Aburakusasu no Matsuri / アブラクサスの祭/ Abraxis

There are few things that go together better than zen and rock ‘n’ roll. Aburakusasu no matsuri chronicles the spiritual quest of Zonen (Suneohair) a guitarist/Buddhist monk/family man. In the opening scene we see him in a dingy Tokyo live house coming to a halt in the middle of a song, soon going into the wildest of noise solos. Thin tethers hold him together and soon he’s haltingly working towards spiritual fulfillment as a Buddhist monk. Doubts and unfinished emotional business plague him. At the suggestion of his spiritual mentor he holds a concert on the temple grounds. With shaven head and monk’s robes he finds his center in a maelstrom of harrowing guitar noise. Naoki Kato’s first feature isn’t perfect, but it’s a passionate and though-provoking essay on the many roads one can take to get to some sort of spiritual truth. Pop rocker Suneohair carries the burden of the show with a sensitive portrayal of a man on a rocky quest. In addition, his guitar playing and stage presence is quite amazing.

Originally published in EL Magazine, January, 2011