ZenKwun, the band who brought us the albums Wanfo Chaozong and ZenKwun Electrified, has spent six years on their latest one: Existing Like God.

“We live on an island. Surrounded by water, we have completely unlimited freedom to travel in any direction and take in ideas of all kinds. The only thing that still holds us back is the huge walls we have built within our hearts.”

After six years of work, in addition to their iconic “spirit-channeling rock” style (the name they have given their unique form of music) that is characterized by such elements as the suona, beiguan music, and Hakka rock, ZenKwun has incorporated music from Mongolia, Tibet, and India as well as math rock and wind-instrument music into this album. Its broad inclusiveness, tension, and lyrics that cut like a razor blade offer listeners much to ponder. ZenKwun’s rock is not simply some kind of mixed drink to get listeners to dance and induce their selective memory; it is an integral aspect of the band’s veins. The feature of this album is “massiveness”: It looks to help you break past the barriers of time, space, and mindset. Thematically, it focuses on noteworthy people and events in Taiwan over the past few years to provide people with proper guidance. Besides containing puns, the lyrics are frequently embellished with Internet slang. In these times of debased music and religious phonies, we need true spiritual leaders to throw some straight punches and bring us back to reality.