‘Shake off future, Truth is now, Shake off past, Cry for the truth’ (Cry For The Truth)

Death Side are a Tokyo hardcore band that was initially active between 1983 and 1995.  They were at the forefront of the Burning Spirits movement that emerged in Japan during that period.  This connection has proven so powerful that their own name has become shorthand for the blending of harsh vocals and surging hardcore punk rhythms with soaring NWOBHM inspired leads and a notable sense of triumphant melodicism that defines that sound.

This reissue brings together all of Death Side’s non-LP output into a 40-track compilation.  It spans the band’s three 7-inch releases – 1988’s Satisfy The Instinct together with 1994’s The Will Never Die and All Is Here Now – and their 1993 split LP with Chaos UK, plus their multiple multi-track compilation contributions released between 1988 and 1991.  It vividly captures the band’s evolution from their rawest early iterations to their more muscular later expressions.

This project has clearly been a labour of love for La Vida Es Un Mus and includes a beautifully designed lyric booklet that is crammed with flyers, live photos, and artwork from the original releases.  Death Side members went on to play in Paintbox, Forward, and Judgement, before reforming for occasional live performances in 2015.  This reissue is dedicated to the band’s original guitarist, Chelsea, who died in 2007.