Above image via Instagram: @hajiskitchen
Giovanni Mori | Posted February 13th, 2025
Nu Metal in its prime during the 90s and early 2000s was an exciting subgenre of rock and metal music, characteristic of extremely low tuned guitars, rapid and harsh vocal melodies, technical basslines, and feral percussion. While some notable bands like Slipknot, Disturbed, and Korn stood the test of time, the subgenre’s loyal fanbase could argue there are many others that deserve the same attention. One band in particular I discovered was called Haji’s Kitchen, and on their most recent 2012 album, simply titled Twenty Twelve, listeners will find their most popular tune to date, “Day After Day.”
Right when you press the play button, you’re already dropped into a heavy breakdown with each instrument at full force. The contrast in the vocal layers between the low melody back to back with harsh yells is enough to pull you in and make you anxious to reach the song’s breaking point. After building on an ear piercing prechorus, we jump into the song’s memorable and edgy chorus section full of screams and massive riffs. Meanwhile, the angsty and rebellious nature of the song’s lyrics are for listeners who can’t take anymore from their every day lives, a common theme among Nu and Alternative Metal music.
“Day After Day” repeats this structure before entering the song’s bridge section, the bass takes the reins with its ominous melody on top of menacing ride cymbal hits. The section gets progressively louder as each instrument suddenly dives into a Pantera-esque groove with a sweep picked guitar solo moving between notes like liquid butter, further highlighting the band’s musical abilities. The track then takes the listener through a final double chorus, this time with the inclusion of roaring backing vocals shouting “I don’t know” (3:22 – 3:39) as a powerful finishing touch.
Listen to the full song below:
Youtube: Haji’s Kitchen
“Day After Day” gained some commercial success in the anime, Dragon Ball Z, as part of the soundtrack in the series’s feature film, Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan. The song wouldn’t become available on digital and streaming platforms until the release of Twenty Twelve decades after the film’s release. The song may not have gained the same mainstream success and attention from the music world as other Nu Metal hits like “Dig” from Mudvayne or “Down With The Sickness” from Disturbed, but “Day After Day” from Haji’s Kitchen hits just as hard for listeners and loyal fans of the subgenre looking for a new band to obsess over.
Sources
“Haji’s Kitchen – 2012 – Day After Day – Official – Featuring Daniel Tompkins” Youtube, uploaded by Haji’s Kitchen, 27 June 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDCwrNxE-YQ
Haji’s Kitchen [@hajiskitchen]. Album cover. Instagram, 16 June 2018, https://www.instagram.com/p/BkFUCQUAyfH/
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