Vomit Virgins

1988 for this punk record from Japan. They got a lady singing, the band's name means "Vomiting Virgins." Beyond that I know nothing other than this kicks ass.

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4 Tribes

Excellent four-way split of obscure Japanese bands from 1988. まつじ (Matsuji,) 666, Poison Arts, and F.O.A.D. play fast, fuzzy, metal-tinged Japanese Hardcore. All the bands deliver the goods and will sate any fan of the Japanese thrashing punk, but まつじ kind of standout with their occasional vocal forays into Bad Brainsisms. I can't think of a better way to kill fifty minutes than with four devil-driven far-east death tribes.

攻撃

Intercourse & Lust

Here's the first album from the self proclaimed "Most evil band in Japan." Intercourse and Lust was released by the sketchy Modern Invasion label in 1997. Abigail's Black Metal is rooted in thrash and punk, the lyrics are brilliant Engrish soliloquies paying homage to things like nymphomaniacal witches, nefarious wizards, and the Yakuza, among other things. "Thrash til Die/To Glory of Attack/Attack with Spell/In my Attack," howls main man Yasuyuki on the track "Attack With Spell." Intercourse and Lust, I almost hate to say it, is a fun album, a record to spin with beer, lots and lots of beer and your bestest bros, and beer.

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Vacant

Generally most garage psych records bore me, too much of the same thing, useless cover songs, and most fall just shy of being truly heavy, or truly strange. However, The Jacks' Vacant World is just too enticing to be overlooked. Vacant World carries a darkness and a desperation that pushes it far beyond much of the typically saccharine psych-pop of the time. Some wild vocalizing and absolutely stunning guitar work keep the album interesting. The Jacks gets into gear with "Marriane," with it's strange crashy cymbals and almost free-jazz bass lines, wild styles indeed. "Stop the Clock" is a delicate glockenspielly track. The title track is another dour ballad that almost reminds me a bit of Leonard Cohen, if Mr. Cohen was Japanese that is. "In the Broken Mirror" has some of the greatest sounding fuzz guitar committed to tape, but "Gloomy Flower" is the standout track with Yoshio Hayakawa's pained crooning, the man sounds at his wit's end and although I have no idea what he is on about, I am assured that he fucking means it. "Love Generation" may be the most average track here, but still packs plenty of hooks. "Bari-Manji" is a bluesy lope with more Hayakawa wailing. "Where" is a laid back strut that sounds like it came from a Suzuki gangster picture. "Love" is a gorgeous ballad, and then the Vacant World comes to an end with "500 Miles from the Sky," a strange organ/vocal piece with spoken word. All in all, Vacant World is a trip, and a very satisfying one at that.

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Eternal Life

Here's a an ugly berserker of an album from a Japanese band called Gibbed. As far as I know, Gibbed released just this one EP in 1991. Rumors arose that this was actually members of CFDL and/or Unholy Grave and S.O.B. working to create something even more extreme than their main bands. I don't know if there is any truth to this, but I guess that could be possible.

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Long Live The Discocks

Japanese Oi from one of the cutest bands ever, the Discocks. Long Live Oi was the bands debut full length after a long run of self releasing great 7" EPs. Soon after the release of this rollicking party album, The original Discocks split up and some members turned up in The Avoided, who if I remember correctly weren't all that interesting. A few years later a new Discocks line up appeared and started releasing albums, but I am not sure if any original members participated in this new incarnation. It gets a bit confusing, but Long Live Oi is really all you need to know. As promised by the cover, you get "10 OI! OI! Anthems" and three proud punker buddies to drink and sing along with. Long Live The Discocks!!!

OI!

War In a Babylon

Here's a rager of a Japanoise Hardcore EP from 1995. I don't know fuck all about this band. Blah blah, harsh, blah blah, feedback, violence...

WAR!!!

Atrocity Exhibition

Atrocity Exhibition was the first release from CFDL, which, of course, stands for Crazy Fucked (up) Daily Life. Clearly influenced by the old Japanoise gods, Confuse, CFDL inject more Discharge-isms and the break neck speed of power violence into this brief statement. That dog on the cover is CFDL, that thoroughly annoyed hippie is you.

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Yamasuki

Are you ready for some sickeningly infectious multi-culti baroque pop? Oh good. Yamasuki (sometimes called The Yamasuki Singers) were the brainchild of a pair of French producers named Kluger and Vangarde who scored a minor hit in their native land with a single called "Yamasuki," the duo decided to capitalize on that success with a full length LP of Japanese/French pop love called Le Monde Fabuleux des Yamasuki. In order to do this, they hired a Judo master to announce the songs and a Japanese children's choir to sing. The album evokes everything there is to love about Serge Gainsbourg, children's shows of the '70s and antiquated ideas about Japan. Not sure how anyone could not like this record, perhaps if you had no ears, no soul and were a total dick, as for the rest of you, this will bring a smile to your dour mug.

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No Side

One of the better known and more sought after Japanese hardcore records, The Comes No Side is an enjoyable little rager of estrogenocidal fury from Tokyo. The Comes were one of the earliest bands playing hardcore in Japan and perhaps stood out due to the fact they were fronted by a fabulous babe. People will write off their second effort, Power Never Die, but they can swing from my nuts, it's a great record as well. Members of The Comes went on to form the raging Lip Cream.

Come

Dead Person

Another ripping Japanese hardcore flexi. You know the drill: fuzzy guitars, speed, angry vocals, guitar solos, and strange titles like "No Mercy Surviving." Dead Person hailed from the bullshit town of Sendai, and this fucked up EP was their only statement. Also, the cover has three skulls and a skateboard on it, not sure how you could pass this by based on that alone.

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Dinner Time

Here's another great Swankys album with a cover that will probably get a warning put on this blog.If you have been paying attention you know that The Swankys were the more straight 77 style punk alter ego of Japanoise Hardcore gods, GAI.

EAT!!!

So What?

The furious Japanese punkers of So What had huge hair and spikey leathers, much like the skeleton demon with awesome abs portrayed on the cover of their second of two great ep's, Blood Wash the Dead City You can probably imagine what this is going to sound like, gruff vocals, fuzzy guitars...blah blah blah.

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Motherfuck Future!!!

あらゆる理解できないに関しては行く発見されたHip Hop日本のnoisecore GAIの伝説はろばのBeastieのスマートな男の子の行った。 スペース侵略者は生まれた、複数の極度な衝突の喜びのEngrish音の記録解放されて。 私はここに第1いることを公正のに、驚く信じる何かタイトルを得ることができる99%の小便はある。

Motherfuck Future!!!

Inga

Inga is a currently active Japanese hardcore unit that have expanded on the original orthodox sound of G.I.S.M., much like Hearse alum, CTR. Frantically fuzzy and all fun. Inga rules.

性交

Whisper of the Evil

We've had alot of forrays into the gritty world of Japanese hardcore of the '80s, but we haven't heard much metal from the realm. Let's change that with Crowley, and their 1986 album Whisper of the Evil. Crowley offer up some pretty standard, but fun, traditional metal with a distinctively Japanese flair provided by a vocalist named "Hawkhead Sean." Over most of six tracks, almost every device of proper metal is employed, there are guitar solos, fast picking, songs (in Japanese) about evil, the night, madness...however, the standout track is the obligatory ballad "Woman in a Black Cape" which ventures into some pretty Candlemassy doom territory on occasion. Crowley probably won't have you scrambling to hear more Japanese heavy metal, but this album is not without merit or charm.

邪悪なささやき

太陽の皇子

YBO² was a strange band from Tokyo whose personnel during their six year run reads like a veritable who's who of Japanese avant garde music, most notably members who went on to form Ruins, Zeni Geva, CCCC, Ghost...However the band was mainly the work of Matashi Kitamura who would go on to start Trans Records and later, SSE Communications. Here is YBO²'s 1986 ep Tayou No Ouiji. I am going to stop here, describing YBO² would be as easy as teaching someone how to get punched in the mind.

死んだ太陽の上昇

It's a Trap!!!

Here's Japanese hardcore record that doesn't get much attention, Client's 1988 Trap ep. Client give you all the trappings of ripping far eastern fastcore violence in these six songs; gruff vocals, metal tendencies, weird guitar solos, and breakneck speeds. Not as compelling as G.I.S.M. or Zouo but still worth a listen.

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Unsilent Hate

Deathchurch hailed from Japan and were sort of like the Black Metal Confuse in the way that they favored an abrasive hiss of white noise to cloak their violent riffs in. Unsilent Hate Anthem, was their final statement and was released in 2007 after they called it quits. This isn't happy Black Metal for weddings and funerals. This is some hectic sarin gas in the subway shit. Fuck You!!!

憎悪

Jast Last

Jast Last was the second and better EP of Japanese hardcore gods LSD. The band bears some of the trappings of the genre and locale: harsh vocals, flirtations with metal, and fuzzed out guitars, but something about LSD is a bit more subdued than Confuse, GISM, or Gai. They aren't particularly fast, and the intro to "Karen Nash" could actually be deemed pretty. This diversity and bravado make Jast Last a thoroughly satisfying listen, even over the course of a mere ten minutes. Essential Japanoise Punk.

線量の上