Worshipping japanese hardcore since the day before yesterday!
I can’t help it, I’m a huge Crow fan. I just love their mixture of dark, metallic melodies, apocalyptic hardcore and utter brutality. The only acceptable criticism of 1998’s 終焉の扉 12″ is that it’s too fucking short! But hell, if you want this kind of noise assault on a full-length, there’s always “Bloody Tear” (even with a re-recorded version of this ep’s title track).
Compared to the insane noise and non-music orgies of Sekinintenka’s tracks on the first ADK Omnibus 2×7″ and their debut 7″, the tracks on 1984’s great “In The Shadows” 8″ flexi seem a bit more “well-adjusted” and are way more “listenable” (does this even count when talking about punk?). The title track is a fast, melodic punk rock epos of almost 5 minutes, the other two numbers are harder and darker. The latter two remind me a bit of 肉弾 in their sanest moments. Well, a maybe little bit. A live version of the title track also appeared on the Good Luck 12″.
This is Tetsu Arei’s second LP, released in 1998. Their debut album from 1991 was one of the defining albums of the Burning Spirits genre, and this LP no less wild. It’s mostly fast-paced without being thrashy, extremely rocking (again: “rocking” is a terrible term, but I just can’t help it…), and Tetsu Arei might easily claim a trademark on the singer’s characteristic hoarse shouts. Btw.: as you may be able to tell from the artwork: Tetsu Arei means “Iron Dumbell”.
Gauze recorded this insane piece of noise during their 1996 tour of the USA. Most of the six tracks are re-recorded versions of songs off Equalizing Distort and 限界は何処だ. One new song was later re-released for the 1997 面を洗って出直して来い 12″. All songs are super-fast and feature Gauze’s typical weird and wild song structures.
If I wanted to prove that Japan produced THE wildest and craziest punk shit ever, this 1984 compilation 7″ on ADK records would be one of prime pieces of evidence: 4 bands delivering 15 low fi minimalist songs in 15 1/2 minutes. Side A starts with Gabell; they are fast and punky, have lots of reverb on the vocals and never released anything besides these two tracks. Next are Molugu, whose name is a creative latin alphabet transcription of the katakana transcription of “morgue”. None of their songs last longer than a minute, and amid all the screaming he does, their singer somehow manages to sound like really enjoys himself. They also released an equally cool 7″ in the same year.
First band on Side B are Glycerin, who are the winners on this comp! Their four songs are fast, raw and noisy as fuck. Their 1987 8″ on AA Records was a lot less wild and more punky. Last are Gasatsu Crime Fighter with one cool, slow and stomping punk song and three primitive but kind of catchy thrashers. They recorded two more 7″es in addition to these tracks.
Organism’s 12″ e.p. “Hope” was originally a self-released CD in 2007, this here is the 2009 vinyl release on Hardware Records. Organism play fast and tight thrash, kind of like Systematic Death. At times the background vocals remind me of Sotatila, maybe Jukkeli moved to Japan?
狂気の日本 