Japan in Decline

Artist: Various
Title: Japan in Decline
Release: 1999
Label: Six Weeks Records

Track List:
1. Slang - Yukusaki-Wa-Michi
2. Fuck on the Beach - Go Muscle
3. Shikabane - Pain of Existence
4. 324 - Advance
5. Smash Your Face - I Believe in My Way
6. Frigora - Ett Krig Formel
7. Curtainrail - Away
8. Hellpop - Act Like Nothing
9. Kung-Fu Grip Man - Like You
10. Mass Genocide - Justice?
11. Vryker - Do as You Feel!
12. Unholy Grave - Kamui: Indigenous Peoples
13. Smash the Brain - M.F.
14. Majestic Four - 出るなら出てこい!
15. Carcass Grinder - Waffle Is Not a Crepe
16. Judgement Disorderly - Crazy
17. Dudman - Simon Hell
18. Su19b - Disappoint
19. More Noise for Life - Exterminate Racism
20. Hashdum - Insain and Future!!!
21. T.R.U.T.H. - Hatred for the Self-Humanity of Stupidity (Total Raw Death Noise Mix '97)

You know that feeling when you're browsing through the wares of a record store and you chance upon something totally unexpected and totally awesome and you take it right out of the bin or whatever and think to yourself "Holy shit!"? That was exactly what I felt when I found this record. I still feel like I won the lottery when I look through my own record collection and see sitting nicely near the end where I keep all my compilations.

If you're a fan of any of the bands on this compilation you've probably already seen this posted over here before. The dude who does that blog does excellent work. But, sadly the CD version of this compilation, which is what he posted, inexplicably leaves out two tracks. I'm mystified as to why since the LP version is a mere 2 minutes 11 seconds longer (clocking in at 26:14). That's short enough to fit on a CD two and a half times over.

So here it is, a rip of the LP version of this fantastic compilation of Japanese hardcore and grindcore (mostly grindcore) bands. There's some real gems on here, notably from Slang and Shikabane. Both of whom would be placed up fairly high if I had to make one of those bullshit favorite bands lists.

I really wish I could have scanned the insert but it's far too large for my scanner. The only band to put lyrics (in English) in their info was Unholy Grave. I'm really glad they did because they touch on a very sensitive subject in Japanese history, the Ainu people, who are the true indigenous people of what is now known as Japan. Since around 720, and likely before, they've faced persecution and outright genocide at the hands of various Japanese administrations mostly so that their land could be taken for farming. Today they still face discrimination even if it is no longer sanctioned by Japanese law. I've been told that the subject brings up lots of strong negative emotions in Japan, so it's kinda cool to see a Japanese band discussing the issue of indigenous people's rights. Especially since it took until 2008, 9 years after this compilation came out, for the Japanese government to fully recognize the Ainu people as a distinct culture of their own.

Kamui: Indigenous Peoples
Ainu-moshiri... We know it as Hokkaido
Before... No Japanese there
It was land for the Ainu race
For indigenous peoples living with Kamui

They have no letter
It never means the lower race
Before the Japanese invasion
It was land for the Ainu race
For indigenous peoples living with Kamui

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