Yaphet Kotto
The Killer Was in the Government Blankets


5.0
classic

Review

by Adabelle USER (6 Reviews)
February 23rd, 2012 | 50 replies


Release Date: 1999 | Tracklist

Review Summary: It's easily worthy of the mounds of hyperbolic praise that it never received.

Where do you start with Yaphet Kotto? Put simply, they are the most consistently brilliant emotive hardcore act that you have never heard of. Formed in 1996 in Santa Cruz, California and releasing just three LPs in their ten-year lifespan, I suppose it is unsurprising that they slipped by mostly unnoticed. As with a large number of bands who are lumped into the “emo/screamo” genre, it is often only retrospectively that they are appreciated as much as they deserve.

Perhaps so far, my praise seems excessive; allow me to explain. The issue with the majority of debut LPs is their lack of refinement. Sometimes, there is passion but no emotion; at other times there is beauty without any real soul and occasionally there is intensity without direction. The perfect balance is almost impossible to find but on “The Killer Was…” Yaphet Kotto produced a seemingly flawless record easily worthy of the mounds of hyperbolic praise that it never received.

The first track, “First Meetings Agreement” acts almost as a miniature version of the rest of the album. The casually intertwined guitar melodies create a lush texture and there is a gorgeous fluidity despite the intricacies of some of the riffs and drum fills. As far as vocals go, there is a range from the softly-sung duet parts to the passionate and heart-felt deliveries that are commonplace amongst bands in the genre. But they are far from typical in their nature. The vocals can come across as intense but also as nonchalant purely as a result of subtle changes in their delivery and the result is jaw-dropping.

One distinctive feature of “The Killer Was” and also Yaphet Kotto in general is their fantastic ability to give each song the perfect flow. Not a single moment feels rushed or dragged out but effortlessly fits into the masterpiece. The astonishingly mature sound that is the final product has influenced countless bands and is undoubtedly a classic.



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Comments:Add a Comment 
Adabelle
February 22nd 2012


4425 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

First review, don't burn me, listen to the album instead.

ohfoxxxycole
February 22nd 2012


4339 Comments


nice summary

rasputin
February 23rd 2012


14968 Comments


good band

eggsvonsatan
February 23rd 2012


1087 Comments


I remember liking these guys from a long time ago, but I can't remember what they sounded like.

craigy2
February 23rd 2012


551 Comments


Superb first review! Perhaps a little more meat on the bones would be nice, but this really is very good. Great job!

BallsToTheWall
February 23rd 2012


51613 Comments


what everybody else said.

iFghtffyrdmns
February 23rd 2012


7044 Comments


could definitely use a little more about the music/album/construction/songs themselves and a little less about the general state of music or that scene or whatever, but a solid first nonetheless.

AND GUESS WHAT YOU'RE RIGHT I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THEM AND I'M STILL NOT GONNA LISTEN TO 'EM CAUSE I'M TOO IMPORTANT AND COOL

Adabelle
February 23rd 2012


4425 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Album art looks fine to me, maybe mod/med fixed it or something.



About the review being short, it looked longer written out and also this didn't have a review so it was mostly about actually giving this a review but thanks for all the feedback!

Adabelle
February 26th 2012


4425 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Two new ratings since the review, I count that as a success, even if they were probably people who had forgotten to rate from months ago. I think I might review Syncopated... next; it's equally as good if not better.

Rev
February 26th 2012


9882 Comments


I don't have this one :/

Adabelle
February 26th 2012


4425 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Go get it then doofus...

Rev
February 26th 2012


9882 Comments


but I already have so much unlistened music to get around to =(

ffs
March 7th 2012


6341 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

i will listen to this

ffs
March 7th 2012


6341 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

f**ck you dad!!!

Adabelle
March 7th 2012


4425 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Yeah, rules, etc

Adabelle
May 6th 2012


4425 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Bumped hard because someone deleted their rating, poser

ffs
May 7th 2012


6341 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

it is good

Brumas
June 3rd 2012


118 Comments


Seriously, give this a listen if you're a big fan of 90's screamo/emo bands, this band pulls off their style perfectly.

Adabelle
June 5th 2012


4425 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

^

Adabelle
June 5th 2012


4425 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Teach me o great one how does one do it?



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