Yakuza

experimental

Yakuza refers to three bands. 1) Avant-Garde / Experimental metal band from Chicago, Illinois, USA. 2) Indie Rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. 3) Portuguese electronic jazz band 1) Yakuza is an avant-garde metal band, formed in Chicago in 1999. They have been acclaimed for their incorporation of jazz and world music elements. Staying deeply rooted in a genre all its own, Yakuza’s existence lies on a metal base with progressive flair, while somehow also incorporating elements of jazz, world beat, and post-rock ambience. Yakuza was formed in 1999 by the Chicago quartet of instrumentalists Jim Staffel, Eric Plonka, Bruce Lamont and Eric Clark. Using unusual instruments like the saxophone and clarinet, and incorporating free jazz, world music, and psychedelic music, the band debuted with its independently-released album Amount to Nothing in 2001. The album was met with acclaim from Terrorizer and the Chicago Sun Times. Yakuza followed its release with a tour alongside Candiria and Burnt by the Sun, eventually leading to a slot on the Vans Warped Tour. Such exposure led to a record contract and the release of their second album, Way of the Dead, through Century Media Records in 2002. Yakuza then shared the stage with Opeth, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Mastodon. Jazz musician Ken Vandermark guests on the record (a unique live performance from 2002 is on YouTube). While the band received critical acclaim, the record failed to meet sales expectations; as a result, W...