REVIEW: Samurai Pizza Cats – Press Start

Coming back with an album filled to the brim with head-banging hits? Absolutely not a problem for the German four-piece SAMURAI PIZZA CATS. The metalcore band, formed back in 2021 by the vocalist Sebastian Fischer, guitarist Daniel Haniß, bassist Stefan Reufer and drummer Stefan Buchwald, has been rapidly gaining popularity among the fans, and it is to no surprise, as their songs get easily stuck in head and refuse to leave at any cost.

Their second full-length album, Press Play, is another fun project that presents each song as its own unique level in a game. A song directly addressing this choice is Error 809, boasting intricate guitar riffs and catchy drums, as well as synths through the whole track. Fischer is not only using his vocal fry, but also his clean vocals when needed, creating a perfect balance of sounds that still give off unmissable 80s/90s vibes.

From the twelve unique tracks on Press Play, three short tracks – Insert Coin, Level Up and Thanks for Playing all serve as transitions between the different songs, reminding the listeners what the album is about, as well as offering short breaks to gather thoughts and take all the feelings in. While Insert Coin and Thanks for Playing contain speeches from a child character, who is playing through the different ‘stages’ of the album, Level Up brings retro synths and melody, that is progressively becoming faster, before the character commands “Off to the next level!”.

It would not be a SAMURAI PIZZA CATS album without collaborations, and although there is significantly less than in their debut album, it does not take from the intensity of both pieces. T-Rex(plosion), featuring Jessie Williams of the Catalonian band ANKOR, brings an explosive and powerful mix of guitars and drums, as well as a blend of Fischer and Williams’ voices, that always seem to fill any gaps for each other, creating a moshpit-worthy hit. 

On the other hand, Ramen-Man is the collaboration between the band and the Japanese-metal pop trio BABYBEARD, consisting of Ladybeard, Suzu and Mizuki, and is a perfect example of groovy-metal. With the vocal fry of the frontman, as well as the addition of Japanese lyrics, the song opens completely new territory for SAMURAI PIZZA CATS and introduces them to the world of idols. It is a funny addition to the already stacked list of songs and a good introduction to the Japanese artists.

Within the rest of the tracks on Press Play, Super Zero, Penguin Supreme, Fear No Slice, City of Gold and Pandastruck have memorable intros and melodies, as well as lyrics. The metalcore quartet put to use everything they had on hand and made sure the text kept being consistently enjoyable and engaging, while diving into the topics about waddling on the ice in a tuxedo or galactic pizzas. 

The closer of the twelve-track release, Pizza Homicide (STVW Version), is only a cherry on top of the already stacked list of songs, even though it is a different version of a classic from their debut album. Turning the metal banger into a rave hit, there is no better way to bring Press Play to the end than this.

SAMURAI PIZZA CATS managed to raise their own bar higher with Press Play and showed the metalcore scene why they are one of the best rising bands of the decade. Fischer, Haniß, Reufer and Buchwald create a wonderfully chaotic symbiosis and that is exactly what makes the band and their work so unique - coupled with their unseriously serious lyrics. It is a perfect listen for everyone, who wants to switch off their brain and just vigorously headbang.

Score: 9/10

Press Play was released on 27th March 2026 via Century Media Records.

Words: Katerina Stepanikova

Photos: Calogera Cimino