Worshipping japanese hardcore since the day before yesterday!
The Willard released their classic debut album Good Evening Wonderful Friend in 1985 after a string of 7“es. It’s a treasure chest of melodic bombs like Jolly Rogers or Vanguard; especially Nightmare is such an incredibly beautiful, dark and melodic song it’s almost supernatural. If you don’t love it, you’ve got no heart!
Formed in the late 90s and still (or again?) going today, with one album plus a number of compilation tracks (including one Ghoul cover on the tribute to Masami Hosoya) and a couple of 7“es since their inception, Worms’ Meat are not among the most prolific of bands. But if all of their releases are like their 1st 7“ from 1998, they are definitely worth it: simple and driving japanese hardcore, a powerful and competent delivery with just the right amount of dirty.
Vendetta’s first 7“, released in 2012. Mix high energy UK 82 with Swedes like Missbrukarna, the fast stuff of Nyx Negativ and E.A.T.E.R. (whose present day incarnation Vendetta toured with), then you’ll get this record. Great, driving and energetic, plus a cool, powerful, lo-fi recording. Sadly, the band is no longer active.
Wow, it’s been quite a while since I last posted a record by Gastunk. How did this happen? Was it because I had already posted everything I owned by that point? Well, yeah. Anyways, here is their 1986 12“ ep, with four tracks between power metal, hard rock, punk and hardcore. Watch out for songs longer than 6 ½ minutes, acoustic guitars, the sudden ending of an “endless” waltz, crooning vocals and dual leads!
Himei („Scream“) obviously took their inspiration by the legends of early japanese hardcore, The Comes. Their music is very simple hardcore, the recording is underproduced in exactly the right way, and the singer is as much as a banshee as The Comes’ Chitose was. Kankin („confinement“) was their 2nd 7“, released in 2010 on HG fact.
I have no idea whether this e.p.’s title is supposed to be an allusion to Joy Division, the novel that Joy Division alluded to, or an allusion to all the other artists who used this title. Fuck that, at least I know that Crazy Fucked Up Daily Life took their name from the song Daily Life by the godfathers of raw punk, Disorder. So you know what you up for, six songs of primitive, crusty goodness including a cover of the Skitslickers’ Warsystem.
A while ago I had been threatening to further go down the slippery slope (though I had not been threatening to mercilessly split infinitives, yet here we go…) and post some more Oi!, so here it is: The Discocks’ Class Of ’94 7“, released in ’95.
Enjoy them worshipping The Ejected (and mangling the spoken word part of Have You Got Ten p?)!
狂気の日本 