GISM
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GISM (also G.I.S.M.) were a Japanese hardcore punk band (with strong metal leanings) formed in Japan in 1981. They were composed of vocalist Sakevi Yokoyama (real name Shigehisa. "Sakevi" being a corrupted "sakebi" - a shout, or scream of "MURDER!"), guitarist Randy Uchida, bassist Kannon (sometimes known as "Cloudy", later replaced by Kiichi Takahashi in the 90's), and drummer Monamour Hiroshima (replaced by Ironfist Tatsushima around the same time Kannon threw in the towel). GISM often used heavy metal style guitar solos and riffs, while at the same time drawing much influence from the early industrial/avant-garde music scene, something extremely uncommon in punk bands at that time.
GISM were widely known for the extreme violence present in their lyrics, and live shows. Sakevi would often march about the stage clad in a balaclava and covered with bullets, waving lit flares in audience members faces, brandishing microphone stands, and attacking concert goers as Vietnam War footage was projected behind him. Onstage he would go as far as to attack photographers who took pictures of him and chase audiences with a flamethrower.
The acronym GISM has never had a constant meaning attached to it. Variations include God In The Schizoid Mind, Guerilla Incendiary Sabotage Mutineer, General Imperialism Social Murder and Gnostic Idiosyncrasy Sonic Militant.
Randy Uchida passed on in Feb 10th 2001 due to cancer, Sakevi continued to contribute his unique brand stlTH® of collage art to the world, and started his own line of t-shirts. Ironfist Tatushima went on to play in the bands Die You Bastard! and Crow which he had been playing with before he joined G.I.S.M.. Kiichi was formerly the vocalist of mega popular satanic metal band Sabbrabells.
[edit] Discography
GISM first appeared on the Outsider compilation (1982), followed by Great Punk Hits (1983), Hardcore Unlawful Assembly (1984), The Punx (1984), and P.E.A.C.E. (1984).
Their first full length release, Detestation (1983), was largely hardcore, fueled by Randy's extremely metal influenced riffs.
M.A.N. (Military Affairs Neurotic) followed in 1987. It was very much a metal album — the only throwback to Detestation's hardcore leanings was Sakevi's trademark madman screams.
Their third and final album, SoniCRIME TheRapy was released in 2002 following Uchida's death. Fusing Detestations hardcore and M.A.N.s Iron Maiden style metal leanings, GISM's final work represents the culmination of all of the band's ideas over the 14 years since they last entered the studio. A number of the tracks on this album are present in the Gay Individual Social Mean (video) released in 1995. A 2 part video, "+R Regicide Reverberation", was released and is thought to be the final video but the performance was without the great Randy Uchida.
Uchida and Hiroshima played with Ronny Wakamats and Michel Hammer in R.U.G. (Randy Uchida Group), who released an EP entitled Deathly Fighter in 1984. A live tape also holds other songs done by this band but with no name at all. Very hard to find.
In 2004, Sakevi released a single entitled The War. Harsh noise and growling vocals are juxtaposed with peaceful breaks and movie samples to provide an interesting medium for the expression of his opinions on the war on terror of New World Order.Sakevi also apeared in N.O.S., a collection of various artists. Sakevi is still recording with his band S.K.V.
