ASP's "Terminal Disease" Is Actually a Cure: How WACK's Punks Found Their Sound

When ASP dropped their debut with a deliberately provocative title, it felt like shock value masking growing pains. Two years later, *Terminal Disease of ASP* proves the group didn't just survive—they evolved into something genuinely vital.

**Who is ASP?** The WACK Records act started in 2021 as chaotic garage-punk upstarts, but their journey mirrors the label's broader reinvention. After losing BiSH to graduation and watching founder Junnosuke Watanabe step down to study at Goldsmith's College (yes, Malcolm McLaren's old school), something shifted. WACK ditched their longtime sonic architect Kenta Matsukuma, and ASP's new creative DNA—shaped by producer Yohji Igarashi, rapper Pecori, and DJ 329—tilted hard toward aggressive electronica and rap-influenced production.

The result is a group that's kept the spiky punk attitude but traded the sweaty moshpit for the dancefloor. Album opener "TOTSUGEKI!!!!!" nails this hybrid: raw guitar riff bleeding into a driving beat that refuses to stay in one lane. Standout "Black Nails," produced by JUBEE of hip-hop collective CreativeDrugStore, is a mad thrashing earworm. "TOXiC iNVASiON"—produced by *The Prodigy's* Maxim—and "MAKE A MOVE" (by Wargasm's Sam Matlock) show WACK's surprising reach into UK electronic and industrial circles. These aren't token features; they fundamentally reshape ASP's sound.

What's remarkable is ASP's ability to land catchy hooks despite the aggression. "I HATE U" pairs a disarmingly simple melody with weary, bitter lyrics. Even "Heaven's Seven," with its oddly festive vibe, proves these punks understand pop hooks as weapons.

*Terminal Disease of ASP* collects the best singles and EP cuts from the past two years into a surprisingly cohesive statement. It's a band that found their footing by letting go—of old songwriters, of genre purity, of anything safe.

**Grab the album and catch ASP live** to see how this evolution translates on stage. This is WACK's future, and it's loud, weird, and absolutely worth your time.

Source: ASP - Terminal Disease of ASP