Ganbaru

“Ganbaru (lit., stand firm), is a ubiquitous Japanese word which roughly means to slog on tenaciously through tough times. Often translated to mean “doing one’s best”, but in practice, it means doing more than one’s best. The word emphasizes “working with perseverance” or “toughing it out.” Ganbaru means “to commit oneself fully to a task and to bring that task to an end.” It can be translated to mean persistence, tenacity, doggedness and hard work.” If there is one band that would embody the ‘never say die’ attitude that the Japanese word GANBARU evokes, it would be the Melbourne, Australia melodic hardcore band of the same name. In the past 2 years since their last release, GANBARU have been tested on every level. Be it legal challenges, tour car crashes, member changes and multitudes of other setbacks, GANBARU have never come close to throwing in the towel. In fact, GANBARU have tackled every obstacle head on, and have used every set back as fuel to create their debut album “Declaration,” an album that takes the listener on a journey of up’s and downs, reflective of the circumstances that have confronted the group on the road to the albums creation. After 4 productive years performing nationwide under the name ‘DECLARATION,’ which saw countless shows, tours, and two EP’s (2011’s Searching for the Answers and 2012’s Before It’s Too Late), the band was rocked in 2014 when they were challenged legally by an overseas act of the same name. Following 2 months of negotiations, emails, phone calls and threats, the band decided that the best course of action to move forward was to move away from the past under a new name. A task far easier said than done, the band was forced to look inward at what makes them tick at the core, what direction they were heading creatively, what they stand for and who they are as a collective. Only one word seemed cover all these bases, thus, GANBARU was born. GANBARU took the soul searching and self-analysis learned from the renaming process on board, and laid everything bare as they entered Legion Studio’s to create an album worthy of living up to the meaning and spirit of the new name. In a different approach to previous recordings, GANBARU pushed themselves to the absolute limit in order to realize new expectations. The drums had to be bigger, the guitars crunchier, bass more emotive and the vocals more visceral. With producer Julian Renzo (Jack The Stripper, Confession) pulling the strings, the band was tested at every turn and encouraged to dig deeper than ever before. GANBARU has gone big in every aspect to capture this album, and this has been achieved by working with the very best personnel they could find. Alongside Renzo’s overall production, mixing duties were handled by Cameron Webb (Pennywise, Ignite, Motorhead, Megadeth) who delivered his renowned clear yet crushing sound, while leaving mastering godfather Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, Rancid, Public Enemy, Metallica) to finish off the production as only he can. The result is 13 hard hitting tracks of punchy melodic hardcore. Titled ‘Declaration’ both in reference and reverence to the bands previous name. GANBARU have produced an album that more than holds it’s own. Fast, fun and full of heart, ‘Declaration’ ebb’s and flows from the outset until the final chord rings out. Rapid fire riffing collides with hook laden melody lines, while bouncing rhythm’s are enforced with harsh vocals screaming lyrics of positivity and social awareness. The trademark GANBARU crew shout’s and sing-alongs are plentiful, the delivery honest and passion undeniable. In ‘Declaration’, GANBARU have conceived an album that is a full body of work to stand the test of time. Melbourne Hardcore since 2010