Relapse Records announces new LP and reissues from Rocky & The Sweden
On January 23, Relapse Records releases Punks Pot Head, the third full-length studio album by Tokyo-based hardcore group ROCKY & THE SWEDEN. The release coincides with the band’s thirtieth year of activity and follows the 2019 LP City Baby Attacked By Buds.
Artist: ROCKY & THE SWEDEN
Release Date: 2026-01-23
Genres: Hardcore, Punk Rock
Label: Relapse Records
Description: Relapse Records releases Punks Pot Head by Tokyo hardcore band Rocky & The Sweden on January 23, alongside a series of archival catalog reissues.
The album consists of eleven tracks, including “THC,” “Chain Smoke,” and “Rub The Magic Bong.” Musically, the recordings maintain the fast-tempo hardcore punk template the band established in the mid-1990s. Alongside the new material, Relapse Records is reissuing several titles from the group’s back catalog: the 1998 debut album Total Hard Core, the 2000 follow-up God Save the Green, and a compilation titled Early Years Singles Collection 1997–1999. The latter collects tracks from out-of-print 7-inch vinyl releases.
The current lineup of ROCKY & THE SWEDEN features vocalist ROCKY, bassist TAKESHI SWEDEN, drummer MASAAKI “KOBA” SWEDEN, and guitarist S-PARK SWEDEN.
ROCKY & THE SWEDEN formed in 1996 in Tokyo. The founding members were ROCKY, formerly of OUT BREAKERS, and TAKESHI SWEDEN, who had previously played in IDORA and SCUM BACK. They were joined by drummer MASAAKI “KOBA” SWEDEN, a veteran of the Japanese hardcore scene known for his work in SYSTEMATIC DEATH and BASTARD. Early recordings featured guitarists KENGO SWEDEN and SUKEKIYO SWEDEN. After releasing two albums and a mini-album, 844, the group entered a period of dormancy in 2005. They resumed live performances in 2013 and officially relaunched in 2016. Subsequent lineups included guitarists KAZUKI SWEDEN (VIVI SICK) and IGA SWEDEN (LIQUID). The current guitarist, S-PARK SWEDEN, joined from the band IRIE BOYS. Throughout their discography, the band has maintained a thematic focus on cannabis, utilizing green-toned aesthetics and specific terminology in their song titles and artwork.
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