky quartet’s chaotic charm. Named after the legendary Memphis wrestling heel, this Lexington-based crew—featuring alumni from ZZ Top, Nine Pound Hammer, and The Mighty Skullhead delivers six tracks of gritty, unfiltered aggression, spiked with newfound groove and a touch of experimental flair. It’s a wild ride that doesn’t let up, equal parts therapy session and barroom brawl.

The EP explodes out of the gate with “Las Vegas Leg Lock,” a sonic maelstrom of pummeling bass, jagged guitars, and Larry Joe Treadway’s snarling vocals. The addition of keyboards—a leap from their debut—lends an eerie shimmer, broadening their sound without diluting its raw edge. Think Amphetamine Reptile’s golden era, but with a Southern swagger that’s distinctly Tojo Yamamoto. “Loser Leave Town (A Cautionary Tale)” dials back the tempo, letting Darren Howard’s thunderous drums and Elwood Francis’s corrosive riffs build a brooding tension, laced with dark wit.

It’s more than just hardcore; it’s more interesting than punk, and it’s more fun to be around than your average metal band. – The Big Takeover

The title track, “Turning Face,” is the EP’s heart—a four-and-a-half-minute beast that shifts from hypnotic menace to all-out assault. The keyboards weave a hypnotic thread through the distortion, reflecting wrestling’s “face turn” trope with a defiant twist. It’s the band’s most dynamic cut yet, showcasing their ability to wield chaos with precision. “Work” follows with a krautrock-inspired pulse, its motorik beat and fuzzed-out guitars making it the EP’s most danceable track—though still abrasive enough to keep the faint-hearted at bay.

“Hard Way at Shitsville” is a punk-fueled standout, its relentless riffs hitting like a steel chair shot, while closer “A Face Made for Radio” revels in swampy, proto-grunge filth—a fittingly unhinged cap to the madness.

Mastered at 45 RPM for maximum impact, Turning Face! is raw, loud, and gloriously unpolished. Available in limited vinyl runs (Molten Blue Gurgle and Forbidden Place Algae), it’s a must for noise rock diehards. Tojo Yamamoto isn’t reinventing the wheel—they’re just smashing it to bits and grinning through the wreckage.

Label: Forbidden Place Records
Release date: January 24, 2025