Beatdown Hardcore Guidebook is a new book written and compiled by Kazutaka Miyamoto. Though it's in Japanese, the book covers bands from all over the world, tracing the groove-driven, moshier side of the hardcore spectrum throughout the decades.
Whether it's Sand and Loyal to the Grave from Japan, or Neglect and Pain of Truth from the States, Beatdown Hardcore Guidebook provides biography and discography information and further insight into the bands.
I sent Kazutaka a few questions via email to get a bit more info on his new book.
What inspired you to put the book together, and how did you come to discover hardcore in the first place?
Bands such as Bulldoze, Neglect, and Cold as Life are underappreciated in Japan, and I wrote the Beatdown Hardcore Guidebook in the hope that hardcore fans would learn about them.
My introduction to hardcore came via Quicksand, where I was impressed by the album cover of Manic Compression, and from there I was hooked on hardcore.
How would you describe the book and its contents?
Beatdown Hardcore Guidebook highlights hardcore with a down-tuned sound. It features profiles and interviews of beatdown hardcore pioneers like Bulldoze, Neglect, Next Step Up, Shattered Realm, Fury of Five, Grimlock, and No Retreat, with a focus on American bands.
We also have interviews with Knuckledust, Six Ft Ditch, and Cold Hard Truth from the UK, Fallbrawl from Germany, and Nasty from Belgium, and many more bands. The book also features reviews of beatdown hardcore bands from around the world, including the US, Europe, Asia, and South America.
What are some of the key Japanese beatdown bands throughout the years?
The Japanese hardcore scene began in the 1980s with the first generation of bands such as Gauze, G.I.S.M, The Comes, and The Execute. The second generation includes bands such as S.O.B, Tetsu Arei (Iron Array), and Death Side. The generation below that are bands from the beatdown hardcore scene.
The first and second generations were strongly influenced by British hardcore. Bands in the Japanese beatdown hardcore scene are heavily influenced by NYHC.
Numb is considered the pioneer of beatdown hardcore in Japan. Numb has been active since 1995 and is known as one of the first bands in Japan to introduce the groovy New York style of hardcore in the style of Biohazard and Madball. They also participated in This is Hardcore 2006.
Loyal to the Grave is a band that started out influenced by bands like Hatebreed and 25 ta Life. Guitarist Hiro runs a record store called NERDS. It is said that hardcore bands touring in Japan always visit this record store, and Hiro has connections with hardcore bands from all over the world.
As a distributor, Hiro has a wealth of knowledge and information about hardcore. Loyal to the Grave's sound is the output of this wealth of hardcore information.
SAND skillfully mixes American-style hardcore from the likes of Merauder and Next Step Up with European-style beatdown hardcore from the likes of Nasty and Words of Concrete. The prestigious German label Filled With Hate Records and Beatdown Hardwear, as well as a 2015 appearance at This is Hardcore, the band is now making its way around the world.
As befits a beatdown hardcore band, the band has tough-guy, raucous lyrics such as “Tie the shoelaces, just knock em."
What are some newer/current bands we should check out from the scene over there?
Southeast Asian beatdown hardcore bands such as Homicide MY from Malaysia, Depressed from Thailand, and District 105 from Vietnam have evolved in their own unique way and deserve attention.
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Beatdown Hardcore Guidebook is available on Amazon in Japan.
Tagged: loyal to the grave, sand
