note: misanthropaganda is so much more fun when you view it on your desktop or laptop. Your tablet is fine I guess, as is your phone, but for full enjoyment and understanding of the artist's (ha ha) vision, take my suggestion. It gives the posts a look that's a bit more reminiscent of an old 90's fanzine layout, which is the whole point of this bullshit blog...
I suppose it was in the 2010's that my writing graduated from being the styrofoam popcorn of my horribly edited fanzines to a slightly more professional level. It was around that time that I became a staff writer for the Belgian website doom-metal.com as well as one of Popmatters.com's thousand music critics (who hasn't). One of the residual perks of some of my commissioned writing for these entities is that apparently neither of them have taken me off their rosters because till this day I still receive press-kits all the time. I hardly even look at most of them, as ashamed as I am to admit it, but I don't abuse the perk either by downloading and reproducing any of the stuff that actually has caught my curiosity. Well, you can't even if you tried. Press kits are usually emailed to you these days as a PDF, and what used to be a music critic's hard copy (LP, CD, Cassette, etc.) became a watermarked digital stream long ago. These download streams set off a notice to the label if you try and forward it anywhere as well as are protected from reproduction. Regardless, I don't get down like that. I believe that artists should get paid for their work, particularly musicians, and would never pirate shit like that because I think that people who do are real douchebags. Also, I wouldn't risk losing the "industry-insider" benefit of getting to hear all types of music albums months before their release.
One of the labels that still has me on their list of music critics is Relapse Records. Relapse is certainly a reputable label, an institution quite frankly. Their roster past and present has been home to some heavy hitters of the 'extreme-music' scene and although I can't say that I subscribe to all of the music they put out, every now and then they'll break a new band that sucks me in or they'll reissue something cool thus easily taking my twenty bucks.
This week, my dear friend that I've never met before Mr. Enrique Sagarnaga, manager of Marketing, Promotions and Publicity at Relapse sent me the advance stream and press kit for their latest reissue, the cult (as fuck) Japanese classic Detestation by the mighty GISM. Originally released in 1984 on Dogma Records, it was first imported to America by scene legend Brian Schroeder (Pushead). Despite high praise in Schroeder's insanely famed Thrasher Magazine column (where he wrote of GISM "this type of brilliance people call insane"), and even a glowing review from MaximumRockandRoll if you could believe that considering they have a song titled "Tear Their Syphilitic Vaginas", GISM didn't really take the foothold that had been imagined by those who championed for them. They were initially overlooked by the scene at large, but deep underground dwellers that were already devotees of the impactful Japanese band GAUZE were only a hop, skip and a jump away and so the "circles within the circle" enshrined GISM alongside anything else from Nippon that could be obtained by our grubby American paws. That's not to say that they didn't leave a mark. GISM is touted as an influence by some notable names, POISON IDEA and INTEGRITY to name just two. Both GISM and GAUZE are contenders for the coveted title "Kings of Japanese Punk".
The band's name, GISM, is an acronym with a host of meanings, of which my personal favorite is GNOSTIC IDIOSYNCRASY SONIC MILITANT. (My runner up choice would be GENERAL IMPERIALISM SOCIAL MURDER.) To the novice, or uninitiated in the GISM sound, just think of a melding of the adrenal Rock and Roll of MOTORHEAD with the drunken Punk belligerence of G.B.H. Yes, the DISCHARGE influence is indelible as well. GISM hang in this weird limbo between crusty Hardcore Punk and NWOBHM with trace amounts of First-Wave Black Metal that makes them widely accessible three decades after the fact (sadly). Perhaps their sound was too advanced for it's time of initial arrival stateside, but in today's world where bands like MIDNIGHT and WRAITH have blazed a trail for bands in this vein (and with the Relapse logo next to the barcode) GISM should see a well-deserved resurgence in interest as well as a new level of obtainability thanks to their new label-boss's (relatively) massive distribution reach.
Detestation is a quick journey through vomit infested Tokyo backstreets and alleyways (if there is such a thing) that clocks in at half an hour, and that is counting the three bonus tracks added to this reissue. Yet despite a brief setlist, this LP has more than its share of memorable moments. Among them, "Nightmare" goes off into a total VENOM worship session that not only accentuates the Metal component to their formula but highlights the fun, tongue in cheek aspect of this band. "Nuclear Armed Hogs" is another great track. With its somewhat comical motif, I would venture to call it Discharge on laughing gas. The original album's closer, "Anthem", is a formidable way to punctuate the point that this album makes with dexterous riffing and their crusty-ass tone over a D-Beat percussive assault.
Detestation dropped yesterday, December 4, 2020AD and is available through the label directly (link above in the body) or if you're like me and have willingly taken the mark of the beast then I suppose that you can cop it from Amazon as well. Frankly, I'd rather give Jeff Bezos my money right now. I am aware that his trillionaire-ass doesn't need a dub out of my smelly wallet, believe you me, but as a fellow divorcee I feel that I should stand in solidarity with him. Besides, he used to break Trump's balls, so he's A-OK with me. Definitely check out this album. It's cool to drink to and get rowdy by. I should be ordering my copy as soon as I catch up on my credit card and child support payments.
