BALZAC

BALZAC was formed in 1992 by vocalist Hirosuke Nishiyama after the demise of his previous project, Astrozombies. Before the end of their first year together, the band released their first demo tape, Scapegoat 666, which was limited to just thirteen copies. BALZAC also performed frequently on the underground music scene in their hometown of Osaka, and even occasionally in Tokyo.

Soon after, BALZAC released their first single, The Lord of the Light and the Darkness through their own label, Evilegend 13 Records. Over the next few years, the group released more singles through a variety of labels and were featured on various compilations.

Their breakthrough, however, came in 1995, when they were signed by Alchemy Records, through which they released their first full-length album, The Last Men on Earth.

Shortly before the release of their third single in 1996, the group's bassist Anti and drummer H. Nishino left the band. Still, there was no stopping BALZAC. One of Nishiyama's longtime friends, Akio Imai, joined the group on bass, and he has remained an integral part of the band ever since. Imai had been performing with his own band, The Clash Dogs, at the time, but left them in order to help his friend.

Since the group was still without a drummer, Masami agreed to perform as the percussionist for their upcoming releases. However, by 1997, when BALZAC signed with Diwphalanx Records and was set to record its second full-length album, Masami left the band. Following this setback, the band once again recruited a friend: a drummer named Futoshi Okano.

In 1998, BALZAC recruited Kill to fill the drummer position, as Okano was more of a session member, and they finally began to attract more attention on the Japanese music scene. In addition, they also gained the recognition of the recently reformed Misfits, who were then fronted by Jerry Only. BALZAC was the opening act for the band on their first tour of Japan, an opportunity that would lead to the formation of a great friendship between the two bands and gain BALZAC valuable international exposure.

That year proved to be one of the biggest yet for the band, as they began to perform in larger venues alongside other notable groups such as Sobut and The Mad Capsule Markets. They also released a split CD with The Hate Honey and their third album 13 Stairway -The Children of the Night-. To promote the album, BALZAC embarked on a nationwide tour, selling out several shows along the way.

The following year saw the release of a split CD with Sobut, which featured the songs The End of Century and No Resistance 1968, both of which have become fan favourites. BALZAC’s official fan club, the Fiendish Club, was also established in 1999.

The year 2000 saw the band return to a heavy tour schedule. They opened for The Misfits once again upon their return to Japan and, almost directly after that tour, performed alongside The Mad Capsule Markets for a number of shows. The same year saw the release of a set of collectible figures manufactured by Medicom Toy Co., which included figures of the members and a 7" figure called Hands of 9 Evil. This particular set of figurines is now one of the most desirable of BALZAC's sets among collectors.

That year in Osaka, the group also established their first retail store, Shocker!!!, which focused on selling their brand of the same name, as well as official band merchandise. Nishiyama also sold his clothing brand, Dementia Thirteen, through the store and, a few years later, BALZAC would establish another clothing line called Culture, which features slightly more expensive, higher quality items.

Early 2001 saw the release of several of BALZAC's most popular singles, as well as a box set featuring art by Maruo Suehiro, who was responsible for the artwork on their concept album, Zennou naru musuu no me ha yubi sasu. However, towards the end of the year, BALZAC once again found themselves without a drummer when Kill quit the band for personal reasons.

Another close friend of the band, Takayuki, having just departed from his previous band The Battie Boys, joined the group as their new drummer. That year also signaled the opening of their second retail store, Coffin, in Kyoto.

The following year, BALZAC released a split single with The Misfits, on which they sang The Haunting and Don't Open 'Til Doomsday as a medley, whilst The Misfits covered Day the Earth Caught Fire. On Halloween, BALZAC were invited to perform alongside the band in New York. Although BALZAC had attracted attention from overseas beforehand, this was their first venture abroad.

2003 was one of BALZAC's most successful years, as the group toured with legendary bands such as The Misfits, The Damned, The Dickies and Agnostic Front in the West. That year also saw BALZAC’s first album released in America under the newly-founded Misfit Records and Out of the Light of the 13 Night released in Germany through G-Force Records.

The following summer, the band participated in a festival alongside the American punk band Rancid. The band’s popularity continued to skyrocket that year, as BALZAC embarked on their first European tour, which covered several countries. They also released an EP called Zodiac Killer under the name Zodiac, and performed a special live on Christmas that consisted solely of Misfits covers.

The year 2005 was a fairly quiet one, although the band embarked on the DARKISM TOUR throughout Japan and also returned to Europe to play nine shows in Germany and one in Austria. BALZAC also contributed a cover of Moonlight to the album PARADE-RESPECTIVE TRACKS OF BUCK-TICK and appeared on a tribute album for The Damned.

2006 was an explosive year for the band. To promote their seventh full-length album, the group embarked on a nationwide tour soon after its release. During the tour, they released their first best-of album, which included many rerecorded versions of their older songs. Their "secret" band, Zodiac, also finally recorded and released its first full-length studio album.

The following spring saw BALZAC return to Europe, with exclusive shows in Hamburg, Cologne, Munich and Berlin alongside MUCC. Partnering with the record label Gan-Shin, the group released the album, Paranoid Dream of the Zodiac, which featured previously released songs.

In 2008, BALZAC released their eighth studio album, HATRED:DESTRUCTION=CONSTRUCTION in both Japan and Germany. The next year brought the mini-album Paradox, which was produced by Takeshi Ueda of The Mad Capsule Markets. The band’s productivity continued into 2010 with the release of a limited edition three-disc set entitled Birth of Hatred. This set featured a new album, rare and unreleased material and a DVD containing fifteen PVs. They also found time to cover Do it yourself for a tribute album to the Japanese hardcore band Aggressive Dogs and to perform in Taiwan for the first time.

In 2011, after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, Takeshi Ueda gathered a number of musicians from Japan’s alternative rock scene to perform a charity song with his solo band AA= under the name AA=Aid. Hirosuke gladly took part in the project, contributing vocals to the song We’re Not Alone, which was released for free download to help give strength to the people of Japan. That winter, BALZAC released the album JUDGEMENT DAY and the single DERANGED in Japan and Europe. The next year was the band’s 20th anniversary, and they celebrated in style with several special releases and live performances.

So far, 2013 has seen the release of the band’s tenth album Blackout, appropriately enough on March 8th (or 3-08-13, a date containing two of the numbers BALZAC has become associated with due to their inclusion in flagship songs such as Atom Age Vampire in 308 and Isolation from No. 13), and a tour in support of it. They held a one-man live commemorating the 21st anniversary of the band’s formation called DIRTY BLACKOUT SUMMER 2013 in Osaka on August 24th.

Over two decades into their career, BALZAC remains the dominant horror punk band in Japan, and one can only hope that their legacy will continue for years to come.