Replicant Walk

Originally released in 1988, Replicant Walk, the third studio album by Japanese punk/no wave pioneers Friction, finds the band during one of the more chaotic phases of its career, with bassist/vocalist Reck by this time the only remaining member of either the original lineup or the "classic" 1980 incarnation after the departure of founding member and fellow ex-Contortions bandmate Chico-Hige the previous year. Lacking the scratchy, raw edge that made the band's earliest recordings so compelling, Replicant Walk suffers from the same over-tidy guitar production that made so much of the Jesus and Mary Chain's later work so disappointing. Nevertheless, the songs themselves still retain the band's inherent harshness and brutality, with Reck barking and ranting out his lyrics rather than singing, and walking-pace mechanical rhythms and repetitive guitars dominating the sound (reflecting the album title's concept). Lacking Chico-Hige's occasional saxophone, experimental jazz legend and frequent patron of Japanese underground music John Zorn makes his presence felt in that role, contributing to a few tracks (most notably "Bad Luck") and helping to ensure that, while it would be hard to call Replicant Walk an unqualified success, it has enough spark and imagination to suggest that the band still has some life in it.