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bloodthirsty butchers
Yoshimura Hideki
Imoriya Takeshi
Komatsu Masahiro
Tabuchi Hisako
vocals/guitar
bass
drums
guitar
Profile
bloodthirsty butchers are not a perfect band. They will not wow you with their musicianship or vocals. There isn't even a guarantee that they will play their songs live the same way that you hear them on their albums. To many they seem sloppy and overly noisy, with songs that run too long and a singer that will never be able to hit those high notes. However, a wise man once said that beauty can be found even in the most apparent of imperfections. Like a well made quilt formed from thrown together scraps, beauty in imperfection is what bloodthirsty butchers is all about.

Originating from Sapporo, the band formed in 1987 with high school classmates Yoshimura Hideki on vocals and guitar, Imoriya Takeshi on bass, and Yotomo Sanoki on drums. They went through several different names, one of them being "butchers," and started off mainly playing punk rock. Eventually the adjective "bloodthirsty" gets added to the name and Komatsu Masahiro replaces Yotomo, who quits somewhere around 1989.

It's around this time sound that the band begins to find their voice: a more freeform rock style with longer songs, multi-layered guitarwork, and meandering passages. Much like a quilt, bloodthirsty butchers' songs seem mostly made from scraps of musical phrases that are thrown together and somehow work. Tracks running around 5-7 minutes seem expected, with 10-15 minute songs not being unheard of. Verses and choruses are sometimes hard to distinguish, especially in early songs like "CLASH! SKY!" and "i'm on fire." Around the yamane era things begin to change a little, with slightly more focus on melody and shorter songs, but the overall sound still retains that quilt-like quality.

Throughout their career, the butchers have gained much critical acclaim for their albums. kocorono, a concept album where each song has a monthly theme, is often highly revered. More importantly, they're regarded with high esteem by their peers. They've played shows with Number Girl, cowpers, Hi-STANDARD, eastern youth, Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her, and several other Japanese favorites, plus they've toured with American groups like Fugazi, Beck, Rage Against the Machine, the Flaming Lips, and Rocket from the Crypt. They even cut a double 7" with the Crypt and have more recently released a split EP with +/- (plus/minus). Asano Tadanobou, one of Japan's premiere actors and a fellow musician, has even collaborated on songs with the group and sang a cover of "12gatsu" ("December") with his wife, singer/actress Chara.

Yoshimura, Imoriya, and Komatsu have formed a strong bond throughout the band's lifespan; the song "Sankaku" ("Triangle") was named after the balance between the three. For a band long known as a three piece, it was pleasant surprise when Tabuchi Hisako joined the butchers on guitar almost 14 years later, turning the triangle into more of a square. The former Number Girl guitarist and Shiina Ringo support player joined the band in 2003, and has since been present in two albums, plus a live album and the +/- collaboration. Even though the band has reached its 20 year mark, it doesn't look like they will stop being bloodthirsty any time soon. 2005 saw the release of banging the drum and the Japanese release of bloodthirsty butchers VS +/-{PLUS/MINUS}. A US version of the split is slated for 2006.

- Chris McDougall (published 2006.07.26, updated 2006.08.22)
Links
Artist homepage
Columbia
Samples
Keikaku Content
Review - banging the drum
Review - kocorono
Review - Guitarist wo Korosanaide
Review - Guitarist wo Korosanaide
Discography list
Albums
BSP-005 BLOODTHIRSTY BUTCHERS
ZIKS-094 i'm standing nowhere
TFCC-88138 lukewarm wind
SOUR7D bloodthirsty butchers
KICS-587 kocorono
MVCH-29034 Mikansei
MVCH-19005 「△」SANKAKU+2
TOCT-24634 yamane
TOCT-24017 Kouya ni Okeru bloodthirsty butchers
COCP-50748 green on red
TOCT-25186 blue on red
COCP-50776 birdy
COCP-50847 banging the drum

Singles
SPEP-04 KARASU
BOMB-10 ROOM
Unknown Faust
Unknown DRIWING
MVCH9020 「△」サンカク (Delta Sankaku)
TOCT-4310 nagisanite
TOCT-22179 happy end

EPs
Unknown BLOODTHIRSTY BUTCHERS/fOUL
COCP-50849 bloodthirsty butchers vs +/-

Compilations
AVCD-17953 ROCK THE ULTRAMAN
Discography
cover image ROCK THE ULTRAMAN (Compilation)

Released: 2006.05.10 (AVCD-17953)
Label: avex trax

Tracklist
5. ウルトラマン (Ultraman) 6. MATの歌 (MAT no Uta) (Yoshimura Hideki from Bloodthirsty Butchers)
cover image bloodthirsty butchers vs +/- (EP)

Released: 2005.04.20 (COCP-50849)
Label: Columbia

Tracklist
1. JACK NICOLSON (+/-(PLUS/MINUS)) 2. I'VE BEEN LOST (bloodthirsty butchers) 3. CHROMATIC (bloodthirsty butchers) 4. ゴキゲンイカガ (GOKIGEN IKAGA) (+/-) 5. banging the drum (+/-) 6. WAKING UP IS HARD TO DO (bloodthirsty butchers) 7. SUMMER DRESS 1 (ALL HER WINTER CLOTHES) (bloodthirsty butchers)
cover image banging the drum (Album)

Released: 2005.04.06 (COCP-50847)
Label: Columbia

Tracklist
1. 序章 (Joushou) 2. B2 3. サンザン (SANZAN) 4. ゴキゲンイカガ (GOKIGEN IKAGA) 5. This is music 6. YAMAHA-1 7. maruzen house 8. プラス/マイナス (PLUS/MINUS) 9. No.6 10. banging the drum
cover image birdy (Album)

Released: 2004.03.03 (COCP-50776)
Label: Columbia

Tracklist
1. JACK NICOLSON 2. birdy 3. friction 4. sunn 5. walkman 6. love supreme 7. bandwagon 8. discordman 9. rat music for rat people 10. 荒野ニオケルbloodthirsty butchers (Kouya ni Okeru bloodthirsty butchers)
cover image blue on red (Album)

Released: 2003.09.29 (TOCT-25186)
Label: TOSHIBA-EMI Capital

Tracklist
1. SHE'S BREAK 2. ROOM 3. なんだかかなしい (Nandaka Kanashii) 4. 2月/february (2gatsu/february) 5. 7月/july (7gatsu/july) 6. ハシル (Hashiru) 7. 「△」サンカク (Delta Sankaku) 8. プールサイド (Poolside) 9. さよなら文鳥 (Sayonara Bunchou) 10. 燃える、想い (Moeru, Omoi) 11. nagisanite 12. happy end 13. lucky man 14. 地獄のロッカー (Jigoku no Rocker)
cover image green on red (Album)

Released: 2003.09.17 (COCP-50748)
Label: Columbia

Tracklist
1.ファウスト (Faust) 2.ソレダケ (SORE DAKE) 3.3月/march 4.august/8月 5.サラバ世界君主 (Saraba Sekai Kunshu) 6.襟がゆれてる。(Eri ga Yureteru) 7. -100% 8.no future 9.LOST IN TIME 10.カラス (KARASU) 11.ALLIGATOR 12.方位 (Houi) 13.時は終わる (Toki wa Owaru)
cover image Kouya ni Okeru bloodthirsty butchers (Album)

Released: 2003.01.29 (TOCT-24017)
Label: Toshiba-EMI

Tracklist
1. 方位 (Houi) 2. lucky man 3. dorama 4. サラバ世界君主 (Saraba Sekai Kunshu) 5. 悲しみをぶっとばせ! (Kanashimi wo Buttobase) 6. 影を慕いて (Kage wo Shitaite) 7. goblin 8. real/melodic 9. アカシア (Acacia) 10. 地獄のロッカー (Jigoku no Rocker)
cover image happy end (Single)

Released: 2001.10.17 (TOCT-22179)
Label: Toshiba-EMI

Tracklist
1. happy end 2. 地獄のロッカー (Jigoku no Rocker) 3. 言葉に鳴らない~さよなら文鳥 (Kotoba ni Naranai Sayonara Bunchou)
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