From the beginning, Balzac was highly influenced by the sound and image of the famous horror punk band The Misfits and, especially during the very early years, Glenn Danzig's Samhain, adopting and combining the musical and visual style of both bands to create their own. To this day, they are considered by many to be the Japanese counterpart to The Misfits. Recently the band has put on a work consisting on a new sound created by them along Takeshi Ueda of The Mad Capsule Markets fame. This new sound was called "new digital horrorpunk sound" or just "digital horrorpunk" for short. It used elements of Balzac's classic sound plus an strong influence of digital hardcore, already found on a lesser degree on previous works.
The band often stays away from the "campy" horror lyrics and image found in most horror punk bands, as the lyrics by Hirosuke tend to be more like dark poetry and, though not always serious, deal with themes of darkness, loneliness and fear.
The band has gained a certain amount of recognition and exposure outside of their native country, where they are well known. Currently they have five official clothing brands (Shocker!!!, Dementia 13, Culture, XXXxxx and Balzac) with one store in Japan and one in Germany. They also have their own official record label called Evilegend 13 Records on which they have released EPs, singles and videos. Balzac is also well known for its toy releases, some created by the companies T.W.I.M. and SECRET BASE, its extensive discography with multiple singles, compilations, albums, EPs and musical side-projects such as Zodiac and The Deranged Mad Zombies.
The current lineup of the band consists of Hirosuke Nishiyama (vocals), Atsushi Nakagawa (guitar/chorus), Akio Imai (bass/chorus), and Takayuki Manabe (drums/digital effects/chorus). Musically the band has drawn from punk, pop and digital hardcore across their various releases.
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Legacy
Balzac Lyrics
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Oki zari ni sareta kodomo no kioku (The memory of my childhood left behind)
(Go go go go)
Hito ni mogirete wasureta genjitsu (The reality about to be forgotten)
(Among deadly human hypocrisy and degendracy)
(In my head)
(Legacy)
The lyrics to Balzac's song Legacy II explore the feelings of the singer towards the moral decay and hypocrisy in modern society. The opening lines, "Hypocrisy and degeneracy in my head," serve as an introduction to the song's central theme, which is the internal conflict that arises from being aware of these societal shortcomings. The second line, "The memory of my childhood left behind," suggests that the singer has lost touch with the innocence and purity of their youth as they've become more aware of these negative aspects of society. The lines "The reality about to be forgotten/Amon deadly human hypocrisy and degeneracy" further emphasize the disconnect between the singer and the society they see around them, which is overrun by these negative traits.
The repetition of the phrase "Legacy" throughout the song reinforces the idea that these societal traits are being passed down from generation to generation, symbolized by the "legacy" that is being created. The song's use of dark, brooding imagery and repetition of the word "darkness" suggest a sense of hopelessness and despair that is often associated with societal degradation. Whether the singer is expressing their own personal feelings or speaking on behalf of society as a whole, the lyrics of Legacy II are a profound reflection on the state of modern life.
Line by Line Meaning
Boku no atama no gizen to daraku
The hypocrisy and degeneracy within my mind.
Oki zari ni sareta kodomo no kioku
The memory of my childhood left abandoned.
Hito ni mogirete wasureta genjitsu
Being lost in the midst of human hypocrisy and depravity, forgetting about reality.
(Go go go go)
Repeating the act of escaping reality.
(Among deadly human hypocrisy and degendracy)
Being surrounded by a harmful environment with people leading hypocritical and immoral lives.
(In my head)
All while it's going on internally in my mind.
(Darkness)
The darkness that engulfs me.
(Legacy)
A persistent reminder of my past actions and life experiences.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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