Japanese metal luminaries Boris have announced an ongoing archival series, culling various rare and out-of-print releases from the band’s past. The first iteration, the six-part Archive series, is set to drop Friday (August 7th) via Boris’ Bandcamp page.
The first three volumes of Archive were originally released in a limited CD run in 2005. They sold out almost instantly, eventually being reissued in 2014 as Archive I≈ (Vol. 1, 2, & 3). Again, the limited CD run of 1,000 disappeared immediately, consumed by Boris’ collector-centric fanbase.
Also in 2014, Boris expanded the set to include Archive II (Vol. 4, 5, & 0) — three additional discs of early tape demos tape recordings and previously unreleased live recordings spanning 2002’s Heavy Rocks through 2005’s PINK.
Both Archive I and II are being posted on Bandcamp for the series’ first wave of rare releases. For fans, the set is an essential document of early Boris live, including many of their drone doom epics ala “flood”.
Among the live recordings are career highlights like Vol. 4‘s “Evil Stack Live” set, originally “broadcast on Japanese government-owned radio” in 2003; the 1997 “Drumless Shows” on Vol. 2; and Vol. 0‘s “Early Demo”, showcasing a young, scrappy Boris in 1993.
Lately, Boris have taken their career into their own hands. The band released their excellent new album NO earlier this year on Bandcamp, without the support of a label. The strategy must have worked out, as they’ve employed a similar model for the archival series.
Archive will arrive Friday via Boris’ Bandcamp page. Listen to the previously released drumless version of “Mosquito” below.
