THE STALIN

With a name like this one, it's obvious that the band has no intentions of topping the pop charts, and, indeed, the Stalin (spelled with an article until 1988) were the most famous and radical Japanese hardcore/punk band of the '80s, always ready to push the boundaries of provocation further from accepted norms. "The name Stalin is very hated by most people in Japan, so it is very good for our image," explained the band's mastermind Michiro Endo, who founded the Stalin in 1980. Endo, a Vietnam vet and a street singer, had experience living in the West, and a strong socialist s...