COBRA - Stand The Pressure 1985

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Eve, mine was fantastic this year and I will remember it for the rest of my life. You can imagine why and I won't go into detail because it's really none of your business, but I will say one thing: it was the best December 24th I've ever had. - Let's fly east and stop in Osaka and meet Cobra and listen to the band's debut album on AA Records with fourteen splendid goodies. Info: The original incarnation of the band was formed in 1982 by two friends who had first met in their junior high school's folk music club: Yosu-Ko (vocals/bass) and Naoki (guitar), and a mutual friend known as Mi-Chan (drums). Their first recording was the EP Break Out, released from the independent label AA Records in 1984. Naoki left that same year. They released several singles and EPs on AA Records, some of which were later collected on a CD entitled Indie Omnibus '82-'86. The band's debut featured an eye-catching cover of a boot crushing a young man's face and came with a two song bonus flexi. The band went through several member changes. Then in 1989, Yosu-Ko happened to meet Naoki and bassist Pon, who at the time were both members of the punk band Laughin' Nose but thinking of leaving. They joined Yosu-Ko, and drummer Ki-Yan completed this line-up. They were signed by a major record label, Pony Canyon, and released two full-length albums, both 1990 and a half-length album (1991). Although this incarnation of Cobra was quite commercially successful, it disbanded in December 1991 after only a year. Cobra reformed in 1999 and released a new album, simply entitled Cobra. Yosu-Ko & Naoki were the only members to return from the previous line-up; Yosu handled the bass duties as well as vocals, and the two were joined by drummer Yoshiro. This album represented a departure in the band's sound compared to their 1980s/early 1990s work, with generally quieter guitars, less of an emphasis on sing-along choruses, and more of an overall alternative rock feel. More albums followed and in 2005 Cobra was disbanded again. Two years later they reformed again and have apparently continued to be active since then, but the last record was twelve years ago. However, the band is an important part of the Japanese Oi/Punk scene and their sound has also won them many fans in Europe.

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V/A - The Punx (Street Movement) 1985

It's a bit time up to the game so therefore a fuckin' astreine compilation from the Nippon area, originally released in 1985 as a cassette, which came together with a 84-page book detailing the history and discography of Japanese punk/hardcore scene and was limited to 160 copies and here is the vinyl version of this damn sucker. An unofficial release with crazy assholemoderate punk/hardcore stuff from the japanese créme de la créme as we all know it. Whether it is rare or not, the light will tell you, haha... 乾杯!

1.Opposite War - LAUGHIN' NOSE
2.Hell Home - LAUGHIN' NOSE
3.World Peace - GAS
4.The Evil Of The World - GAS
5.Shoot To Kill - G.I.S.M.
6.G.I.S.M. - G.I.S.M.
7.The End - WILLARD
8.Stinky Vice - WILLARD
9.Price Of Innocence - LIPCREAM
10.Bandit - LIPCREAM
11.Worrier's Rock - COBRA
12.Worst Song - COBRA

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V/A - Belfast Rock 1978

One more superb compilation here and this time we head to Northern Ireland and see what's going on there at the end of the 70s. From this small part of Ireland came a number of very good Punk & Powerpop bands and their singles are nowadays extreme rare and highly coveted by collectors (It's no different with this album). A few months ago I posted the first Bloodstains Across Northern Ireland record which is damn good and more punk you know. After listen I thought I have more stuff from this area and I find this goodie and since I have ripped the plate several months ago so it could appear here. Released via Rip Off Records shows this stuff a good mix of pretty decent guitar sounds, partially published as 7inches. The only deficit: no info sheet but we live in modern times so visit irishrock for details about the bands. In 1980 the label Shock Rock released another compilation called simply Belfast which is also great. That's all from me for today, wanna move to bed now, tomorrow is another hard working day!

1.Spread The Word Around - PRETTY BOY FLOYD & THE GEMS

2.Cortina Cowboys - BLUE STEAM

3.Looking For A Lady - COBRA

4.Jimmy Jump - JUMPERS

5.You Should Be So Lucky - NO SWEAT

6.Cruisin' - DETONATORS

7.Lizard King - BLUE STEAM

8.Start All Over Again - NO SWEAT

9.Graveyard Boogie - COBRA

10.Rough Tough Pretty Too - PRETTY BOY FLOYD & THE GEMS

11.Baby C'mon - JUMPERS

12.Light At Your Window - DETONATORS

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COBRA - Indie Omnibus 82-86 [1991]

A trip into the land of the rising sun and let's meet Cobra, a Japanese punk/Oi! band from Osaka and they were one of the first bands in Japan to incorporate the style of Oi! in their sound and since 1982 they are more or less active. A lot of records are released and the band is still alive. Of course it's not easy to get their records in Europe so this rip is not mine and I can't say how many copies were pressed from this CD but it's a nice compilation of their early recordings and when the music is not so stressful as much of the Pacific Island then I like that. Fourteen melodic punk lullabys in this file, mostly from their 7Inches and other sources (use the search option top left), gives you a decent impression from Yosu-Ko and his band. This picking was released 1991 via AA Records/Pony Canyon, grab it!

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V/A - Hardcore Unlawful Assembly 1984

Another fuckin' shit compilation from the Nippon area is this sucker: eight combos, each with two goodies and if you are familiar with the spikey punkers from Asia, you know what awaits you. A decent mix of melodic punkrock, a little metal stuff and of course damn noise hardcore shit...there is nothing to complain about, released via AA Records, one of the first Japanese Punk & Oi! labels, most of their catalog is extremely sought after and is highly collectible. Fuck Off! if you don't like this sound.

 1.I Can't Trust A Woman - LAUGHIN' NOSE

2.Scene Death - LAUGHIN' NOSE

3.Charisma - MOBS

4.No More Hero - MOBS

5.1984 - COBRA

6.Inside Out - COBRA

7.Pental - LIP CREAM

8.Dazed Confused - LIP CREAM

9.Still Alive - GISM

10.Nervous Corpse - GISM

11.UK - OUTO

12.I Like Cola - OUTO

13.GI Joe - BAWS

14.Cowerd - BAWS

15.You Like It That Way - ZOUO

16.Frustration - ZOUO

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HOOLIGAN - Low Position 7'' 1987

Japan has some really great Oi! bands, Cobra, Raise A Flag, Cockney Cocks, etc... They all excellent and worthy of recognition, primarily due to their unusual aggressiveness and extreme unapologetic poppiness. Hooligan proved here the Oi! spirit in an excellent way. They released this 7'' by their own and put two smashers on it, sung in native Japanese and the sound is strong and well produced. Have no further info about the band but if you like Japanese Oi! as I do, you'll love it.

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TURBONEGRO - I Got Erection 7'' 1995

I wanna start the weekend with a single from a band, I guess, that everyone of you knows and "I Got Erection" is their seventh 7Inch (three different versions exist) from the fantastic Ass Cobra album, and a real cracker. 💣💥💣 Short info at this point: Turbonegro came together as a band in Oslo and started around Christmas 1988. Always surrounded by scandal and controversy, they have broken up, retired and changed members several times. They combines glam, punk and hard rock into a self-described "Deathpunk" musical style. Turbonegro's lyrics often attack political correctness. Their genre of punk has been self-described as deathpunk. The band has stated that their music superseded existing genres, so they dubbed it "Deathpunk" as a way to avoid being pigeonholed into musical groupings they felt they were above. Lyrics referencing the genre choice include "gimme deathpunk baby, and I like it" from the song "Get It On". Sharing characteristics with certain musical predecessors, (Sex Pistols wearing swastikas, etc.), Turbonegro has been praised by some as playing the most up-to-date form of punk with an anarchic blend of humour, shock and sexuality. 💥💣💥 The B-side of this single, Jeg Will Bli Som Jesus, is a Norwegian New Wave classic (originally by Kjøtt), sung by Eugene Chadbourne in 'phonetic' Norwegian. The band is still alive and on tour worldwide.

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THE STALIN - Stop Jap 1982

Original published on Climax Records this is the second record by Fukushima's band The Stalin and my copy is an unoffical one but that doesn't matter, is just as cool. Formed 1980 by leader and vocalist Michiro Endo, Atsushi on guitar and Jun on drums and their first single "Dendou Kokeshi" comes out via Political Records the same year. Tam replaced Atsushi on guitar and on X-Mas 1981 they released their first full-length album (half studio/half live) Trash. They toured immense, they had a couple line-up changes and released many singles and albums, among them a live record, and the band split up 1993. In 2001 there was a special Stalin concert entitled "One Night Dream". Michiro Endo performed with Keigo Nakata (ex:The Stalin) on drums, Shinichi Suzuki (Pulling Teeth) on guitar and Katsuta on bass. Other bands and artists also performed and paid tribute to the group, including Loopus, Cobra, Panta and Kenzi. The show was recorded and released as the Hakike Gasuruhodo Romanchikku Daze!! video in June 2001. The concert coincided with the release of the 365-A Tribute to The Stalin album, which has some of the bands that performed covering Stalin songs. Stop Jap is full with fifteen first-class snotty punk nuggets and is one of the best record from the land of the rising sun.

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V/A - Matado Por La Muerte 2008

Here is a small consolation for our Spanish friends and a historic moment and in this magical night I listen to this Spanish compilation on my hard drive, released on Holy Cobra Society Records and it's full with awesome dirty garage punkrock. Could be a P.Trash publication as well. Here is an excellent description I found on the net: "Prentencious Motherfuckers, you better know that, but we love you and yes, we are just the same like you and we have the same venereans illnesses here in Spain, so now that we're on the same boat ready to sink, here you have a present to you. In this "Matado Por La Muerte" (500 copies pressed) you'll find fourteen bands and twent-two songs by some youngsters that you will not find elsewhere, so instead of spending your money on ebay and destroy your fingers looking in every record store for all this new jewels sang in spanish, grab yourself a cold beer and play this record in you turntable and get ready to start world war III in your own room/cave, and with the money you? Save make a present to your old mother. She's been too much time dealing with your stupidities of a young unsubordinated person." Fits perfectly and I have nothing to add, except: Killer record !

1.Plan XIII - LOS IRIBARNES

2.A-55 - LOS IRIBARNES

3.¿Quien Fue Primero? - LOS RIZILLOS

4.Somos Una Familia Feliz - LOS RIZILLOS

5.Mezclo Narcoticos Con Antibioticos - COPROLITOS

6.Fernando - COPROLITOS

7.¿Donde Esta Ella? - ZORRAS ADOLESCENTES

8.Tensión - CONCEPCION GLORY BOYS

9.Perdido - CONCEPCION GLORY BOYS

10.Si Si Si Si Si Si Si, Pero De Que! - ÜBER

11.El Huracán Ha Llegado A Vietnam - PACO FRUTOS Y ESPOSA

12.Circo Roma - JUANITA Y LOS FEOS

13.Amor Germano - JUANITA Y LOS FEOS

14.Tú A Boston Yo A Babilonia - GRUPO SUB 1

15.Aquella Noche En Nueva Caprica - GRUPO SUB 1

16.Ojo De Diamante - MANO DE MONO

17.Una Rockera - REDENTORAS HUMILLADAS

18.Vai Ao Caralho - NOVEDADES CARMINHA

19.Acostúmbrate - RATAS DEL VATICANO

20.Esquema Social - RATAS DEL VATICANO

21.Siempre Hago El Mal - CONCENTRATION SUMMER CAMPS

22.Tipo Ratonero - CONCENTRATION SUMMER CAMPS

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LOO'S HALLOWEEN - It's All Right 7'' 1986

Loo's Halloween is band from Japan and they were actice in the 80's. Musically you can hear two catchy, speedy and straight-forward punk rock songs in the vein of Cobra. This EP is really good and recommended if you're like melodic garage sound punkrock. More about the band or other releases I can't tell because I'm not very interested in the Japan scene. There comes too much crust or bad harccore from this area and I don't like this crap but this is of course an exception. It's all right so here we go!

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V/A - Nagasaki Nightrider 1998

So you know where you belong, I would like to conclude September with a fullblast and this unofficial release is a collection of Japanese punk & hardcore rarities from the years 1980-1985 and you know how difficult it is to get the originals, especially from the Far East, therefore I'm always happy when someone shares such bootlegs of its goodies with us. I can't confirm that all the bands are from Nagasaki but that is irrelevant anyway. Crazy wild noises as I'm used to from this island... nothing stays dry here. Worth mentioning the detailed insert with all information about the songs/bands. This is a pearl hardcore product, 500 shots, don't miss!!! - Have a great weekend!

1.Born To Loose - LIP CREAM

2.Niku - THE STALIN

3.Hell Home - LAUGHIN' NOSE

4.I Like Cola - OUTO

5.Future Terror - CLAY

6.Worst Song - COBRA

7.Onanism - MASTURBATION

8.Selfish Cow - KURO

9.Punch Bowl - SWANKYS

10.Patience - ABURADAKO

11.Insanity - BONES

12.Panic - THE COMES

13.Corruption - L.S.D.

14.Pressure - KIKEIJI

15.77 Kids - SYSTEMATIK DEATH

16.Giseisha - BITOUSHA

17.Say - EXECUTE

18.Confound It - SA

19.Put Out Emotion - ROSE ROSE

20.Hatred War - G-ZET

21.No Mercy - LIP CREAM

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