Burning Spirits

By DIY Conspiracy On Oct 20, 2023

Burning Spirits is a subgenre of hardcore punk emerging from the Japanese hardcore scene post-1988. It combines fast hardcore punk beats and harsh vocals, often intertwined with a triumphant, uplifting sound. It’s marked by heavy metal influences, including NWOBHM-adjacent guitar solos. Notable bands include Tetsu Arrey, Death Side, Bastard, Forward, Judgement, Crude, Paintbox, Mustang, and more.

What is Burning Spirits?

Burning Spirits is a subgenre* of hardcore punk that originated in Japan after 1988. It’s characterized by its fast hardcore punk beats and notably harsh vocals. Unique to its sound is an “uplifting” or “triumphant” tone, integrating NWOBHM-adjacent guitar solos and significant heavy metal influences. These compositions often feature soaring metal solos, melodramatic or uplifting chord progressions, singalong portions, and emphatic, harsh vocals.

The style traces its beginnings to Tokyo and is linked with the long-standing live event series, “Burning Spirits”, hosted at Shinjuku Anti Knock, a live music club in Tokyo that’s still active today. Key bands from this first wave of “Burning Spirits” shows include Tetsu Arrey (鉄アレイ), Death Side, and Bastard. Following the disbandment of Death Side (now they’ve reunited and play shows again), Chelsea (guitar) went on to form Paintbox, whereas other members like Ishiya (vocals) and You (bass) started the band Forward, and Muka (drums) shifted to Judgement.

The term “Burning Spirits” is derived from a quote by professional wrestler Bruiser Brody about Antonio Inoki during their tenure in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. This wrestling event took place on October 31, 1985, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo. The name was adopted following a discussion between Katsuta Tokuyuki from Tetsu Arrey and Ishiya from Death Side. The first Burning Spirits record is arguably Death Side’s 1988 debut EP Satisfy The Instinct.

A consistent theme in Burning Spirits is that of self-empowerment. This is often conveyed in an energetic and melodramatic style, evident in song titles like “Never Change”, “The Way to Survive” (Bastard), “I Live Just My Life”, “Never Say Die,” The Will Never Die,” “Profound Freedom” (Death Side), which capture the genre’s essence and align with the music’s core message.

*Note: While it is labeled as a subgenre in Western contexts to categorize different styles of hardcore punk, Burning Spirits is not recognized as a distinct subgenre in Japan. It’s part of the broader Japanese hardcore punk sound, sometimes referred to as Japacore or Japcore. It’s also important to distinguish between Burning Spirits and crust, as some sources inadvertently conflate the two. In Japan, the crust movement drew heavily from British bands like Doom and Extreme Noise Terror, charting a separate path from Burning Spirits. While early Burning Spirits bands might have been influenced by groups like Amebix and Antisect, the Japanese crust and d-beat realm is more closely tied to bands such as Gloom, Disclose, Battle of Disarm, Framtid, Life, and Contrast Attitude.

death-side-2018 — Death Side at Dead Rhythm 2018, Stockholm, Sweden. 📸 Michael D. Thorn

Historical Development

While initial sounds reminiscent of Burning Spirits can be identified in mid-1980s bands like Gudon and Poison (who later changed their name to Poison Arts), the genre solidified its identity in the late 1980s to early 1990s. Albums such as Death Side’s Bet On the Possibility (1991), Tetsu Arrey’s 鉄アレイ (1991), Bastard’s Wind of Pain (1992), and Judgement’s No Reason Why (1996) exemplify the genre’s essence. The music drew significant inspiration from heavy metal bands, with Iron Maiden and Motörhead frequently cited as comparisons, and also from British bands like Discharge, Amebix, Antisect, along with 1980s Japanese bands like Gauze, Zouo, The Comes, and The Execute.

In the mid-1990s, the impact of the Burning Spirits extended beyond Japan. Japanese bands associated with this style, such as Insane Youth and Bastard, influenced American bands in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Bands like Tragedy, World Burns To Death and From Ashes Rise adopted their epic, melodic-driven sound but infused with crust, d-beat and different forms of metal to solidify the foundations of Neocrust.

The heavy metal guitar solos emblematic of the genre were largely credited to guitarist Chelsea (Hiroyuki Kishida, 1967-2007). He showcased his prowess in iconic bands such as The Execute, Poison Arts, Death Side, and the remarkable Paintbox. Chelsea holds a legendary stature in the Burning Spirits genre, akin to Kawakami from Disclose’s prominence in the d-beat raw punk scene.

Emerging in the late 1990s, Paintbox carved a legacy as one of the most innovative hardcore punk bands. Across several EPs and three standout albums—Singing Shouting Crying (1999), Earth Ball Sports Tournament (2000), and Trip, Trance & Travelling (2009)—the band seamlessly blended elements of jazz, prog-rock, and psychedelia with the distinctively catchy and empowering guitar solos of Chelsea. This fusion birthed a sound that remains unparalleled in its uniqueness to this day.

Another prominent figure in the Burning Spirits scene who remains active is graphic designer and artist Sugi (real name Akihiko Sugimoto), who has drawn some of the most emblematic covers and merch designs for the Burning Spirits and the international hardcore punk and crust scenes.

Burning Spirits Bands

Prominent Japanese bands associated with the Burning Spirits scene: Tetsu Arrey, Death Side, Bastard, Insane Youth, Poison Arts, Forward, Judgement, Mustang, Ogreish Organism, Crude, Acute, Padlock, Organism, Paintbox, Warhead, Nightmare, Rapes, Colored Rice Men, Rocky & The Sweden, D.S.B., Messed Up, Confront, Without System, ジャバラ (Jabara), Think Again, ασσαυλτ (assault), etæ, Blowback, Juntess, 九狼吽 (Clown), Crossface, Mushizu, Illya, Soulcraft, Intention, and many more.
Non-Japanese Burning Spirits-style bands: Selfish (Finland), Burial (Germany), The Holy Mountain (US), Lifechain (US), Dirty Wombs (Greece), Nagasaki Sunrise (Portugal), Teargas (Australia), Crêam Söda (Australia), Infäme (Spain), Etacarinae (Spain), Violent City (France), Loud Night (US), Isotope (US), Haiboku (Mexico), Nervegas (Denmark), Kürøishi (Finland), Violent Spirit (Finland), G.A.Z.E. (Finland), Rashōmon (US), Nailbiter (UK), Itami 痛み (Portugal), and more.