Worshipping japanese hardcore since the day before yesterday!
The ugly cover artwork aside, Exhale’s 2001 “Strive Against Fate” 7″ is hot shit. It’s four tracks of fast-paced, catchy-as-fuck hardcore with a choking singer and cool guitar licks and shit! Too bad they never got to release too much more. Beside this one they only had two split 7″es with Diallo and Skitkids plus two tracks on the Six Weeks Omnibus Vol. 2.
If you’re into lame descriptions like “what a powerhouse of a compilation”, then this review is for you: released in 2002 by the US label, this omnibus takes no prisoners. Soul Craft start out with very rocking guitar riffs and a singer who sounds like he’s permanently complaining. Next are Gouka with extremely tight, driving and powerful d-beat. Last on Side A are Civil Rights, who like their background “Ooohs” and drum shuffles.
Side B starts with Flame, who are fast and dirty as fuck. Exhale play melodic Burning Spirits-like HC with an extremely pissed singer. Last is the Society for Cutting Up Men (just kidding) with lots of raw distortion and fuzz!
狂気の日本 