The Predators are a Japanese supergroup comprised of members of the Pillows, Glay, and Straightener. All these are successful collectives without any signs of internal conflicts, so the only reason for a side project must be musical ambition -- and the fact that Kiba Wo Misero reached the Oricon Top Ten shows that the band, indeed, has got something to say. Like many supergroups, the Predators weren't established to create a new musical genre, but they are definitely able to squeeze some interesting music out of old ones, most notably punk, which serves as a springboard for the band's sound. They don't qualify as punkers, though, and don't aspire to be -- even the faster and merrier songs of Kiba Wo Misero are reserved, the group putting more attention into riffs and rhythm arrangements than into creating a 380V bolt of energy to hurl at listeners. Besides, the Predators spend most of their time mixing punk with adjacent styles, such as grunge, grunge-inspired alt-rock (think Audioslave or Urge Overkill), and the jangly pop of Fujifabric and the Pillows (which is to say, the Pixies). Of course, simply running the gamut of styles isn't enough to make a good album, but songwriting is actually the main reason to enjoy the Predators, who keep their tracks catchy and distinct and never ruin the quietly dynamic cloudy-day party mood of this release. Kiba Wo Misero won't change the musical world, but it sure would be nice if there were a way to replicate these guys to allow them to work in the Predators full-time without giving up their main jobs. [This edition features a CD and DVD.] ~ Alexey Eremenko, Rovi

1		Rock 'n' Roll Lay Down
2		C.R.S.
3		Live Drive
4		Shoot the Moon
5		Gun Lock
6		Island
7		Wild Tiger
8		Live Drive [DVD]
9		Shoot the Moon [DVD]
10		Rock 'n' Roll Lay Down [DVD]

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