Yakuza (Chicago quartet)

From their break-out debut album 'Amount to Nothing' in 2000, which was met with critical acclaim, Yakuza have been a phenomenon in the world of heavy music, hot on the tongues of those who know. Their second album 'Way of the Dead' in 2002 landed yakuza a deal with Century Media and worldwide notoriety, securing them live slots with like-minded progressive heavyweights like Candira, Opeth, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Lacuna Coil and Mastodon. Several albums of top tier eccentric metal followed with “Samsara” in 2006 which was recorded by Matt Bayles (Isis, Botch, Pearl Jam) and featured Sanford Parker, and Mastodon‘s Troy Sanders, the jazzier and spaced-out 'Transmutations' in 2007, and 'Of Seismic Consequence' in 2010 and 'Beyul' in 2012 respectively released on cult underground label Profound Lore.
 
With a diamond back-catalogue of flawless genre breaking metal, having no stylistic constraints, Yakuza are maestros of highly creative, extreme music, ever ahead of the game.