Moron Police – Pachinko [Things you Might have Missed 2025]

Moron Police is an odd band, if the moniker didn’t give it away. The first few albums were very comedy-oriented, but A Boat on the Sea suddenly saw the band tackling anti-war themes, without giving up the bright melodic sound that draws from progressive rock and anime soundtrack J-rock alike. Production on Pachinko was already on the way when drummer Thore Pettersen died in a car accident. After taking the time to mourn their friend, Moron Police soldiered on, aided by Dillinger Escape Plan drummer Billy Rymer. The result is an astounding album in every regard, an experience unlike anything I’ve heard in years. It’s also a concept album about a dude getting turned into a sentient gambling machine in Tokyo. Huh?

Everything about Pachinko is larger than life. It’s as colorful as its gorgeous cover, full of energy and possessed of an indomitable spirit, a quirky sense of humor, and endless love and compassion. The narrative, which seems to be inspired by isekai anime,¹ is merely a vehicle for philosophical ruminations on the nature of life, fate and human connection in a world designed to wear you down to apathy. No two songs are alike or tackle these subjects the same way, and you can get snippets of darker lyrics dressed in bright colors (“King Among Kittens”), pure silly nonsense (‘Meee, I’m a techno boy’ in “Pachinko Pt. 1”) or melancholy reflections on the follies of power (the brilliant “The Apathy of Kings”).

Despite its colorful outer layer, Pachinko is more than just feel-good vibes. It’s a masterwork of both composition and technical wizardry. The melodies are intricate yet catchy, and never go exactly the way you expect. Nor do the songs themselves, because the way they weave together different moods, genres, and tempos is nothing short of staggering. Violins over blastbeats in “Cormorant,” melancholy synthpop in “Okinawa Sky,” jazzy whirlwind intro leading into big band brass for “Alfredo and the Afterlife.” And the title track suite turns it up to eleven for a combined 16 minutes of head-spinning avant-garde genre-hopping madness.

Yet for all this craziness, it’s remarkable how tightly woven and cohesive the hour-long album is. Songs frequently cross-reference each other to really emphasize the album experience, with “Pachinko Pt. 1” even referencing A Boat on the Sea directly. This peaks with the magisterial finale, which effortlessly binds snippets from across the album together into a gorgeous feast of reprise. It doubles as a heartfelt farewell to Thore, whose drums are used for the outro. Moron Police has taken their grief and turned it into a grandiose, madcap celebration of life and friendship with a wink, a smile, and a tear. An instant classic and one of the best albums I’ve heard this decade.

Tracks to Check Out: All of them, front to back.

Editor’s Addendum ov Steel: The author was very clear that this would have received a rare 5.0 if done as a full review.