Trying to define the sound of Tokyo-based experimental trio Boris is like asking someone their favorite kind of music. It's everything, it's nothing in particular ... it's definitely not country.

"I think our music is built on top of an American rock legacy, but our experience within Japanese culture has sort of seeped through the cracks," says Boris drummer and vocalist Atsuo. "Only people who have been to Japan — and have spent time outside it — can really grasp the true nature of this country. Things are really twisted here, right? It's hard to explain. Even we don't know where to start sometimes."

It may be hard to explain, but Atsuo and his bandmates, guitarist/bassist Takeshi and guitarist Wata (all three provide vocals and each prefer to go by one name), are doing something right. Boris is a critical darling overseas and the band's vast discography includes 19 studio albums, five live albums and 13 EPs spanning its almost two-decade history. The sound ranges from the slow, heavy drone metal of 1996 debut "Absolutego," to 1970s-style hard rock on 2002's "Heavy Rocks," to the electronic and J-pop-inspired sounds of 2011's "New Album."