Worshipping japanese hardcore since the day before yesterday!
I guess Resurrection’s 1985 S/T 7″ on ADK records can best be described as extremely minimalist punk. There are some definite gothic influences there, the tempo is slow, and the songs are kinda darkly melodic. The guitar sound reminds me a lot of the second Germs 7″ (though that’s the only similarity); maybe Resurrection’s singer/guitarist forgot to get himself an amp for the recording session, too? In 1986 they also released a full length album with a more pronounced gothic sound.
I’ve fallen in love with this album! Lizard were among the early Tōkyō punk groups who got to contribute a couple of tracks to the Tōkyō Rockers compilation. Their debut album from 1979 (produced by the Stranglers’ J.J. Burnel) is sick mix of new wave, punk, pop and post-punk: it’s got jangly guitars, out of tune oscillating synths, Devo’s quirkyness, Grauzone’s melancholy, great melodies and atonal noise! Great shit!
Hanshinanpo (basically “Against the new US/japanese security treaty”, just as it says on the cover) must have been released some time in the late 90s or early 2000s as a benefit compilation for a japanese pacifist organisation. Musically all bands are pretty lo-fi, crusty, thrashy or blast-beaty (is that a word?). Argue Damnation’s title track is the most catchy, Youth Strike Chord are the fastest (and sound like they’re most competent), Victims Of Greed are the most lo-fi and Absent have the longest song. Now you know.
Musically, The Mobs’ 1985 ep “Projection Of Astral Body” is still pretty similar to “Diabolism”, but it’s pretty obvious the took the trouble of recording in a proper studio this time! The title track is a killer death rock instrumental, the three remaining tracks are fast, dark hardcore punk with rudimentary melodies. I can’t help myself, the most fitting description of The Mobs seems to be a mix of hardcore, death rock and Oi!
This bootleg LP has LSD’s first and second 7″ in better sound quality than on the two bootlegs I had posted before. The rest on this LP is a bit mixed up: it’s got one track by G-Zet from the Great Punk Hits Compilation, probably because LSD covered the song and because their singer Achy provided shouts for them? Next, the tracklist mentions a studio demo of the song Jast Last, which doesn’t show up on the LP. Side B has a live set in good quality from a 1984 show in Sapporo, where LSD play number of otherwise unreleased songs and cover stuff by G-Zet and Typhus.
Fucking hell, this must be among the ugliest, trashiest cover artworks ever! The “Devil must be driven out with devil” compilation, released on Hold Up in 1986, has a wild mix of hardcore and metal on it, as evidenced by the “very eighties” band pictures on the insert.
Lip Cream, Ghoul and -to some degree- City Indian represent the hardcore fraction, though Ghoul are already pretty heavy and weird in this line-up. Casbah, United and Saver Tiger all play pretty tame metal stuff. Lip Cream definitely deliver the best shit on this record.
I can only find overused and terribly cliché words to describe Crude’s first 12″ EP from 1999, like “rocking” or “anthemic”, but how is it my fault that they’re so fitting? After roughly 20 years Crude are still around, releasing records and touring overseas. Their records are also still widely available, so if you can afford them, you know that to do!
Anarchy’s first 7″ has the best two songs off of their debut LP -“Not satisfied” and “Aburamushi”. It didn’t even come with a regular cover, it only had a single sheet of paper with the picture on the front and lyrics on the back. What a killer album that LP would have been had they managed to write more songs like these two!
狂気の日本 