[TadakatsuH0nda]

74

Artist: Sansuikan (Pre-Action!/Novela band)
Release: Demo
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
Country: Japan
Bitrate: 320 (cassette)
►Hidden Link
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The pre Action!/novela band Sansuikan's demo, probably the oldest Japanese metal demo ever made, released in the mid 1970s at some time, likely 1976 or 1977 update: it's 1978. I was hesitant to post this, the same with Black Hole's demo, because I've just been struggling for months to find solid info on this release.

It features three at the time future Action! songs as well as a fourth song that I can't identify after much time spent trying, perhaps it was exclusive to this release. This thing is an early/proto metal fans dream and is ridiculously metal, considering the time it came out. It's also much more synth heavy than the Action! versions of the songs. Just really damn cool overall. After Sansuikan broke up, some members of the band started Novela before creating Action! in the early 80s.

I'm unsure who made the original rip of this, but credit to them, whoever it was. It's way too precious to fade into oblivion.

I learned the second song's name, it's Ultra Ecstacy, so if you downloaded this before and the name is still unknown, re-title it please.
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Tracklist
1. Shower Time
2. Ultra Ecstacy
3. 100,000 Volt
4. Back Stage Queen

[jasonkont]

some info:
http://jpmetal.org/wiki/index.php/Sansuikan

[TadakatsuH0nda]

some info:
http://jpmetal.org/wiki/index.php/Sansuikan

I made that page lol. I appreciate it though.

[porosimetal]

Monumental!! I love bands like NOVELA, GERARD, TERU'S SYMPHONIA, TERRA ROSA, STARLESS, early BOW WOW and hearing all these musical elements in these demo tracks back in 1977 makes me drooling!! The compositions are great, the vocals very good and the guitar and keyboard work are extraordinary!! This guitar hero is like a cross of BRIAN MAY and R.BLACKMORE!! TACHI, mega thanx!!! Even with no infos at all, please upload such jewels!! Too precious to miss!! CHEERS YOU LOT!! porosimetal

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[Bill Rizer]

Yeah, this tape is great! Just to think that this one was recorded in 76/77 and has so close to early 80s metal sound. Off course, 70s metal/heavy rock sound is also here and many of it, and this is great too. Outstanding record for it's time for my knowledge.

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[TadakatsuH0nda]

Yeah, this one really blows my mind being so metal for its era, like what else was there at that same time in Japan that was even close to as heavy, Flower Travellin' Band and some Bow Wow, Ginbae too. Just a really cool little demo here.

[vaalkoth]

This Japanese band, Flied Egg, from 1972 has some rather heavy songs on it, like track #2.
I've shared it in the site: HERE

[Strappado]

Released 1978.

I updated the first post.

The demo's Romanized name is "Moetsukita Akumatachi", roughly translating to "Burning Demons".

Pre-Action!/Novela band. Sansuikan are among Japan's earliest metal bands. They released at least one demo tape in 1978 which contained a few songs that would later end up on various Action! releases. Other known Sansuikan songs included 青空のロックンロール, 天使と悪魔と夢, and 夜のハイウェイブギ, however it's unclear if these appeared on a demo tape. Sansuikan played two reunion shows in 2019. The first show was played on November 3 and the other on December 15.

More info at M-A: https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/% ... %A1/883372

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[TadakatsuH0nda]

The demo's Romanized name is "Moetsukita Akumatachi", roughly translating to "Burning Demons".

Pre-Action!/Novela band. Sansuikan are among Japan's earliest metal bands. They released at least one demo tape in 1978 which contained a few songs that would later end up on various Action! releases. Other known Sansuikan songs included 青空のロックンロール, 天使と悪魔と夢, and 夜のハイウェイブギ, however it's unclear if these appeared on a demo tape. Sansuikan played two reunion shows in 2019. The first show was played on November 3 and the other on December 15.

More info at M-A: https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/% ... %A1/883372

So funny enough, the place that photo came from was an old Japanese progressive rock book I have, written by Numero Ueno (big producer guy), and to my amazement he had that photo of the tape in the book, and a bit of info on it.

I had decided to research it a bit further eventually, and seeing some pages on Sansuikan's reunion shows from a couple years ago, at the shows they had a small display with one of the original demos on display, so as you can see it's the same tape as the rough photo from in the book:

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[berlinerabc]

Hi, I am a huge fan of NOVELA and first found this demo via youtube which was deleted now. 2 members of Sainsuikan joined NOVELA (which is a Hard-Prog Band as you J-Metal fans may very well know): 高橋良郎 Takahashi Yoshiro (Bass & Vo) and 山根基嗣 Yamane Mototsugu (Gt), both later left Novela to found Action!.

I am pretty sure the vocalist of the first 2 songs of this demo is not Yoshiro but Igarashi "Angie" Hisakatsu, he was in a similar band (a bit like Rainbow in my opinion) called SCHEHERAZADE at the time. Both bands were based around Kobe and Osaka area, both disbanded at the same time around Dec. 1978 to regroup as NOVELA with Angie still on lead vocal, there were 4 members from SCHEHERAZADE and 2 from Sansuikan.

From the information I get from Japanese websites, Angie also sung on some of the last shows of Sansuikan too.