GISM

Contents

Career

Imagery

Discography

Various Artists

LPs

CDs

Videos

External link

Career

'GISM' (aka 'G.I.S.M.') were a Japanese hardcore punk band (with heavy metal influence) formed in Tokyo, Japan in 1981. The acronym G.I.S.M. stood for many different things. Variations include: God In the Schizoid Mind, Guerilla Incendiary Sabotage Mutineer, General Imperialism Social Murder, & Gnostic Idiosyncrasy Sonic Militant. They were composed of: vocalist Sakevi Yokoyama, guitarist Randy Uchida, bassist Kannon, & drummer Hiroshima. Randy Uchida often used heavy metal style guitar solos & riffs, nonetheless, G.I.S.M. were one of the first japanese hardcore bands [1].
In 1983, G.I.S.M. released their first album entitled Detestation [2]. Randy Uchida & Hiroshima also played with Ronny Wakamats & Michel Hammer in a side project 'R.U.G. (Randy Uchida Group)', which released an EP entitled Deathly Fighter in 1984 [3]. Cloudy also played bass for female fronted band 'Front Guerrilla' which released an EP entitled Fight Back in 1986.
Fourteen years after their M.A.N. album, G.I.S.M. released their last album on cd entitled SoniCRIME TheRapy. The band featured Kiichi Takahashi from 'Sabbrabells' on bass & Ironfist Tatsushima from 'Crow' & 'Die You Bastard!' on drums. This would be their last album, shortly after on February 10th, 2001 guitarist Randy Uchida would die of cancer [4]. G.I.S.M. would break up after that, however Sakevi continued to make collage art in his own clothing brand stlTH® making his own line of t-shirts. Ironfist Tatushima went on to play in the bands Die You Bastard! & Crow which he had been playing with prior to G.I.S.M.. Kiichi was formerly the vocalist of metal band Sabbrabells [5]. In 2004, Sakevi released a solo album entitled The War under the name 'S.K.V'. The single expresses his opinions on the war on terror of New World Order [6].

Imagery

G.I.S.M. were widely known for the violence present in their lyrics & live shows. Sakevi attacked the singer of another band on national television [7]. On stage, Sakevi would often be dressed on stage wearing a balaclava & bullet belt, waving lit flares in audience members faces, using microphone stands as clubs, & attacking concert goers as Vietnam War footage was projected behind him. In the past he has attacked photographers for taking pictures of him & has chased audiences with a flamethrower.
During the mid 80's, Sakevi published a Japanese punkzine named P.O.W. The acronym of P.O.W. stood for many different things. Variations include Punk On Wave, Performance Of War. In it he promoted local punk bands from the Tokyo scene at the time. He also personally interviewed the Tokyo Medical Examiners Office, wrote the P.L.O., & wrote prisoners of war from Anti Japanese Armed Fronts by asking them all their opinions on death. The magazine also included vivid instructions on different ways to kill people. It also showed vivid drawings on how nbc weapons are made with images of their horrific consequences. The magazine also states by their english translator John Duncan that Sakevi attacked a salariman on a Tokyo commuter train by showering him with a hairspray cannister lit on fire with a cigarette lighter for staring.
In 2006, Sakevi designed the artwork for hardcore band World Burns To Death's new album entitled Totalitarian Sodomy.

Discography

Various Artists

★ "The Punx (tape)" (1985) JICC [8]

★ "P.E.A.C.E./War" PUNK ROCK COMP. (LP) (1984) R RADICAL RECORDS

LPs

★ "Detestation" (1983) Dogma Records [9]

★ "M.A.N. (Military Affairs Neurotic)" (1987) Beast Arts [10]

CDs

★ "DETESTation" (1992) Beast Arts

★ "SoniCRIME TheRapy" (2002) Beast Arts [11]

Videos

★ "Performance" (1985) Beast Arts [12]

★ "BOOTLEG 1986" (1986) Beast Arts

★ "Gay Individual Social Mean - Subj & Egos, chopped" (1995) Beast Arts [13]

★ "+R, Regicide Reverberation" (2002) Beast Arts

External link

★ G.I.S.M. Fan site I

★ G.I.S.M. Fan site II

★ G.I.S.M. at Kill From The Heart

★ G.I.S.M. at Metal Archives