About Bloodthirsty Butchers

Bloodthirsty Butchers are a Japanese rock band formed in 1987 consisting of Yoshimura Hideki, Imoriya Takeshi, Komatsu Masahiro, and Tabuchi Hisako. Formed by high school classmates Yoshimura and Imoriya, Komatsu joined the group when the original drummer left shortly after the band's formation. After finding acclaim in the Sapporo punk scene, the band left for Tokyo along with many others in search of greater success. Their first three albums were characterized by Yoshimura's haphazard guitar playing, aggressive shouting and expansive, wandering song structures. The group attracted the attention of foreign acts such as Fugazi and Rage Against The Machine, and played several shows in the US around Olympia, Washington and Los Angeles as well as releasing a split EP with Rocket from the Crypt. Their 1996 release Kocorono showed the band evolving into a more nuanced style of alternative rock, and attracted widespread critical acclaim. With the release of Mikansei in 1999, Bloodthirsty Butchers became established as one of the Japanese indie scene's most important acts along with artists such as eastern youth and NUMBER GIRL, despite a lack of commercial success. On the 2001 album Yamane, the Butchers explored more melancholic sounds and extended songs showcasing the group's improvisational abilities. 2003's album Kouya ni Okeru Bloodthirsty Butchers featured collaborations with former Number Girl members Mukai Shutoku, Ahito Inazawa, and Tabuchi Hisako. Yoshimura invited Tabuchi on several tour dates as a guest member, and she joined the band full-time as a guitarist and backing vocalist shortly afterward. Since the 2004 release Birdy, Bloodthirsty Butchers have focused on shorter songs that combine the aggression of their early material with melodic sounds and tighter song structures. In 2010, the band released No Album Mudai and an expanded reissue of Kocorono. Acclaimed filmmaker Kawaguchi Jun directed Kocorono The Documentary, which was released on DVD in 2011. A film exploring the band's history and their present-day struggles to find success, it features live footage and interviews with the band members as well as members of groups such as eastern youth, BEAT CRUSADERS, Beyonds, Husking Bee, and others. Despite financial troubles, Bloodthirsty Butchers continued to tour across Japan and maintain an active online presence.