RAJAS - JAPAN

Turn It Up – 1985 – Sounds Marketing System
Precious Time ~忘れてはいけない時間~ - 2003 - Allex

Rajas image
  
 
Members
Vocals
Sweet Vein>>MORIKAWA "SEN" KUNIKO>>Sweet Vein

Guitar
Zodiac>>Yamamoto Kōichi – Jango, Sweet Vein>>GOTO "AKKUN" AKIHIRO>>Jango, Sweet Vein

Bass
Dead End>>Masumoto "Crazy-Cool-Joe" Tadashi>>Dead End , Groove Master – Gang Land, Minak With Wild Cats, Betty Blue, Liquid Brains>>Kawauchi "Non" Noriko>>Gang Land, Minako With Wild Cats, Betty Blue, Liquid Brains, Black Yak., Viral Rumor

Drum
X-Ray, Ebony Eyes Excellent, Queen Doll, Rising Door, Soo Bacchic, 成田☆一家, Uriah Beep, Narita Family>>FUKUMURA "BABA-CHAN" TAKASHI>>Ebony Eyes Excellent, Queen Doll, Rising Door, Soo Bacchic, 成田☆一家, Narita Family




History & Biography
Kyoto is better known for temples and confectionary than heavy metal, but that is where the hard rockers came together in 1980. They were together for seven years having managed one album. It goes without saying that they returned in 2002 and stuck around a while.

The female fronted group played in Osaka at the Jumping Live event at a hall on the grounds of Osaka Castle alongside Hurry Scuary, 44 Magnum, Presence (who would gain Rajas’ guitarist Shirota Kazuhide later), Marino and others in 1983. The band was heard first on a compilation called Battle Of Metal before the Rajas EP of 1984, which also kicked off the pattern of depicting sexy women on the records’ covers. The band used a logo akin to Ratt’s at this time, but would change the design more than once along the way. A European version of this was also issued with a different cover. The group played at the Grand Metal Live 5th Japan Heavy Metal Fantasy festival in Osaka in 1984. Also on the bill was 44Magnum, X-Ray, Marino, Action, openers Arouge and Misako Honjo. Drummer Sawamura and bassist Usui had already departed. The latter was the band’s founder alongside singer Morikawa. The group would continue to lose bassists annually. Yet another 1985 EP was Play The Game, which featured several live tracks as well. Rajas played at the Japan Heavy Metal Festival in 1985. The EPs sandwiched the band’s full-length, which featured new bassist Kawauchi. The group toured Japan in 1986, but simultaneously found itself without a deal. The band issued a demo called What's in 1986 the answer to which was ‘nothing’ as the band bit the dust.

The obligatory compilation preceded the band’s reformation and the 2002 demo, 遊行 Yougyou. The band’s formation happened in conjunction with an appearance at the Hard Rock Summit 2.

The band issued a 2003 Live Tour DVD and proceeded to the second album. Rajas and Earthshaker had a Rajas Vs. Earthshaker split release before the Mother Of The Earth demo and live tour demo of the said record. Believe was a 2014 demo and featured new guitarist Endo Kosuke.

Kawauchi and Yamamoto are a couple. Kawauchi was in Betty Blue in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, which was a fictitious pop band on a TV serial called Magical Road that turned into a bona fide act.


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