Ezo

EZO is a Japanese heavy metal band, from Sapporo. Active during the 1980s, the band initially formed in 1982 under the name Fratvacker, then Flatbacker, before changing to EZO. They split up in 1990. The band was formed in 1982 under the name Fratvacker, releasing a demo EP in 1984. It signed in 1985 to the Victor Entertainment label, and released two albums in 1985 and 1986 under the name Flatbacker, before changing labels. In 1987, the members of Flatbacker moved to the United States, changing label and name to E・Z・O (EZO), phonetically the old name of their native region Hokkaidō (formerly Eizo). The band released two more albums in English on the American label Geffen Records in 1987 and 1989, the first being produced by Gene Simmons of Kiss, before splitting up in 1990. Their album EZO (1987) reached number 150 on the American charts.