Up-and-coming band Sambomaster's fast-paced, funky rock 'n' roll is dominated by the uncompromisingly passionate vocals of vocalist/guitarist Takeshi Yamaguchi, who shifts between a delicate, almost childlike singing style and full-on screaming madness. His sandpaper-like voice is one that you either love or hate. Yamaguchi first met Yasufumi Kiuchi, the band's drummer, when they were members of the same music "circle," or club, at university a few years back, and they later teamed up...

Up-and-coming band Sambomaster's fast-paced, funky rock 'n' roll is dominated by the uncompromisingly passionate vocals of vocalist/guitarist Takeshi Yamaguchi, who shifts between a delicate, almost childlike singing style and full-on screaming madness. His sandpaper-like voice is one that you either love or hate. Yamaguchi first met Yasufumi Kiuchi, the band's drummer, when they were members of the same music "circle," or club, at university a few years back, and they later teamed up with bassist Yoichi Kondo to form Sambomaster in February 2000. The band made their live debut in April that year at Showboat, a live house in Tokyo's Koenji district, and like most new bands these days, started work on their own self-produced recordings. While some bands might simply knock off a few tunes quickly in the studio, Sambomaster worked on their Kick no Oni (Kicking Demons) CD from July through to the end of 2000, finally releasing it in April 2001 in an edition of just 300 copies. Tracks by the band were also featured on various indie anthologies which along with Sambomaster's relentless gigging all over the country, helped create a buzz about the group. Sambomaster's big break was their appearance at Fuji Rock Festival's "Rookie a Go Go" new-band showcase in summer 2003, and in December 2003 Sambomaster made their major-label album debut with the excellent Road and Light of New Japanese Rock on Sony Records. Since then Sambomaster has enjoyed modest chart success and has established itself as one of Japan's most promising new rock bands.