S.O.B. (band)
Encyclopedia
S.O.B., also known as SxOxBx, is an early, seminal hardcore punk
and grindcore
band from Japan
. Their band name is an acronym for abotage Organized Barbarian]. They have been called other names but this is the main one.
with British band Napalm Death
, who are pioneers of this genre with bands like Terrorizer
and Repulsion
.
In July 1989, S.O.B. met Napalm Death during a Japan
ese tour, and Napalm Death's members Shane Embury
and Lee Dorrian
played on the record Thrash Night, an EP released by Dorrian's label Rise Above
. In the same year, the band held a session for John Peel
's Radio program on BBC
.
Their album "Gate Of Doom" is S.O.B's most death metal influenced album, something not seen on any other S.O.B. albums. Influences on that album draw from many death-related artists like Morbid Angel
, Brutal Truth, Carcass
and later Napalm Death. Their older albums, like "Don't Be Swindle", shows completely different influences ranging from most notably Siege
, The Misfits, Black Flag
, Suicidal Tendencies
and many other hardcore rock related bands.
In June 1995, after the release of Vicious World, Tottsuan, the band's lead vocalist
, committed suicide
by jumping onto railroad tracks as a train was moving. Soon after, Kevin Sharp of Brutal Truth
took Tottsuan's place during live S.O.B. performances, but in 1996, the band announced that Tottsuan had been replaced by Naoto, bassist
of Rise from the Dead.
S.O.B.'s only U.S. performance was in July 1995 at the Irving Plaza
in New York City
.
A compilation album "Poison Junky" released around 1995 on Sony Records forayed S.O.B. into the mainstream.
The 1999 album "Dub Grind" was the only full length studio album to feature new singer Naoto. The album is also the first to present a much more experimental S.O.B., incorporating more sound effects than usual on an S.O.B. album as well as a more mainstream-friendly sound.
In 2003, S.O.B. made a comeback with the release of Still Grind Attitude and a series of re-recorded classics with their most current vocalist Itsushi. They still exist today but are only actively known in Japan.
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
and 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....
band from Japan
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...
. Their band name is an acronym for abotage Organized Barbarian]. They have been called other names but this is the main one.
Biography
S.O.B. are pioneers and precursors of grind-core and thrash-core. The group debuted in 1986 with the single Leave Me Alone. In 1990, S.O.B. found international recognition with their split 7" EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
with British band Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
, who are pioneers of this genre with bands like Terrorizer
Terrorizer
Terrorizer is an American grindcore and death metal band formed in 1986 in Los Angeles, California. After disbanding, its members gained recognition by playing in influential extreme metal bands, such as Morbid Angel , Napalm Death and Nausea...
and Repulsion
Repulsion (band)
Repulsion is an early grindcore / death metal band from Flint, Michigan. They have been called the "most influential grindcore band of all time".-History:...
.
In July 1989, S.O.B. met Napalm Death during a Japan
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 tour, and Napalm Death's members Shane Embury
Shane Embury
Shane Embury is a British bassist and member of Napalm Death.-Napalm Death:Embury is the only member left who has been in the band since the Scum tour, replacing previous bassist Jim Whitley in 1987...
and Lee Dorrian
Lee Dorrian
Lee Dorrian is a singer from Coventry, England. Originally the editor/publisher of the Cov punk fanzine "Committed Suicide" he then went on to be the singer and lyricist with Napalm Death and recorded one and a half albums with them, namely the second half of Scum and From Enslavement to...
played on the record Thrash Night, an EP released by Dorrian's label Rise Above
Rise Above Records
Rise Above Records is a London, England based independent record label owned by Lee Dorrian . It is named after a Napalm Death song from their EP Mentally Murdered. It was formed in the late 1980s and originally made to sell live releases by Napalm Death and S.O.B., but by 1991 had changed to cater...
. In the same year, the band held a session for John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
's Radio program on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
Their album "Gate Of Doom" is S.O.B's most death metal influenced album, something not seen on any other S.O.B. albums. Influences on that album draw from many death-related artists like Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida. UK music magazine Terrorizer ranked one Morbid Angel album in its “Top 40 greatest death metal albums”, with their 1989 debut Altars of Madness appearing at number 1...
, Brutal Truth, Carcass
Carcass (band)
Carcass are an extreme metal band from England, who formed in 1985 and disbanded in 1995. A reunion was enacted in 2008 without one of its original members, drummer Ken Owen, due to health reasons....
and later Napalm Death. Their older albums, like "Don't Be Swindle", shows completely different influences ranging from most notably Siege
Siege (band)
Siege was an American punk/Thrashcore band from Weymouth, Massachusetts. They were active in the 1980s Boston hardcore scene from 1983 to 1985, and reunited briefly in the early 1990s....
, The Misfits, Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
, Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
and many other hardcore rock related bands.
In June 1995, after the release of Vicious World, Tottsuan, the band's lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by jumping onto railroad tracks as a train was moving. Soon after, Kevin Sharp of Brutal Truth
Brutal Truth
Brutal Truth is an American grindcore band from New York City, formed by ex-Anthrax, Nuclear Assault, and Stormtroopers Of Death bass guitarist Dan Lilker in 1990. The group disbanded in 1999, but reformed in 2006 and continue to release new music.-History:...
took Tottsuan's place during live S.O.B. performances, but in 1996, the band announced that Tottsuan had been replaced by Naoto, bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
of Rise from the Dead.
S.O.B.'s only U.S. performance was in July 1995 at the Irving Plaza
Irving Plaza
Irving Plaza is a 1,200-person ballroom-style music venue at 17 Irving Place and East 15th Street in the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
A compilation album "Poison Junky" released around 1995 on Sony Records forayed S.O.B. into the mainstream.
The 1999 album "Dub Grind" was the only full length studio album to feature new singer Naoto. The album is also the first to present a much more experimental S.O.B., incorporating more sound effects than usual on an S.O.B. album as well as a more mainstream-friendly sound.
In 2003, S.O.B. made a comeback with the release of Still Grind Attitude and a series of re-recorded classics with their most current vocalist Itsushi. They still exist today but are only actively known in Japan.
Current members
- Oooga Booga - President
- Oseki - Vice President
- Trout Sniffer - Treasurer
- Yasue - Manager
- KTM SX125 - Assistant
Former members
- Yoshitomo "Tottsuan" Suzuki - (Committed suicideSuicideSuicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in 1995) - Naoto -(1985–1989), (1996–2000)
Albums
- Don't Be Swindle (1987) Toy's Factory
- What's The Truth (1990) Rise Above RecordsRise Above RecordsRise Above Records is a London, England based independent record label owned by Lee Dorrian . It is named after a Napalm Death song from their EP Mentally Murdered. It was formed in the late 1980s and originally made to sell live releases by Napalm Death and S.O.B., but by 1991 had changed to cater...
(Europe), Selfish Records (Japan) - Gate Of Doom (1993) Toy's Factory
- Vicious World (1994) Toy's Factory
- Dub Grind (1999) Specialized Affect
- Still Grind Attitude (2003) Toshiba-EMIToshiba-EMI(formerly , is one of Japan's leading music companies. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of British music company EMI Group Ltd. in June 30, 2007 after Toshiba sold off its previous 45% stake. The current CEO and president is San-e Ichii. When EMI Music Japan was trading as Toshiba-EMI, it was...