Blade - Stabbed: Some Old Scars 1994 - 1996

Longshot Music / Ediciones Limitadas (LP), Villainy Prison Records (CD)

 

I usually like my Japanese Oi! aggravated, growly and powerful with the preference of lyrics in the native language. Osaka’s Blade, formed by Kazuki Daido (Rest In Peace), doesn’t quite fit the above description with their English lyrics and British influenced Oi! sound, but they are still a band, that only existed for about two years, I like.

 

“Stabbed: Some Old Scars 1994 – 1996” is a retrospective of most (depends on which version you buy) of their recorded songs. This compilation is released on CD in 2013 by Villainy Prison Records and last year on LP through Longshot Music and Ediciones Limitadas, besides the different format and labels involved, the tracklist differs as well. The LP contains less songs than the CD version and the live tracks on side B are arranged in a different order than on the CD. But since I got the LP version I just simply have to deal with less songs, five to be more precise.

 

Side A is the ‘studio side’ and contains most, but not all (where are the tracks from the “Burst Out” compilation?!) studio recordings the band did between 1994 and 1996. Besides the three tracks of their only ever release, the 7” “The First Cut”, you will find the songs “Boycott” (“Trueforce Official Rules” compilation, Trueforce Home Stereo), “Skrewedravers” (“Super Yobs 2” compilation, originally titled “Skkkrewedravers”, Vulture Rock Records), “No Retire” (“Total Insubordination” compilation, MCR Company) and “Brazenfaced Bastard” (“It’s A Kick To Be Alive” compilation, Real Deal Records) on this compilation album. Despite being studio recordings, they’re still very raw yet full of power and energy making it a great side to crank the volume up to!

 

Something I won’t recommend to the B side, that also can be referred to as the ‘live side’ with takes from two different live shows that took place in 1995 in both Okayama and Nagoya. Very raw, self-taped bootleg quality kind of recordings that are fun to have, but less fun to the ears so it pretty much comes down to the ‘studio side’ to decide if this LP is worth your buck and that pretty much all depends on if you own all mentioned compilation albums and the sought after “The First Cut” EP already. If you do, this LP is just there to fill up your cabinet storage, if you don’t and you do like Japanese Oi! music you can spin the A side until you get dizzy, because there are some great tunes on there you ‘brazenfaced bastard’!