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Hello and thanks for reading. This week I will try to be more concise. This EXCLAIM Reality & Future 7” sounds like a could have been a flexi released in 1985. I love it. I mean it was recorded in 1985, just unfortunately not released until now. It would have fit well on like Half Alive or More Records, or like Hold Up; labels that are home to (what I consider) cult classic bands like A.T. DET, JUDEN SOUCHI, ANTISEPTIC and HEADLESS. I can’t quite figure it out why, but they also remind me a bit of THE BONES. Maybe it’s just cos of that little poppy intro to the 7”, haha. All the bands I have named, however, don’t really match the speed of EXCLAIM. I was trying to think of the Japanese bands that played a similar style at the time, and it feels like EXCLAIM pushes the envelope when it comes to speed more than others. SYSTEMATIC DEATH was a good reference that came to mind when it comes to speed. The general vocal style of EXCLAIM is much harsher than SYSTEMATIC D, though. Of course they remind me of G.I.S.M., alongside shit like GAGIZE, especially with their back-and-forth/gang vocals. The palm-muting and heavy metallic riffs are actually pretty damn Randy Uchida-esque. While this band is totally influenced by G.I.S.M., it feels like the roots are more into hardcore with the structure and actual style. I’m not the best with words, so maybe that doesn’t make much sense, haha. This record has a note inside informing the listener of audio degradation from the original tape, and the limited sound sourcing that was available. Regardless, I think the record sounds great. I’ve heard way worse sound on reissue records and contemporary releases. If you haven’t heard this yet, I’d check it out and suggest you get a copy!!
Moving onto the EXCLAIM Fusillade 12”, we have two recordings from 1986 compiled onto one record. From the insert, it appears these were recorded at the same place in ’86. There is not much info otherwise though, and if these tapes were just dubbed by hand in small quantities. I didn’t know about EXCLAIM until I heard about this reissue, but I was able to check out the tape Fusillade online. The other tape Final seems to have no internet presence at all. Anyways, the sound changed over that year for the band. While the 1985 stuff was killer, and I might favor it more, it feels like the band had developed more of their own sound that would set them apart from the standard hardcore formula when it comes to their 1986 material. The recording quality is exponentially better than the 7”. The vocals kinda sound even more like Sakevi here, and I’m happy to hear they still utilize the gang vocals a bit. I understand there are similarities between this stuff and GASTUNK, and they are described as a major influence in the interview with the drummer featured on the insert. I don’t really know their stuff. If you played them, I could probably pick it out from the cheesy vocals, but that’s about it. I never got into them, namely cos of the vocals. Maybe one day that will change, haha. I hear similarities between this EXCLAIM material and the ZOLGE 12” that was released by Dogma in 1984, especially on the track “Never Never Land.”
Track 10 starts the other recording session on the record, Final. They come right out of the gate with the cheesy-ass high pitch vocals, but due to the lower fidelity sound I kinda fuck with it hard, haha. Man, that track “The Man Of Leisure” is way too good to handle. The simple leads are absolutely perfect. The riffs are generally very simple, but the guitar is used in a percussive way at times, which I really think compliment the song structure. While the riffs are simple, the song structure is seemingly not so simple. They go back and forth between two riffs in the standard way, but after coming back around that second time they bust into an anthemic punchy/accenting bit. When you think it’s gunna be over it continues onward to a percussive rolling passage that builds tension, appearing nowhere else in the song. From there they go back into that back-and-forth between the main riffs, and about a minute later we are back into that build-up part again. However, this time it is not followed by the rolling passage; instead, the drummer builds up on the hi-hat playing 16th notes and the guitar plays a slightly different riff than the first time around, and we are launched into a wailing solo that’s followed by some additional riffage, taking us into the end of the song. Can you tell how much I like this song after reading my dissection? Haha. Anyways, yeah, I think this record is killer and you should check it out! (and buy a copy.)
Alright, I think that’s it for today. I am so stoked on these releases, and very grateful for people like Tom GS putting in the hard work to get stuff like this officially released for us all to rage to in 2026! Oh yeah before I go, I wanted to mention I have been jamming this Tarantula On My Cock tape often these last two weeks. This is that kinda fan club shit I live for. Get one before they are gone!!! Cheers and thanks for reading. Much love to my friends out there.