Monday 30 June 2008

ROSE ROSE: Liquidation LP (1989) upload...


Here's an upload of late 80s Japanese hardcore, in the form of ROSE ROSE. They loved skating, they loved thrashing.


This LP was put out on UK label IN YOUR FACE RECORDS, after their UK tour in 1988 (apparently they were the first Japanese hardcore band to tour Europe). I managed to pick it up for next to nothing, perhaps down to the fact that it was pressed in the UK and could have been fairly widely circulated... Whoever ran the label might even still have loads lying about, who knows. They're still not that well-known of a band, despite the popularity and rising prices of Japanese hardcore...While it's no 'Equalizing Distort', it's worth a listen.

I may be alone in thinking this, but some of this record in my opinion sounds a lot like label mates HERESY (especially on songs like 'Don't Excuse' or 'Freedom Of Choice', similar vocal patterns and blasting drums). On a whole it sounds like ACCUSED meets HERESY being filtered through SOB... or something to that effect. Instead of playing the Japanese style akin to the Burning Spirit bands, ROSE ROSE were more heavily influenced by what was going on in the UK and US it seems (reflected by the fact they sang in English, although a lot of Japanese bands did/do). They also didn't have huge mohawks or metal hair like some of their regional contemporaries; perhaps if they did they'd lose balance and fall off their skateboards...

There's a strong crossover/thrash element on this record too, so typical of the time period and to be expected from a Japanese hardcore band; Japanese bands seemed to be able to infuse metal influences with hardcore punk a lot more successfully that loads of US bands could (i.e. ZOUO, GISM, JUDGEMENT etc). Anyway, this metal influence would not long after this album take over the band's sound. However this LP is still a good energetic hardcore record, and I might even prefer it to the other two ROSE ROSE records I'm most familar with ('Mosh Of Ass', and their split LP with SIC. Both of these are great though).

While I've seen this on another blog, the MP3 files were badly labelled. Anyway, enjoy.

3 comments:

lee23 said...

in your face records was run by kalv the bass player from heresy, saw the london show on the rose rose/heresy euro tour, amazing energy...at the end of the tour rose rose gave heresy their guitars as a gift, nice guys :)

Bonnie said...

Thanks a bunch for this! have been thrashing skatehead 88. So stoked to find this too! Rad Blog. Cheers!

Anonymous said...

hey this is awesome! and so much more stuff to download as well