D.S.B. Substitute LP
The excellent Substitute LP from D.S.B. (DEFIANCE OF SHIT BASTARDS) has some lore that deserves to be briefly mentioned here: the legendary Japanese band played a brief stint in the US in 2003, bringing their full-throated brand of hardcore punk to astounded audiences. As General Speech put it in their write-up, the band “basically blew the minds of everyone in the collective DIY hardcore scene at the time” (there is tour footage and audio available on the internet, I found it to be an excellent companion piece here). Feeling at the top of their game, D.S.B. went to the studio to re-record some of their tracks from previous releases like No Fight. No Get and the One Shot One Kill comp as well as some new tracks, resulting in their legendary second full-length Substitute. Until now, this was only available on a 2004 CD release, but thanks to the aforementioned General Speech, we can hear it in all of its glory on our turntables. Going toe-to-toe in the song department with nearly any of their peers, D.S.B. play fast, furious, and sound super revved-up across the entire album, particularly on standouts “死ぬまで戦え” and “Rebel and Protest,” the latter of which sounds like a direct influence on many of today’s latest and greatest “inspired by Japanese hardcore” US hardcore bands. Essential listening for fans of the genre, young and old.