BLAZE - Still Nothing Ever Change LP/CD and Discharge - Official Goods - Now Available for Pre-Order!
Blaze - Still Nothing Ever Change LP/CD are now available for pre-order in the webstore along with a selection of official BLAZE T-Shirts. See below for a short write up on the release, as well as a lengthy review and some musings on the evolution of Japanese HC, and the impact of BLAZE by our friend Koza who lived through both the 80s and 90s Japanese HC scene.
I’ve also designed a new set of 20 Officially Licensed DISCHARGE badges. These are currently available in mystery packs of 3. Once these are sold out, some of the badges will be available individually for purchase, but a few designs will only be available in these mystery packs.
Also available is a pre-order for a reprint of the iconic 80’s HC Skull T-Shirt commonly worn by Annikki of Finnish HC legends Rattus.
and lastly, we’ve put up copies of the newest LP from Rocky and the Sweden, one of my absolute favorite new releases. This instantly sold out from our friends at Bitter Lake Records, so if you missed it there, now’s your chance.
***Please note*** The Blaze CD/LP, Discharge badges, and all of our current T-Shirt offerings are pre-orders, and will be shipping in early December.
Official BLAZE and DISCHARGE Goods, and more!
Blaze - But Nothing Ever Change LP/CD Out Now!
Despite being active for just 4 years, BLAZE lit a fire that burned for years to come by captivating the hearts and ears of Japanese hardcore fans the world over. In 1992 in the wake of the gulf war and other global conflicts, BLAZE released their only EP “But Nothing Ever Change”. In 1993 and 1994 they participated in omnibus compilations from Japan and the UK. In 1997, BLAZE tracks were posthumously released on a compilation from Finland. Each of these releases was like a short sharp shock reaching more people across the globe, but also leaving fans wanting more from this excellent band that for many years seemed like one of Japan’s best kept secrets.
“Still Nothing Ever Change” is a reminder from BLAZE that in 2020, the world is still in turmoil, and their music and lyrics are still relevant. The LP collects 14 tracks, the entirety of BLAZE’s studio output, including completely unreleased material. The LP also includes their lyrics in both Japanese and English, and a selection of historical photos. The CD version collects the same studio tracks from the LP, as well as an excellent quality 7 track studio demo with even more unreleased material, and is accompanied by the original Japanese lyrics and historical photos. Both the CD and LP versions have been remastered for analog and digital from the original master tapes to coalesce as one full length album, that had they been able to release during their existence, would largely be considered a genre classic.
The excitement over this LP should be obvious for fans of the band, and Japanese hardcore in general, but here’s what someone who has participated in the Japanese hardcore scene since the 80s had to say about this LP, and the evolution of Japanese hardcore:
“BLAZE, a band born in Machida Tokyo in the early 90s! When I heard a complete BLAZE LP would be released on my friend's label General Speech, during a time when many “excavation” style reissue releases are being planned by overseas labels, my first thought was “Finally!”
In the past, there were times when it was said the bands who made up the genesis of Japanese hardcore in the 1980s were just imitating overseas bands, but this is nonsense written by music writers who weren't actually there. However, I think it's true that those bands were influenced by overseas bands to a considerable extent, and these predecessors through repeated trial and error built the historical foundation of Japanese hardcore as it stands today.
As far as sound, American hardcore plays songs with a sense of speed that have a crisp brightness, British hardcore to the contrary are heavy, simple, tight songs that repeat. Japanese hardcore has always been changing since the 1980s. In the 1980s, there were many songs that were violent with a brutal atmosphere. Now, many Japanese bands have surpassed some of these bands, and are respected by punks and bands all over the world. I think that is supported by the fact that many of the past works by Japanese bands are still being reissued by overseas labels.
Entering the 90s, genres became subdivided, and Japanese hardcore continued to change into more rockin', drive-filled songs. This is Japanese hardcore! It is called “JAPACORE” because it is a sound that only the Japanese can produce. The work of creating songs in detail, arranging them, and filling the gaps between each part. A crying guitar solo entwined with the lyrical chords. A vocal style that puts one's soul into each bit of the sound as if you're cutting it deep with a Japanese sword. Beyond the intense sound of all of them overlapping, Japanese hardcore is the strongest proof, and I think BLAZE is one of the bands that has all of this. With this as their weapon, BLAZE created their only 7” EP “But Nothing Ever Change” as well as participating in several compilations.
As a side story, the band SOLTIC from Chiba-city was one of BLAZE's allies. During their tour together, I heard that the song MAKE A FIST by SOLTIC was written as an answer to BLAZE’s song BUT NOTHING EVER CHANGE, which is included in this album and will be the key point of BLAZE. Even then they were inspiring people.
I was also one of the people who was influenced by BLAZE's songs back then when I saw their live performance. If you have the chance, listen to these songs. I think you can feel the fragments of 90s hardcore. In the 90s, countless bands left too little and disappeared... I can state without a doubt that this release is surely long-awaited and will bring delight to the punks of the world! Now is the time to excavate them from the grave! BUT NOTHING EVER CHANGE！！！”
-KOZA (EX-POISON COLA vocalist, now 100SWINDLE)