The members of Ogre You Asshole are bracing for something. At least, that¡¯s what the title of their seventh album, ¡°Handoru o Hanasu Mae Ni¡± (¡°Before Letting Go of the Handle¡°) suggests. (The album¡¯s official English title is the less tense ¡°Everythingsomethingnothing.¡°)
¡°It¡¯s not really an emotional state, like dread or excitement, but just the dry feeling that something may happen,¡± songwriter, singer and guitarist Manabu Deto tells The Japan Times from the Tokyo office of the band¡¯s label, P-Vine Records. ¡°It¡¯s like the Leaning Tower of Pisa; it¡¯s about to fall, but you don¡¯t really feel anything.¡±
Deto is joined by his bandmates ¡ª guitarist and songwriter Kei Mabuchi, bassist Takashi Shimizu and drummer Takashi Katsuura ¡ª who insist that the Leaning Tower metaphor isn¡¯t a reference to the band¡¯s future. Regardless, the album shows a newly found restraint not seen in Ogre¡¯s earlier work. After being together for a decade, with experiences touring the United States and working with labels both major and independent, the band has amassed a dedicated following in Japan and a small fan base abroad, with notable musicians such as The Smiths¡¯ guitarist Johnny Marr among them.
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