This review is the end of an odyssey that has lasted over a year.  I’ve known Basim for about five years, and interviewed him a few years ago when he fronted the band “Malice in Leatherland.”  When he told me about the Kominas, and their then-upcoming CD Wild Nights in Guantanamo Bay,  I was extremely interested.  I have always been a fan of international music, and the concept of Taqwacore was a very exciting one.   I immediately ordered “Wild Nights…” from a Taqwacore distributor and was very interested in ordering more Taqwacore as well.

However, this was not to be.    The weeks rolled by and I did not receive the CD.  I contacted the distributor, and he made a very vague statement about recently mailing a lot of CD’s out, but he did not know the specifics of my order.   He promised to “check on it”.   I heard nothing.  My subsequent emails were ignored, and I realized that I was simply not going to receive the CD, much less a refund.  Fortunately, I had paid with Paypal, so I opened a dispute. The distributor failed to respond to the dispute, and a few weeks later I was reimbursed by Paypal.  I had my money back, but I still didn’t have the CD!

I contacted the band to see if I could obtain one directly from them.   I received a quick reply from Basim, but at the time they were scattered out in different locations, and preparing to tour, I think, so I didn’t want to hassle them.   Last fall I moved from Florida to North Carolina, so many things were placed on the back burner, so to speak.  Recently I remembered “Wild Nights…”, and searched for the CD. I located a distributor that carried it, but they were on backorder.  On an impulse I checked Amazon.com  and to my surprise they sell the download!  I typically do not like downloads.  I like to hold the actual CD, see the inserts, and glean more of a “feel” for the CD.  But in the absence of the CD, at least I finally have the music. And that’s the most important thing of all.

And what music it is!  “Wild Nights in Guantanamo Bay” will destroy most preconceived notions about Taqwacore.  “Sharia Law in the USA” deftly merges Neo-swing and punk, with biting sound clips that are a staple of the CD.   “Chaku!” slams into the next gear, a roaring wave of Hardcore.  “Ayesha” is punk/pop with rather catchy choruses.  The surf-ish  intro of “Disrhoom Bebe” morphs into a sort of prog-rock sound with rolling percussion and punk vocals.   “Par Desi” is bass-driven, with neo-swing vocals and very edgy guitar.    “9000 Miles” shifts gears with strong regae/ska elements.  The vocals sound very ’80s, punctuated  by fierce guitar riffs.   “WalQueda Superstore” is a scathing social commentary that holds back nothing.  Very catchy discordant harmonies with a hot-jazz chorus are masterfully done.   “Blow Shit Up” is one of my favorites!  Heavy bass delivers in a punkish style, then roaring guitar with machinegun bursts that turns into a catchy ska beat. 
“Layla” is another cool song, with intricate guitar work.  Vocals have a Latin flavor. Crisp percussion, and then the guitar turns heavy, reinforced by by edgy bass and a punk-ish chorus.   “Rabya” grabs you with a progressive bassline.  Keyboards give us a flashback to the ’90s, and spacey, but fast, pecussion lends an eerie aura to the song.

“I Want a Handjob” is reminiscent of early rock ‘n roll, with great guitar.  The refrain ‘Everyday is Karbala’ probably refers to the Battle of Karbala in 680,  where Husain ibn Ali was slain. After a about a minute and a half, the song explodes, then turns into a ska inspired beat, with a deftly layered background chorus.   “Suicide Bomb the Gap” is pure funk, with a pounding bassline that George Clinton would be proud of, and very ’70′s vocals and background chorus.  Helicopter and news broadcast sound effects ensue, then the song breaks into hip-hop type vocals anchored by the funky bass and guitar.   This CD is  highly crafted with loops and sound bites that enhance the music, instead of simply providing filler like on so many albums these days. Wild Nights in Guantanamo Bay is a musical masterpiece that defies stereotypes and displays a versatility which is more enjoyable with each listening.  Now available from CD Baby as well as Amazon, you can get this great CD much faster than I did.  It was truly worth the wait.  I look forward to hearing more from the Kominas!

http://www.myspace.com/thekominas