EZO?

I tried search-functioning this band's name but came up empty, so if there's already a thread on'em, I apologize. Any fans of this Japanese band (formerly known as "Flatbacker")?

I'm listening to their second and last album, FIRE FIRE (1989), right now and it's pretty killer stuff. I wasn't that crazy about their self titled debut from '87 (it has a few decent songs but is nowhere near as solid as the second album), though I like the track "Here It Comes" a lot. They certainly were a weird looking bunch, their look was kinda like a mesh of kabuki (traditional Japanese theatre using makeup) and KISS... (Gene Simmons produced their first album so I wonder how much input he had into their image?) Their look was a little more "street" on FIRE FIRE, presumably because the alien/transvestite fashions they were sportin' on the debut album probably scared off more than a few record buyers.

EZO vocalist Masaki Yamada eventually joined Loudness for a few years in the early 90s and I believe several other ex-EZO dudes joined him there over the next couple of albums. The only Loudness album Masaki sang on that I liked was the self-titled from 1992 though. They got a little too experimental and weird for me after that one.

Some video evidence:

"Million Miles Away"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1-srfxdX3Q

"Flashback Heart Attack"


"Here It Comes"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8YsRkSgaz0

Definitely not as accessible a band as Loudness was, but a good band that had alot of potential. If they put out another album I think they would have found their direction. But for the most part I thought they were a little undisciplined.

spectrefate wrote:

Definitely not as accessible a band as Loudness was, but a good band that had alot of potential. If they put out another album I think they would have found their direction. But for the most part I thought they were a little undisciplined.

Agreed, the debut is kinda all over the place, more "style" than "substance," but FIRE FIRE was a very promising disc.

I have E-Z-O two albums, the first one on vinyl and the second one "Fire Fire" on CD, and I agree with both Specs and your view that they were somewhat undisciplined, but great band. I honestly only bought their first album in 1988 due to Gene Simmons production credit but it is a great album.

I prefer their self titled album over " Fire Fire" , " Kiss of Fire", "Big Changes" " House of a Thousand Pleasures' should have all become hits, great melodic metal.

I like them, but don't own anything. House of 1000 pleasures is a sick song!

Fire Fire is a great disc! I really thought they would have taken off after that release.

I break out Fire Fire every once in awhile. When I'm having an Asian-Metal-feeling kind of day.

I've got the self-titled on vinyl, I found it in the back of a trance record store. I agree that their stuff isn't as acessable as Loudness, but a good band none the less.

I saw them on the tour for their first Album... The Stone in San Francisco. There were probably 80 people there and they were great. Got to meet 'em after the show and they were cool guys.

Full makeup and everything.

FlashBack Heart Attack indeed !!!!

I have both their releases on cd and think they're great. I bought their first release on cassette as a new release after seeing the video for Flashback Heart Attack.For some reason,I didn't but Fire Fire until recently and like it even better than the debut.Love Junkie and Fire Fire are probably my 2 favorite songs on Fire Fire. Flashback Heart Attack and Here It Comes are the best 2 of the self titled debut. Has anyone ever heard any Flatbacker ? I've read those releases were a bit different from the EZO stuff.

007 wrote:

Has anyone ever heard any Flatbacker ? I've read those releases were a bit different from the EZO stuff.

Never heard the Flatbacker stuff but I'm told it's quite similar to the EZO material, just not as well produced.
When they signed to Geffen they were still called "Flatbacker" but someone in the label's camp (or possibly Gene Simmons, who produced the first album) suggested a name change because nobody knew what a "Flatbacker" was. Apparently it's a Revolutionary War-era expression for a prostitute, the band didn't know that it was so out of date. The name "EZO" came from the Japanese word for the band's home area.