The Stalin

A punk band from Fukushima, Japan, The Stalin was formed by frontman and social activist Michiro Endo in 1980. The band's original lineup also included guitarist Atsushi Kaneko, bassist Shintaro Sugiyama, and drummer Jun Inui. "Dendou Kokesh," The Stalin's debut single, was released in September 1980, followed by the Stalinism EP one year later. Now featuring a slightly revised lineup, The Stalin released the independent album Trash in 1981, appeared in the Japanese film Burst City in 1982, and released the major-label debut album Stop Jap several months later. 1983's Mushi, 1984's Fish Inn, and 1985's For Never - Last Live followed. The group split up after For Never - Last Live's release, then reunited in 1989 under the revised name of "Stalin." Four studio albums — 1989's Joy, 1989's Stalin, 1990's Sakkin Barricade, and 1992's Kiseki no Hito — were released before Endo dissolved the group once again in 1993. Although The Stalin never officially reformed after 1993, Michiro Endo performed sporadically with his former bandmates during the early 21st century, and the group released a handful of remixed albums, compilations, and live recordings. These included 2007's Stop Jap Naked, 2019's Stalinism Naked, 2020's Buta ni Shinju ~Live at Yokohama Kokuritsu Daigaku 1980.11, and 2023's 首だけアツレキ (which reached Number 70 on Japan's Top 100 Albums chart).

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