Shinsei Kamatte-Chan is a fairly new band to the Japanese music scene and are definitely one to start keeping an eye on. Their sound can be likened to other contemporary Japanese groups such as Urbangarde and Midori in their somewhat avant-garde approach to pop music. Singer Kono sings and yelps like a drunken Takkyu Ishino who came across a bit too many distortion pedals and pitch shifters, while leader Mono happily plays at his piano laying down a nice melodic background which often times cannot even protrude out of the layers of guitar and noise that surround it. Shinsei Kamatte-Chan are certainly not the most bizzare sounding band out there, but their attention to such subtle detail and their ability to keep themselves subdued at the right moments make them something truly unique. Listening to 友だちを殺してまで is like slowly watching someone lose their mind. Each track exposes a different side to the band and it is perhaps with the track "学校に行きたくない" where the band hits a mark of chaos so noticeably.

友だちを殺してまで is at times both uplifting and utterly disturbing, beautiful and jagged. I haven't heard a band like this in a long time and for their first release, this album shows experience beyond their years. Great potential is shown here and I can only hope that their music gains a bigger and well-deserved fan base.