ALBUM REVIEW: Press Start – Samurai Pizza Cats
Press Start, the second album from SAMURAI PIZZA CATS, feels less like a traditional follow-up and more like hitting continue on a game already running at full speed. Where their debut You’re Hellcome introduced the band’s chaotic fusion of metalcore, EDM, and internet humour, this record commits to that identity completely. Everything is bigger, louder, brighter and far more relentless. There’s no sense of hesitation here, no attempt to redefine their sound or branch into something unexpected. Instead, SAMURAI PIZZA CATS double down on what they do best, delivering a neon-soaked, high-energy experience that rarely pauses long enough for you to catch your breath.
The album opens with Insert Coin, a brief but effective introduction that leans fully into the arcade concept. Glitchy sound design and digital ambience create the feeling of booting up a game, setting the tone that carries over to Super Zero, crashing in and establishing the core sound. From that point on, the formula is clear: tightly produced metalcore built on a foundation of electronic textures, bouncing between aggressive verses and glossy, hook-driven choruses. It’s immediately catchy and technically impressive, but it also reveals one of the album’s central issues, this structure becomes so consistent that it starts to define almost every track that follows.
That said, when the formula works, it works incredibly well. Fear No Slice is an early highlight, taking a knowingly ridiculous concept and turning it into a genuine anthem. The chorus is huge, the energy is infectious, and it captures the band at their most confident fully aware of how absurd they are, but committed enough to make it land without irony undermining the impact. Pandastruck leans even further into that chaos, feeling unpredictable and almost unstable in its pacing, yet somehow remaining tightly controlled. It’s the kind of track that shouldn’t hold together, but does purely because of how precisely it’s executed.
Error 808 offers a slight shift in texture, placing more emphasis on electronic elements and allowing the synth work to take centre stage. It’s one of the clearest examples of how seamlessly SAMURAI PIZZA CATS can blend genres when they choose to, demonstrating that their sound isn’t just built on novelty but on a surprisingly strong sense of cohesion. Even so, the album rarely strays too far from its core identity, and moments like this feel more like subtle variations than true departures.
The midpoint of the album delivers its most memorable and defining moment with Ramen-Man, featuring BABYBEARD. It’s completely unhinged in concept, combining idol-metal energy with the band’s usual chaos, but it stands out precisely because of how different it feels. The feature adds a new dynamic that breaks up the album’s pacing and injects a sense of unpredictability that much of the surrounding material lacks. It’s not just a highlight, it’s the track that best captures what makes SAMURAI PIZZA CATS unique when they push beyond their comfort zone.
From there, the album continues to deliver solid, high-energy tracks, but the sense of repetition begins to creep in. Penguin Supreme is fun and catchy, yet follows a structure that by now feels very familiar. T-Rex(plosion), featuring ANKOR, brings a heavier edge and one of the album’s strongest breakdowns, offering a welcome shift in intensity and reminding listeners of the band’s metalcore roots. Meanwhile, City Of Gold stands out for entirely different reasons, pulling back slightly to create a more anthemic and spacious sound. It’s not a dramatic departure, but in the context of an album that rarely slows down, it feels significant, and as a result becomes one of the most memorable tracks on the record.
The real challenge with Press Start emerges in its second half, where the album’s consistency starts to work against it. Every track is polished, energetic, and structurally tight, but the lack of variation means they begin to blur together. There’s no real moment of contrast, no slowdown, no tonal shift substantial enough to reset the listener’s attention. What initially feels exciting and cohesive gradually becomes overwhelming, as the album maintains the same level of intensity without offering much relief. It’s not that the songs themselves are weak; rather, they struggle to stand out when placed back-to-back in such a uniform environment.
By the time Thanks For Playing arrives, closing the album with a simple and on-theme outro, the experience feels complete but slightly exhausting. There’s no grand emotional finale or dramatic conclusion, just a clean exit that mirrors the arcade-inspired concept. It’s fitting, but also reflective of the album as a whole, focused more on maintaining its aesthetic and energy than on creating a lasting emotional impact.
Ultimately, Press Start succeeds in doing exactly what it sets out to do. It is loud, chaotic, self-aware, and undeniably entertaining in short bursts. The production is immaculate, the performances are tight, and the standout tracks demonstrate just how effective this blend of metalcore and electronic elements can be when everything aligns. However, the album’s refusal to deviate from its formula prevents it from reaching a higher level, leaving it feeling more like a collection of high-energy moments than a fully dynamic listening experience.
It may not be an album that rewards deep, front-to-back immersion, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be. Press Start thrives on immediacy, delivering quick hits of adrenaline and hooks that stick long after the music stops. It’s the kind of record you throw on when you want energy without overthinking it, and in that sense, it works perfectly. SAMURAI PIZZA CATS may not have expanded their sound here, but they’ve refined it into something undeniably fun, even if it occasionally overstays its welcome.
In the end, Press Start feels like a game stuck on maximum intensity, thrilling, chaotic, and hard to step away from, but lacking the variation needed to make the experience truly unforgettable. It’s a strong second outing that solidifies the band’s identity, even if it leaves the door open for more growth next time.
Rating: 7/10
Press Start is out now via Century Media Records.
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