G.I.S.M.
{{Short description|Japanese hardcore punk}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = G.I.S.M.
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| background = group_or_band
| alias =
| origin = Tokyo, Japan
| genre = {{flatlist|
| years_active = 1981–2002, 2016–2022
| label =
| associated_acts = {{flatlist|
- Randy Uchida Group
- Timoto Seed
- S∴K∴V∴}}
| website =
| current_members = Kiichi Takahashi
Ironfist Tatsushima
| past_members = Sakevi Yokoyama
"Cloudy"
Hiroshima
Kaori Komura
Mario
Randy Uchida
Souichi Hisatake
}}
{{Nihongo|G.I.S.M.|ギズム|Gizumu}} was a Japanese punk metal band formed in Tokyo in 1981. Although the guitar style resembled heavy metal in many aspects, GISM was one of the first Japanese hardcore bands, while at the same time drawing influence from the early industrial/avant-garde music scene—something uncommon in punk bands at that time. The acronym GISM has many different variations;{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} they include: "Guerrilla Incendiary Sabotage Mutineer" (original), "God In the Schizoid Mind", "Grand Imperialism Social Murder", "Genocide Infanticide Suicide Menticide", "Gay Individual Social Mean", "Gothic Incest Sex Machine", "Grubby Incest Stripper Mastitis", "Gravity Impel Slaying Machine", "Get Incinerated Sorrow Mass", "Gore Impromptu Suicide Mine", "Grim Iconic Sadistic Mantra" and "Gnostic Idiosyncrasy Sonic Militant".
GISM came to be widely known in the global punk scene after the song “Endless Blockades for the Pussyfooter” appeared on International P.E.A.C.E. Benefit Compilation 1984. Thereafter, the band attained something of a cult status in the international punk scene, duly for their unique blend of heavy metal and hardcore punk. Roadrunner Records ranked Sakevi Yokoyama No. 49 out of 50 of The Greatest Metal Frontmen of All Time.{{Cite web|url=https://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/|title=Roadrunner Records Latest News|website=Roadrunnerrecords.com|access-date=7 December 2024}}
Biography
=Career=
GISM had their first performance in 1981 at the University of Tokyo.{{cite book |author= |title=別冊宝島 ROCK FILE Vol.5 1989 特別版 日本ロックバンド完全事典 |publisher=JICC出版局 |page=74 |date=1989}}
In 1984, GISM released their first album, titled Detestation, on Dogma Records.{{Cite web|url=https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/G.I.S.M./Detestation/35954|title=G.I.S.M. - Detestation - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives|website=Metal-archives.com|access-date=7 September 2020}} The album has been applauded for having unique vocals and a guitar style that was very uncommon in hardcore punk.{{fact|date=July 2020}}
M.A.N., or Military Affairs Neurotic,{{Cite web|url=http://www.globaldarkness.com/cult/gism/gism_Military_affairs_neurotic.html|title=G.I.S.M. - Military Affairs Neurotic (Beast Arts 1987, Japan)|date=5 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305200856/http://www.globaldarkness.com/cult/gism/gism_Military_affairs_neurotic.html|access-date=7 September 2020|archive-date=5 March 2009}} was released in 1987 on Beast Arts Records. The album was quite a departure from the 'Detestation' album, putting more emphasis on a slower, metal style of music compared to the hardcore punk sound of the previous release.{{fact|date=July 2020}}
GISM released their last album on compact disc, titled SoniCRIME TheRapy, in 2001.{{Cite web|url=http://www.globaldarkness.com/cult/gism/gism_Sonicrime_Therapy.html|title=G.I.S.M. - SoniCRIME Therapy CD (Beast Arts 2001, Japan)|date=5 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305200906/http://www.globaldarkness.com/cult/gism/gism_Sonicrime_Therapy.html|access-date=7 September 2020|archive-date=5 March 2009}} The band featured Kiichi Takahashi on bass and Ironfist Tatsushima on drums. Guitarist Randy Uchida died from cancer on 10 February 2001, shortly after the release of the album.{{Cite web|url=https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/G.I.S.M./15809|title=G.I.S.M. - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives|website=Metal-archives.com|access-date=7 September 2020}} GISM played two shows in Tokyo in honor of Randy Uchida, and then broke up.{{fact|date=July 2020}}
In 2002, GISM made the cover of Burst Magazine (issue No. 49), an underground Japanese magazine.
GISM performed in the Netherlands on 15 April 2016 at Lee Dorian's Roadburn event. It was their first performance after a 13-year hiatus, along with being their first show outside of Japan.{{Cite web |last=Cory |first=Ian |date=18 April 2016 |title=Live Review: Roadburn 2016 Day 2 |url=https://www.invisibleoranges.com/live-review-roadburn-day-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419223810/https://www.invisibleoranges.com/live-review-roadburn-day-2/ |archive-date=19 April 2016 |access-date=23 August 2020 |website=Invisible Oranges |language=en}}
=Members and other projects=
Sakevi Yokoyama continued to make collage art with his own clothing brand "stlTH", which made T-shirt designs until his passing in late 2023. {{Cite web|url=http://koenjicalling.com/2008/11/4564-sakevis-shop-in-harajuku.html|title=Koenji Calling: #4564: Sakevi's shop in Harajuku|date=28 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828022037/http://koenjicalling.com/2008/11/4564-sakevis-shop-in-harajuku.html|access-date=7 September 2020|archive-date=28 August 2009}} In 1987, he made a cameo appearance in the Japanese film Robinson's Garden. In the movie, he attacks a Rastafarian man for teaching children spirituality. This film is the only documentation of his "acting" career.{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3097748/|title=Sakevi Yokoyama|website=IMDb.com|access-date=7 September 2020}} In 2004, Sakevi released a solo album titled The War under the name S.K.V.{{Cite web|url=http://www.globaldarkness.com/cult/gism/skv_the_war_cd.html|title=S.K.V. - The War|date=28 February 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070228012656/http://www.globaldarkness.com/cult/gism/skv_the_war_cd.html|access-date=7 September 2020|archive-date=28 February 2007}} In 2006, he designed the artwork for World Burns To Death's album titled Totalitarian Sodomy.{{fact|date=July 2020}}
Randy Uchida (guitarist) and Tohru Hiroshima (drummer) played with Ronny Wakamats and Michel Hammer in a side project called R.U.G. (Randy Uchida Group), which released one vinyl EP titled “Deathly Fighter” in 1984. Uchida died of cancer in 2001,{{fact|date=July 2020}} and Hiroshima in 2022.{{Cite web|url=https://www.punknews.org/article/76538/inmemoriam-tohru-monamour-hiroshima-of-gism-has-passed-away|title=Tohru "Monamour" Hiroshima of GISM has passed away|date=February 2022 |access-date=15 April 2022}}
Kiichi Takahashi (bassist) was the vocalist for the occult heavy metal band Sabbrabells.{{Cite web |url=http://homepages.nyu.edu/~cch223/comps/outsider.html |title=Outsider Compilation |access-date=19 February 2007 |archive-date=31 August 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010831005450/http://homepages.nyu.edu/~cch223/comps/outsider.html |url-status=dead }}
Cloudy (original bassist) played bass for female-fronted speed metal band Front Guerrilla, which released an EP titled Fight Back in 1986.{{fact|date=July 2020}}
Ironfist Tatushima (drummer) continues to play in the bands Die You Bastard! and Crow, which he had been playing with prior to GISM.{{fact|date=July 2020}}
Kaori Komura (original drummer) is an improviser using Korean percussion. She released a duo CD with Kazumoto Endo titled "In The Cave" in 2020.
Frontman Sakevi Yokoyama died on 24 August 2023.{{cite news |title=G.I.S.M.の横山SAKEVIが死去、日本ハードコアパンク創世記の伝説的ボーカリスト |url=https://natalie.mu/music/news/539473 |access-date=2 September 2023 |publisher=音楽ナタリー |date=2 September 2023}}
''P.O.W.'' magazine
During the mid 80s, Sakevi published a Japanese punkzine titled P.O.W. The acronym of P.O.W. initially stood for Punk On Wave, but then changed to Performance Of War for the third, final issue. The magazine promoted local punk bands from the Tokyo scene at the time. Sakevi also personally interviewed the Tokyo Medical Examiners Office, wrote the P.L.O., and wrote prisoners of war from Anti Japanese Armed Fronts by asking them all their opinions on death, included vivid instructions on different ways to kill people and showed vivid drawings on how ABC weapons are made with images of their horrific consequences. John Duncan, the guest-editor for the magazine, stated in the introduction of the third issue that Sakevi attacked a salaryman for staring with a makeshift flamethrower on a Tokyo commuter train, subsequently landing him in prison.{{fact|date=July 2020}}
Discography
=LPs=
=CDs=
=Compilation appearances=
- Outsider LP (1982, City Rocker) Tracks: "Incest", "Gash, Bite, Snatch", "AAHB"
- Great Punk Hits LP (1983, Japan Records) Tracks: "Death Exclamations", "Fire"
- Hardcore Unlawful Assembly LP (1984, AA records) Tracks: "Still Alive", "Nervous Corps"
- International P.E.A.C.E. Benefit Compilation 2x LP (1984, R Radical records) Track: "Endless Blockads for the Pussyfooter"
- The Punx cassette tape (1985, JICC){{Cite web |url=http://homepages.nyu.edu/~cch223/comps/punx.html |title=KFTH - the Punx Compilation Tape |access-date=19 February 2007 |archive-date=16 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070216015609/http://homepages.nyu.edu/~cch223/comps/punx.html |url-status=dead }} Tracks: "Shoot to Kill (for epileptic soldier)", "GISM"
- Determination (2015) Beast Arts
=Videos=
- "Performance" (1985) Beast Arts{{Cite web|url=https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/G.I.S.M./Performance/64889|title=G.I.S.M. - Performance - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives|website=Metal-archives.com|access-date=7 September 2020}}
- "BOOTLEG 1986" (1986) Beast Arts
- "Gay Individual Social Mean - Subj & Egos, chopped" (1995) Beast Arts{{Cite web|url=https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/G.I.S.M./Gay_Individual_Social_Mean_-_Subj_%26_Egos%2C_Chopped_%28Das_G%C3%B6ttlich_Geist%29/45864|title=G.I.S.M. - Gay Individual Social Mean - Subj & Egos, Chopped (Das Göttlich Geist) - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives|website=Metal-archives.com|access-date=7 September 2020}}
- "+R, Regicide Reverberation" (2002) Beast Arts
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070303073123/http://www.globaldarkness.com/cult/gism/ GISM Fan site I]
- [http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=15809 GISM at Metal Archives]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090830205920/http://bidhardcore.com/2008/05/02/gism-detestation/ A review of GISM - Detestation]
- {{discogs artist|G.I.S.M.}}
- {{imdb name|6248319}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gism}}
Category:Japanese heavy metal musical groups
Category:Musical groups from Tokyo
Category:Musical groups established in 1981
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2002