Corrupted (band)
Encyclopedia
Corrupted are a Japan
ese doom
/sludge metal
band. They are known for their antipathy towards mainstream acceptance, even in their subgenre, which naturally tends towards obscurity. This is reflected not only in their dark and oppressive musical style but their reclusive nature, avoiding interviews and publicity photo shoots. Despite their lack of media exposure they have recorded prolifically throughout their career, including numerous split album
s with many artists and perform regularly in Japan and occasionally abroad, twice to the United States.
. The vocals are harsh, guttural growls
, and the music alternates between long instrumental sections and sections with vocals which go for long periods of time without rest. They have been described by one writer as "some of the heaviest, gloomiest doom/sludge around, distinctly cacophonous, layering feedback pulverizing progressions into a distinctly cacophonous rumble." However, they sometimes have long acoustic sections, spoken-word interludes, and other breaks in the style and even other instruments, as on their most recent album El mundo frio
, a 72-minute song which contains extensive sections of harp
. As another writer notes, "Right when you think you can peg Corrupted as an all Doom band they release a lush acoustic set within their bleak musical landscape." To this effect, they recently added a keyboardist, Takehito Miyagi, to their lineup, which had previously consisted only of guitar, bass, drums and vocals.
Corrupted has a few idiosyncrasies. Though they are from Japan and their members (including lyricist/drummer Chew Hasegawa) on most releases are all Japanese, they sing almost exclusively in Spanish
, though some songs contain sections in Japanese
or English
. In addition, the band has never taken promotional pictures nor do any of the albums contain group photos. The only known existing photographs are taken by fans at concerts. The band also never does interviews. Corrupted's albums typically contain extensive liner notes
in the form of bleak black-and-white photographs, often real-life scenes of war-torn areas or other depictions of human suffering.
Much of Corrupted's discography appears on split album
s, which they share with other doom metal bands or often with grindcore
bands. The band is known for its ability to produce songs of virtually any length; their longest album El mundo frio consists of a single song substantially longer than an hour, while their shortest song, "Reset", recorded for a homeless benefit compilation, lasts less than two minutes.
In 2009, Terrorizer
chose Corrupted's 1997 album Paso inferior
as the seventeenth-best sludge album. As they put it,
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese doom
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
/sludge metal
Sludge metal
Sludge metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that melds elements of doom metal and hardcore punk, and sometimes incorporates influences from southern rock, stoner rock and grunge. Sludge metal is typically abrasive; often featuring shouted vocals, heavily distorted instruments and sharply contrasting...
band. They are known for their antipathy towards mainstream acceptance, even in their subgenre, which naturally tends towards obscurity. This is reflected not only in their dark and oppressive musical style but their reclusive nature, avoiding interviews and publicity photo shoots. Despite their lack of media exposure they have recorded prolifically throughout their career, including numerous split album
Split album
A split album is a music album which includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There have been singles and EPs released in the same nature, which can be referred to as split singles and split EPs respectively...
s with many artists and perform regularly in Japan and occasionally abroad, twice to the United States.
Musical style
The band's sound is characterized by down-tuned guitars and bass playing slow, monotonous riffs under deep layers of feedbackFeedback
Feedback describes the situation when output from an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or occurrences of the same Feedback describes the situation when output from (or information about the result of) an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or...
. The vocals are harsh, guttural growls
Death growl
A death growl, also known as death metal vocals, guttural vocals, death grunts, and harsh vocals among other names, is a vocalisation style usually employed by vocalists of the death metal and black metal music genre, but also used in a variety of heavy metal and hardcore punk subgenres.Death...
, and the music alternates between long instrumental sections and sections with vocals which go for long periods of time without rest. They have been described by one writer as "some of the heaviest, gloomiest doom/sludge around, distinctly cacophonous, layering feedback pulverizing progressions into a distinctly cacophonous rumble." However, they sometimes have long acoustic sections, spoken-word interludes, and other breaks in the style and even other instruments, as on their most recent album El mundo frio
El mundo frio
El mundo frio is the fourth full-length studio album by Japanese doom metal band Corrupted. The album consists of a single, continuous piece of music...
, a 72-minute song which contains extensive sections of harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
. As another writer notes, "Right when you think you can peg Corrupted as an all Doom band they release a lush acoustic set within their bleak musical landscape." To this effect, they recently added a keyboardist, Takehito Miyagi, to their lineup, which had previously consisted only of guitar, bass, drums and vocals.
Corrupted has a few idiosyncrasies. Though they are from Japan and their members (including lyricist/drummer Chew Hasegawa) on most releases are all Japanese, they sing almost exclusively in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, though some songs contain sections in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
or English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. In addition, the band has never taken promotional pictures nor do any of the albums contain group photos. The only known existing photographs are taken by fans at concerts. The band also never does interviews. Corrupted's albums typically contain extensive liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
in the form of bleak black-and-white photographs, often real-life scenes of war-torn areas or other depictions of human suffering.
Much of Corrupted's discography appears on split album
Split album
A split album is a music album which includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There have been singles and EPs released in the same nature, which can be referred to as split singles and split EPs respectively...
s, which they share with other doom metal bands or often with grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
bands. The band is known for its ability to produce songs of virtually any length; their longest album El mundo frio consists of a single song substantially longer than an hour, while their shortest song, "Reset", recorded for a homeless benefit compilation, lasts less than two minutes.
In 2009, Terrorizer
Terrorizer Magazine
Terrorizer is an extreme music magazine published by Dark Arts Ltd. in the United Kingdom. It is released every four weeks with thirteen issues a year and features a 'Fear Candy' covermount CD, a twice yearly 'Fear Candy Unsigned' CD, and a double-sided poster.-1993:Terrorizer published its first...
chose Corrupted's 1997 album Paso inferior
Paso inferior
Paso inferior is the first full-length studio album by Japanese doom metal band Corrupted. The album is a single track which is approximately 42 minutes long.The album was originally released on CD by Corrupted's own label Frigidity Discos...
as the seventeenth-best sludge album. As they put it,
Interviews
This is a statement from the band in relation to interviews:Albums
- Paso inferiorPaso inferiorPaso inferior is the first full-length studio album by Japanese doom metal band Corrupted. The album is a single track which is approximately 42 minutes long.The album was originally released on CD by Corrupted's own label Frigidity Discos...
(1997, Frigidity Discos) - Llenandose de gusanosLlenandose de gusanosLlenandose de gusanos is the second full-length studio album by Japanese doom metal band Corrupted. The album comprises two CDs, each containing only one track...
(1999, HG Fact) - Se hace por los suenos asesinosSe hace por los suenos asesinosSe hace por los suenos asesinos is the third full-length studio album by Japanese doom metal band Corrupted. It was released on January 17, 2004 on vinyl limited to 1000 copies, and again on April 16, 2004 on limited-edition CD....
(2004, HG Fact) - El mundo frioEl mundo frioEl mundo frio is the fourth full-length studio album by Japanese doom metal band Corrupted. The album consists of a single, continuous piece of music...
(2005, HG Fact) - Garten der Unbewusstheit (2011, Nostalgia Blackrain)
EPs
- AncianoAncianoAnciano is an EP by the Japanese doom metal band Corrupted. Because the Spanish phrase "Horrible: El Tren Lo Partio En Dos!" appears on the cover, that phrase is often mistaken to be the title of the EP. The album was pressed four times, the last two times of which included a different color...
(1995, Japan Overseas) - El dios queja (1995, Tag Rag)
- Nadie (1995, Third Culture)
- Dios injusto (1999, Frigidity Discos)
Singles
- "La victima es tu mismo" (2001, View Beyond Records)
- "Vasana" (2007, HG Fact)
- "An Island Insane" (2007, HG Fact)
Splits
- with GriefGrief (band)-Biography:Grief was founded in 1991 by Disrupt guitarist Terry Savastano and drummer Randy Odierno . They broke up in 2001 mainly due to drummer problems - something that was an ongoing problem for the band from the start. They also cited what they called a "hostile environment for doom metal bands"...
(1995), HG Fact) - with Black Army JacketBlack Army JacketBlack Army Jacket was an American grindcore / power violence band. They released one full length album and many 7" EPs, splits and compilation appearances...
(1997, Frigidity Discos) - with Enemy Soil (1997, HG Fact)
- with Noothgrush (1997, Reservoir)
- with Scarver's Calling (1999, Gouge Records)
- with PhobiaPhobia (band)Phobia is a Grindcore band from Orange County, California. The band was formed in 1990 and is heavily influenced by crust punk and grindcore. Their lyrical content focuses mainly on socio-political issues and left-wing politics.- History :...
(1999, Rhetoric Records / Deaf American Recordings) - with Meat Slave (2000, HG Fact)
- with MachetazoMachetazoMachetazo is a grindcore/goregrind band from La Coruña, Spain formed in 1994. They are one of the few surviving bands in the Spanish underground extreme music scene of the nineties.-History:...
(2000, Frigidity Records) - with SlothSlothSloths are the six species of medium-sized mammals belonging to the families Megalonychidae and Bradypodidae , part of the order Pilosa and therefore related to armadillos and anteaters, which sport a similar set of specialized claws.They are arboreal residents of the jungles of Central and South...
(2000, self-released) - with Discordance AxisDiscordance AxisDiscordance Axis was a grindcore band from East Brunswick, New Jersey.-Biography:Frontman Jon Chang on the history of the band:"Discordance Axis was a three piece grind core band that started in NJ around 1992. The band started after myself and Rob's previous band disintegrated and we found Da5e at...
and 324 (2001, HG Fact) - with Cripple BastardsCripple BastardsCripple Bastards is a grindcore band from Asti, Italy. They were formed in 1988 in order to keep their area on the hardcore map as most of the other bands around them were breaking up....
(2002, HG Fact) - with Infaust (2002, Blind Date)
Compilation appearances
- Raggle Taggle (1996, Tag Rag)
- Una de gato cuerno de vaca (1996, Tee Pee Records)
- Painkiller vol. 1 (1996, Devastating Soundworks)
- Reality #3 (1999, Deep Six Records)
- Homeless Benefit EP (1999, Bad Card Records)
- Twin Threat to Your Sanity (2001, Bad People Records)
Members
- Chew Hasegawa – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Mark Yokota – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Ippei Suda – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Taiki – vocals
Previous members
- Hevi – vocals, bass guitar
- Talbot – guitar
- Anri – harpHarpThe harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
on El mundo frio - Takehito Miyagi – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(studio-only) - Shibata – bass guitar
- Jose – bass guitar
- Lowell Isles – bass guitar
- Katsumi Hiryu – bass guitar
- Monger – bass guitar
External links
- Official website
- http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=17630Corrupted on Encyclopaedia MetallumEncyclopaedia MetallumEncyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives is a website which lists bands from various forms of heavy metal music...
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