Get ready to bust out your wallet and clear some room on your book shelf. The fifth full-length album 予襲復讐 ("Yoshu Fukushu") from Maximum the Hormone is due out July 31st. This is super exciting for fans, not only because it's their first album since 2007, but also because according to the CD Japan listing, it comes with a 156 page book that includes a five chapter manga! There is also commentary from guitarist/singer Ryo for each of the 15 songs. (It should be noted that the track list includes 4 songs from the two eps released since the last album, so this isn't entirely new material.) This is going to be a must-have for die hard fans (hello!), that's for sure.
This was a nice thing to wake up to. A new AMAZING video for the song "え・い・り・あ・ん" ("Alien") from Maximum the Hormone! After what seems like an eternity (their last full-length album was Buiikikaesu in 2007), the band is back with a new album due out in July (if I'm reading the end of the video correctly).
I think this song gives even the likes of Mike Patton a run for his money with its wide ranging vocal gymnastics. It. Is. INSANE. What starts off as a simple hardcore punk performance style affair soon goes off the rails into their usual visual madness, complete with CGI third heads and limbs. Then it slams into a soft-rock pop song (not new for MtH) complete with pretty girls and children in animal costumes, while the band pleads to listeners to "Stop Winny upload." The "Winny" here is a Japanese P2P network. And no, the irony is not lost on me. :)
Overall, this is exactly what I love about Maximum the Hormone. Brutal hardcore metal and a giant sense of humor.
NOTE: Looks like the low-quality of the (original) upload might be a result of the video being released only online. According to the band's official English site, you have to "search out" the video by clicking through a very long list of possible locations on the web. The video will only be available until June 6th, 2013.
There is a new BABYMETAL single out and all is right with the world.
FUN FACT (DID YOU KNOW?): All the members of BABYMETAL have the name metal in their, er, name? It's true: Suzuka (SU-METAL), Yui (YUIMETAL) and Moa (MOAMETAL).
Dear Gods of the Great Head-o-bang! Please! Here my plea! Bestow unto me your Sacred Neck Brace so that I, your mortal servant, may continue to bang my head long after my unworthy neck muscles have slackened and withered. Grant me the power to headbang long into the night, my hair tracing your sacred symbols in the air, my limbs beckoning others into your glorious mosh pits. HEAR ME, OH GREAT ONES!
HEAD O BANG!
HEAD O BANG!
HEAD O BANG!
HEAD O BANG!
HEAD O BANG!
HEAD O BANG!
BANG! BANG! BA BANG!
New Gackt video! Now, I'm something of an unapologetic Gackt fan-boy. I know a lot of his stuff it crap, but what can I say? I like it.
With that in mind, here's the new video for "Ever." If someone totally unaware of his previous years of material were to see this, they might think it was a metal band's parody of modern pop idols. In this, a boy runs into a concert hall where the band is playing a pretty intense metal song. He seems to really want to see what's going on inside, but "the man" is keeping him out. Once inside, he's mesmerized by what he sees.
The singer (Gackt) is high up on a platform in center-stage posing with a silly hat and shaking like Ricky Martin. He's got Adam Lambert hair and make-up. The song has a hook that might fit in a more down-tempo party jam, even complete with a few horn stabs, but really it's all heavy metal, just super over the top and upbeat. It ends with the kid getting close to the stage, Gackt throwing an amp, and everything disappearing. The video surveillance that's been folowing the action turns out to be controlled by the guy at the door. He mumbles "Ever." The end. I always like Gackt's faster, more rock oriented tracks so obviously I really like this song. But man, the video is terrible!
I'm really looking forward to what Gackt's next proper, new studio album will be like. (It's been forever. Hahagetit?) It'll be more of the same, I'm sure, but I guess that's OK just so long as he continues to be the king of silly.
08/01 - Sonisphere Festival - Knebworth Park, UK 08/03 - Koko - London, UK TICKETS / INFO 08/06 - Tochka Club - Moscow, Russian Federation 08/07 - Glav Club - St. Petersburg, Russian Federation 08/23 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
08/24 – New York, NY @ Nokia Theatre 08/26 – Boston, MA @ Royale 08/27 – Baltimore, MD @ Ram’s Head Live 08/28 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory 08/30 – Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage 08/31 – St. Louis, MO@ Pageant 09/01 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues 09/02 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave. 09/04 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre 09/05 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre 09/07 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues 09/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theatre 09/09 – San Francisco, CA @ Grand Ballroom 09/11 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
June 27 - July 13 Versailles Philharmonic Quintet World Tour
June 04 Sao Paulo / BRAZIL June 06 Santiago / CHILE June 09 Buenos Aires / ARGENTINA June 11 Lima / PERU June 13 Mexico City / MEXICO June 27 Moscow / RUSSIA June 29 Helsinki / FINLAND June 30 London / UK July 02 Baecelona / SPAIN July 03 Montpellier / FRANCE July 06 Amsterdam / HOLLAND July 07 Cologne / GERMANY July 09 Hamburg / GERMANY July 11 Budapest / HUNGARY July 13 Paris / FRANCE
When it comes to dime-a-dozen vis-kei bands, there can be none held more responsible for their existence than Malice Mizer. One of the earliest vis bands to play in what is now known as a steriotypical vis-kei sound and style, they were also the incubator that spawned both singing sensation Gackt and guitarist Mana, two of the biggest names in the visual scene.
While Gackt moved into less visual and more pop-rock oriented territory, Mana went further into the gloom and doom to form Moi dix Mois, and his own fashion juggernaut. One of the singers of Moi is Seiji, and it is he who has gone on to become part of Art Cube, changing his name to Z. Art Cube itself is apparently a reformation of the band Brain Hacker. Anyway, as you can see, the world of Japanese visual rock is small and incestuous, to say the least.
Art Cube is still extremely new to the scene, having released only two singles thus far, starting in 2008. The musical style between them ranges from the usual schmaltzy and saccharine Casio quality preset ballads to some genuinely skilled symphonic metal. While they fall a bit short of the sheer epicness of Versailles, they do manage to rise above the vast sea of vis-mediocrity when they put their minds to it.
Right now it's too early to slot them into column A or B. The world will have to wait for a full length album before any real idea of the band can be solidified. Plus, as their history shows, they are far more likely to fizzle out long before they have time to shine. Until then, Art Cube is worth keeping an eye on.
Tribute albums are a tricky thing. Covers in general are a bit on the lame side to begin with, and a straight up cover, without the band molding the song into its own style or reinterpreting the original content in a new way, is just an embarrassment all around. It's a fine line between paying homage to the original, and just using it as a crutch for inadequate creativity and a lack of talent for creating something new in the first place. Being able to not only make the song interesting to long time fans as well as totally change it in a way that seems to amplify its greatness, if not flat out improve upon it, is a rare feat.
We've seen some recent Japanese tribute albums that fell well short of the mark. The Weezer and Radiohead tributes come to mind. Both of these are riddled with too many bands taking themselves a little too seriously, and singing the English lyrics with more than a little trouble. A lot of that falls on the original content, which is already loaded with the respective band's heaping helpings of OMG we're Weezer or OMG we're Radiohead baggage.
Now we've got another tribute to another band who, in all likelihood, have had some influence even on bands like the two aforementioned trailblazers. Metallica, for many reasons, are one of the biggest bands on the plant, or at least they were a few years ago. They have legions of absolutely rabid fans that eat and breathe Metallica 24/7, who worship them like gods and follow their every move. It's safe to say that to many fans there will never be anything as great as the original songs, so any attempt at a tribute is doomed to fail even before it gets off the ground. Yet for those of us with a slightly broader perspective, there might still be room for some interesting interpretations.
That's where Metal Ikka comes in. It's eleven songs and forty-eight minutes of pure Metallica madness. Yet even these great songs are rife with chances to fail in the wrong hands. How does Metal Ikka stand up to the competitors? Can anyone hope to shred like Hammett or snarl like Hetfield? Let's take a listen and find out. The album kicks off with “Sad But True” from 10 Feet. What starts off sounding like the aforementioned straight-up cover quickly jumps into all new territory with a fast break beat, then much heavier and faster guitars. Overall the band sound a little like Electric Eel Shock with bouncing nu-metal riff in place of the hard rock approach. They don't bother changing it up much other than to add a few breaks and builds. Still, a very rockin' song.
9mm Parabellum Bullet keep the energy high with “Motorobreath.” They play it pretty close to the original, a little faster and with their usual brash and noisy production. While they don't really add anything to the song other than a few new odd-time stops and starts, they do manage to breathe the same fire and brimstone that fuels the original. In fact, drummer Kamijo Chihiro adds a massive amount of fury to the drums, totally blowing away Lars' original performance.
After the extend intro, “Creeping Death” by Razors Edge is almost totally deconstructed and rebuilt into a very tight and very fast ska-punk blitz. They run the song through several time and tempo changes, mostly from fast to much much faster, which is nice since the original, while iconic to say the least, is also a bit on the slow and plodding side. These guys take all the time tested motifs and apply them in very cool new ways. It's a crazy, fast and, at time, pretty funny ride.
Fuck You Heroes run “Metal Militia” through its paces, stick very close to the original, mealy adding some incomprehensibly screamed vocals and a generally heavier sound. It's basically just an updated version of the original, which is fine, since the original is quite awesome on its own.
When I first saw that Beat Crusaders were doing “One” I knew we were in for a treat, and the good time, tongue-in-cheek, feel good rockers deliver. They turn one of the darkest Metallica songs into what is both a fitting tribute, and also something very close to parody. It's a funky pop-rock take, something that might only be hilarious to people who have the original song imprinted note-for-note into their DNA. They absolutely fly through all of the originally elongated sections, distilling their essence down to easily digestible pills, which actually amplifies the greatness of the original material. Again, it's done in a way taken to almost Weird Al-ian territory, but it's also done in a way the proves Beat Crusaders absolutely love the song.
“Through the Never” is an interesting deep-track choice by Uzumaki. Not exactly one of Metallica's most memorable songs, they nevertheless turn it into a slick nu-metal/industrial dance track. For the most part they ignore the original in favor of simply lifting a few riffs and beats and applying them to the dance-track structure. It's still plenty heavy and dark, but much more suited to, say, an intense driving game or football highlight reel.
The opening riff to “Seek and Destroy” is something that you don't want to mess with. It's one of Metallica's most memorable, and Insolence knows it. While keeping all the notes in the right place, they manage to add a White Zombie swagger to the song, with a deep, Ministry-esque yelling vocal style and deeper guitars. They slow the beats down to half-time and generally let the songs drag, turning it into a doom-metal piece with a few electro scratches and a hollow, echoing chorus. When the solo hits halfway through it suddenly goes into double time, with a break beat similar to that of 10 Feet's opener. Things then fall back into sludgy mode for the end.
Totalfat take on “Fuel.” They tread very close to the original, even singing very much in Hetfield's style. They break it up a bit with some speedy pop-punk breaks and stomping riffs, but for the most part it adds very little to the equation.
My most highly anticipated track is next, that being Polysics' cover of “Enter Sandman.” While they (in this case probably just Hiro) basically play the original, it's a totally electro/industrial version, almost devoid of guitars, pushing them very far back in the mix. It's just as much of a tribute to P-Model's “Enola” as it is “Enter Sandman.” Sadly, most of the performance is phoned-in and very flat, with Hiro's vocals being a real low-point. While as a fan I find it to be a big disappointment, it also won't be winning over anyone new to Polysics.
2Side1Brain continue the album's second half decline with are very whiny emo-metal version of “St. Anger.” This is exactly the sort of thing I was hoping would be absent from this tribute, and up until this point Metal Ikka is a very pleasant surprise. Unfortunately these guys really drag the rest down with a pretty limp effort. The touchy-feely style has never suited Metallica, as evidenced on some of their more recent output, and 2side1Brain only make things worse.
Thank god Outrage is there to save the day with a blistering version of “Fight Fire With Fire.” Sure, they play the song note for note along with the original, but in this case it's a welcome pallet cleanser after the previous misfires. If you're at all familiar with Metallica's original, then you already know what Outrage's version sounds like. Much like the rest of the album, they bring a heavier overall feel, more a result of modern production techniques than anything else. If this were placed high up on the track list it would probably be much less of a stand out, but as it is it ends the album with a very sweet stamp of pure heavy metal.
Long story short: if you are a true Metallica fan, then you must get Metal Ikka. If you are a fan of several of the bands in the line-up, then you must get Metal Ikka. You will not be disappointed. Sure, it might quickly fade in glory, but the rush of nostalgia and the kick-ass energy it delivers are well worth the price. There are probably a few tracks that will be constantly skipped, but they are very few, and conveniently grouped together.
Finally, if you haven't noticed by now, there is one almost unforgivable omission from the track list. There isn't a single track from Master of Puppets! How this is possible is well beyond my own ability to reason. I suppose everyone has their own favorites, but why anyone would want to do something off of The Black Album or St. Anger in lieu of, well, anything off of Puppets boggles the mind. Maybe it's just too sacred an album to even consider the attempt? At any rate, absent friends aside, pick up Metal Ikka and rock the fuck out.
Somewhere in between the almost incomprehensible progressive zeuhl sound of Koenjihyakkei and the straight up classic metal of Onmyo-za lies Gonin-ish. While they are more classically metal then the very arty former, they also crank things up more than a few notches from the latter.
Their origins and the thoughtfulness of their material is no less than complex than the material itself. First off, their name is a combination of "five people" and "one poem," meaning their singular work is the result of five people working closely together. They also choose to sing in an old version of Japanese that even most modern-day Japanese don't understand. The band actually directs listeners to simply close their eyes and imagine what the songs are about for themselves. They are also dedicated to producing everything themselves, from music to lyrics and recording, it's all done "in-house," so to speak. Perhaps most refreshing is their lack of over-the-top death metal styles, both aural and visual. The instead adopt a more traditional, albeit dark, style of dress and makup. Much like Onmyo-za or Inugami Circus Dan, they bring a very Japanese sensibility to their unique musical style.
This retention of all creative decisions leads to some very dense and challenging music, but they never let it get too far out. Again, they do manage to pull in the reigns more often than not, letting the songs breathe by breaking down into slower passages that are more like classic gloom and doom metal. Singer, front woman and guitarist Anoji sings in both a "normal" voice and the typical guttural metal growls, another tool to keep the songs in constant flux. Just when you start to think that there might be a bit too much Cookie Monster voice going on, she'll break into a naturally shrill but liquid register. They are first and foremost progressive, not death or black metal. Sure, they are pretty loud and have guitars tuned down to the center of the Earth, but they also have a lot of much lighter fare, allowing the listener to come up for air, before being buried under the next wave of metal mayhem.
There's a particular brand of metal reserved just for Japanese soil. It's a kind of electro-metal, defined by very synthetic strings, organs and drums, along with (usually) real guitars and the occasional fleshly singer. With the advent of the singer in a box Vocaloid software, the need for real people to sing along to these bedroom metal masterpieces has shrunk to almost nill, though this has also had the added effect of sapping the last bastion of originality out of the genre. Much more common are completely instrumental songs.
Take, for instance, the music of Dark Phoenix. The duo of 姫川紫音 and ゆう blend very melodic and symphonic instrumentation with elegant piano breaks and downplayed guitars. While obviously coming from a metal world, the songs are more like the sort of watered down rock songs you'd hear playing in the background of a classic video games like Contra or Doom, or, in this case, various doujin games. Sonically, they sound like glorified Casio and Roland keyboard demos with added guitars which are so heavily processed as to make them indistinguishable to their synthetic counterparts. It's a good thing that the quality and originally of the sonic pallet isn't what fans of the genre are looking for. Rather, it's that very sense of artificiality that's appealing, that feel as if the listener is in the middle of some fantastical boss fight near the end of a classic RPG.
Dark Phoenix hits that mark dead center and with considerable style and substance. While their two albums Arrow Rain and Arrow Revolver, released almost back to back in 2008, are virtually interchangeable, they would also be an almost perfect fit in any of the mid-numbered Final Fantasy games. In fact, they even give the metalized Black Mages a run for their money, at least in the epic rock-out category. Most of their songs are speedy and grand, focusing far more on the organs and synths than the guitars, adding to the video game feel. Their songs put on a virtuoso display of frantic pianos and strings, complimented by the fuzzed out guitars and complex drum parts. While they never really hit on very memorable themes, they nevertheless fill the void for anyone looking for their specific brand of ornate and flowery cyber metal.
Every so often, it's hard to forget that music does not, in fact, give a damn about borders or its land of origin. Take, for instance, the massive black/death/doom metal scene. It's best known in the lands of the frozen sun, various Nordic wastes where the skies are blotted out with dozens of god and goddesses riding magical steeds. Lands where there is a long tradition of drinking blood out of skulls and surviving unrelenting winters on rotting fish. When this sludgy, guttural metal music is then shifted many thousands of miles to the east, things are bound to get interesting. Not to mention adding in an ass-kicking female lead singer with a throat full of flame. Behold! Shadow!
Shadow is a band that has never been in a hurry. Originally formed in 1993, they didn't release a full album until 2001. Then they waited until 2008 for the follow up. Much of the delay could be blamed on the constantly revolving line up. The music is certainly complex, so perhaps a psychotic need for perfection slowed things down. Whatever the case, the band's material is epic, to say the least. Not your typical black metal, they actually take time to play a few guitar solos and break things down into time frames that normal human beings can understand. They are very melodic overall. Sure, there are the usual blast beats running through most of the songs, but they are linked together by songs you can actually hum along to at times.
Nevertheless, Shadow is not for the faint of heart. They are very heavy, a bit more gloom than speed, with echoes of Slayer's chaotic riffage, some Iron Maiden melodies and even Dragonforce's guitar pyrotechnics. Also, one cannot ignore Tokiko Shimamoto's beastly vocal performance. She's got the guttural pipes of a man four times her size. While her words may be incomprehensible in any language, the message is not. These guys are 100% evil metal fury.
While there are currently no videos of their music, you can download a few music samples on their official site.
The Surfactants is not a Japanese band. The Surfactants is my band!
Sorry for the brief non-Japanese self-promotional digression...
The Surfactants was formed in 2005 by Zac Bentz. A long time drummer and house and trance DJ, Bentz eventually found a new found inspiration in the Japanese new-wave spazz rock band Polysics. It wasn't long before he began writing songs in the style of his new found heroes. Eventually he called up a few of his friends, all veterans in the local music scene, and The Surfactants was born.
Fusing the aforementioned new-wave synth pop with their love of classic metal bands like Iron Maiden and Metallica, the band quickly found their own unique voice in a sea of abysmal synth-pop wannabees. Instead of adopting the usual batch of '80s kitch, they instead looked forward to a new style of heavy, dueling guitars, stuttering beats, screaming synths and pounding bass.
The vocal style of Marcus Matthews was also something outside of the usual new-wave style, eschewing the fractured, nerdy approach and instead falling closer into a Depeche Mode or Foo Fighters realm. This unexpected clash of styles sent audiences reeling and critics into fits of adoring apoplexy.
The band has released two untitled mini-albums and an mp3 only album that collects both of the two mini-albums into one solid package. The recent past has seen a change in lead singer with the replacement of Matthews with Greg Cougar Conley, who brings with him a dedication to the same avant-avant-garde style. One can only hope they release a new album in the new future.
If there ever was a band that lived up to its name, it would be Mutyumu. A "crazy dream" is probably the best description for their music. A crazy dream full of fire, statuesque figures, impressionistic operas, delicate ballet performances, leering demon faces...the images are as diverse as the instrumentation and song structure. At one moment you'll be treated to very soft piano and violin melodies, only to be bashed over the head with a massive heavy metal dirge the next. Similarly, the vocal treatments range from almost inaudible whispers to angelic female falsettos to guttural male bellowing.
The work of Mutyumu is extremely artistic and symphonic, yet not overly so. They never stray into straight-up new age territory, while also staying clear of schlocky death metal. Simply put, it's goth in the very best sense of the word. Mature and very sophisticated, classically dark, they never go the easy route of over-the-top style over substance, instead doing the reverse. Avoiding slathering on the gloom, they strip things down to few elements, developing them into minimal symphonies. They even have a few regular rock songs that wouldn't be out of place on a Bauhaus or Buck-Tick album.
Their raspy strings and twinkling pianos along with other synthetic sounds set them apart as something more than your average band that just gets on stage and rocks out. They have extended atmospheric sections that either lighten or darken the mood, like either the sun or the moon rising over a secluded pond. A bit like Matyoshka or Sigur Ros with their trance-like crescendos, they seem to find their most beautiful moments when they're either their most calm and repetitive, or their most loud and soaring. Case in point, the incredible "祈り," ("Prayer") which builds to ridiculous heights over ten minutes.
Having been formed in 2002, they are still a bit young, yet their solid sound and production really hit the ground running with their first self-titled album in 2006. Their 2008 follow-up Ilya cranks up the number of full-band rock outs and death-metal blasts. It's much less subtle and atmospheric, aiming more for the gut with a clearer guitar/drums/bass/vocals format and less of a focus on the strings and piano, though they are both still very much a part of the equation. (Again, refer to "祈り" above.)
Whatever your poison, be it classical strings and high society, or ancient demon metal and flaming pagan rituals, you'll find much to sink your teeth into with Mutyumu's twisted dream-scapes.
While the name Kamomekamome (literally "seagull seagull") may evoke romantic images of graceful birds gently floating over the sea for some people, those of use who live with the birds on a daily basis may have a slightly different interpretation. Sure, watching the animals drift over the water may be relaxing, we also know their darker, more basic scavenger nature. Also, their piercing shriek. Both of these images work well in describing the music of Kamomekamome.
On the one hand, singer Tatsuro Mukai's history as the singer of hardcore punk band Nunchaku provides the raw, scavenger edge, while the rest of the band brings the slightly more calming flight. Far from punk, the band is more of a progressive rock, or even metal, band. Certainly their elaborate guitar riffs and heavy syncopation brings the metal, and Mukai's restrained, almost conversational vocal delivery adds to the art-rock feel. Add the occasional electro beat and repetitious, almost trance-like section into the mix and the band evolves into much more than your average hard-rock project.
Co-founding member and drummer Masashi "MARCY" Shimada also brings in his experience playing for the very mainstream space-rock band Buddhistson. Joined by high-school friends Fumito Shirogane, Soichiro Oda and Kenzo Nakase, the band indeed sounds more like an art-school project than a band resigned to settling into a specific sound. Their first self-titled album is an exercise in genre jumping. Dark and sinuous, with several extend songs running near or over the ten minute mark, it nevertheless travels through plenty of lighter territory from time to time before diving back into the frothing waves.
Their second album Luger Seagull is a more tightly focused affair, with songs rarely topping three and a half minutes. Here, the riffs are much heavier and chug along in a straight line. In fact the album almost seems like a study based around a single uniform idea, something akin to a concept album. Perhaps this is their answer to their previous, slightly more rambling album. The beats are much more up-tempo and danceable, as are the guitar parts. Even Mukai's vocals are more rhythmic.
At this point it would seem that Kamomekamome is more than just another side-project for its already busy members. While Lugar Seagull is a bit less ambitious than their debut, it also has a stronger focus. Hopefully this is a reflection of the band's dedication to the project and we'll see more great stuff from them in the future.
Vis-kei bands are a dime a dozen, so it's no surprise that some of them only last for a short time before dissolving. Formed in 2001 by guitarists Michiru and Misa, Aioria seems to have trouble finding their footing in that turbulent chaos. They managed to release only a handful of singles and one album before calling it quits just one year after forming. However, that single album is better than what many other bands, some that have been around for far too long, could ever hope to produce.
Instead of over the top theatrics and melodramatic interludes, Aioria keeps things focused with catchy songs and driving beats. While synth-heavy at times, the signature speedy harpsichord sounds are kept to a minimum in favor of metal guitar riffs and straightforward Castlevania rock. The backing synthetics simply flesh out the soundscape, adding the appropriately gloomy atmosphere.
Aioria also managed to stay away from the over-the-top vampiric balladry that is (rather unfortunately) so common among lesser visual bands. Obviously they had the "shocking" visual look, but that angle was downplayed in favor of straight-up rock and metal, tempered by romantic overtones. They certainly didn't break a lot of new ground, but they did manage to avoid the many pitfalls that other bands fall into all too easily. They skip the "happy goth" vibe entirely and instead work things back into fast and furious ground before it can veer too far off track.
All of the members have continued to make music since their break-up late in 2002. Drummer Hiroki moved on to play in another vis-kei band D. Perhaps most notable was mastermind Misa moving on to join Babylon, a band that sounds much like a heavier version Aioria. While it's always sad to see a promising young band like Aioria break up so soon after forming, it's reassuring to know that the legacy continues to live on, albeit in a slightly different skin.
It's not often that you see electro-trance synths and screaming black metal combined, but that's exactly what you get with Japan's Blood Stain Child. Since their formation in 2000, BSC has gradually ramped up the inclusion of synths in their speedy, grunting cyber metal. A bit like In Flames mixed with Dragonforce, only with gargoyle screams and less flair, their songs relentlessly chug along, occasionally striking major chords, sending the normally dark and murky atmosphere soring into the light.
They've definitely progressed over the years, at least in overall sound and production, becoming much tighter and glossy, with the electronics often taking center stage over the walls of static-distorted guitars. The addition of their new singer Sadew in 2007 has also provided them with more variety in the vocal department, making them a bit more like Linkin Park in that respect. Their clean vs. scream vocals are also a reflection of their dance beats vs. death metal music. They seem to sing exclusively in English, though it's often impossible to tell due to the total obliteration of words due to the high gargoyle factor.
Overall, Blood Stain Child is a refreshing break for anyone tired of cookie-cutter black/death metal bands with Cookie Monster vocals. Sure, they stick to the guttural darkness most of the time, but the moments of electro-bliss more than make up for the screaming sonic assault.
J-Pop and J-Rock are only the beginning. The modern Japanese music scene is just as vibrant and varied as any other music scene in the world. I'm Zac Bentz, writer, musician, designer and all around Japanese music fanatic. Here I hope to share with you a comprehensive (!!) list of Japanese artists and bands (with a strong focus on underground and indie acts) that you may or may not have heard of, in the hopes of expanding our mutual awareness of Japanese music.
I don't mean to suggest that everything I listen to is great. Quite the contrary, I hope that you will take the time to recommend your own favorite artists in the comments so that we can all learn a bit more about the huge range of Japanese music that's out there.
"The best Japanese music blog in the world." - Door Slam "Definitely a must-visit for J-pop and J-rock fans!" -The Otaku "Zac Bentz loves music. A lot." -Japanator "Very cool!" -J-ENT "...one of the foremost blogs and information centers on all J-pop and J-rock...the top source for tour information on Japanese bands in the US..." -YankeeOtaku "Wer mehr darüber wissen will, der sollte sich mal hier umschauen, ein sehr gutes J-Music Blog übrigens." -CommandSheep "...very well-written, and there’s an excellent range of artists...a useful resource." -International Wota "не плохая энциклопедия японских исполнителей/групп" -Diary.ru "Great resource for Japanese music fans who want to explore today's J-rhythms beyond Johnny's Entertainment bishonen music and anime music. XD" -Kaishi "If you are a J-Rock fan, [ZB's A-Z] is a must see." -Crunchyroll community "Otaku USA magazine finally got wise and hired Zac Bentz as a J-music contributing editor."-Radicalpatriot "Reviews practically every Asian band that has ever created a recording."- Zallie "Gewährt spannende Einblicke in die japanische Musikszene." -Laut.de
