BALZAC

Balzac is a Japanese punk rock band formed in 1992 in Kyoto. The band was founded by singer and songwriter Hirosuke Nishiyama, who has remained the only constant member of the band since its creation. Since the beginning, Balzac was highly influenced by the sound and image of the American horror punk band 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. Balzac's lyrics, though not always serious in tone, often deal with themes of darkness, loneliness and fear. Balzac 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 with one store in Japan, plus three online stores. 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, and its extensive discography and side-projects. The current lineup of the band consists of Hirosuke Nishiyama, Atsushi Nakagawa and Akio Imai. From Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balzac_...) under Creative Commons Attribution CC-BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)