Generally I write about film–something I know a bit about. Lately I’ve been posting on the Hugos and the Sad Puppy smell–something I am acquainted with. Today I felt it was time I brought up something I know nothing about: Japanese Metal. Why? Because it is awesome. If you follow Japanese music, you will find nothing new here, but I suspect many of you don’t.
American & British Metal has become boring. Europe has some fun things going on with symphonic metal, but the Japanese have gone in directions Westerners fear to tread. They’ve merged metal with other forms of expression to make things new and bizarre. So here are a few things you need to experience. Even if you dislike metal, these are worth your while, at least once. And one isn’t metal, but I had to include it because, again, awsomeness.
So, going from most conventional to jaw dropping:
Kishida Kyōdan & The Akeboshi Rockets (Metal/Anime J-Pop)
Anime opening themes have gotten harder in recent years, while still keeping that sweet pop sound. The theme for High School of the Dead took it that step further, pounding where others strummed, because you need to pound if you are a high school student killing zombies, and they kill a lot. The series is on pause, leaving our heroes in a city of the dead and Kishida and co free to move on to other anime titles.
Gonin-ish (Metal/Prog-Psychedelica)
Western Progressive Metal has had some great moments, but they’ve been few, and most decades ago. I’ve heard Western psychedelic metal described as a non-existent sub-genre. Well, here is the elusive psychedelic metal, based on jazz and pushing all kinds of boundries. Less mosh-pit and more acid-trip, Gonin-ish is one of the two bands on this list which rise high above their weirdness and are just good. They may be the finest metal band in the world at the moment. It was hard to choose a defining song for them, but Muge No Hito does a good job of showing just what they can do.
BAND-MAID (Metal/Maid café Cosplay)
For the uninitiated, Maid Cafés are Japanese restaurants where the servers (usually young females, but occasionally cross-dressing males) dress and act as anime “moe” maids, and treat customers as if they were in their own homes. If that sounds cool to you, now add metal, because there is no way metal should fit into that, and you’ve got a pool of melodic, liquid awesome. BAND-MAID is based on a gimmick, but it’s a great gimmick, and the girls can play.
Real Existence is not their most metal song, but it’s my favorite.
Versailles (Metal/Androgynous French Rococo Goth Cosplay)
Just roll “androgynous French rococo goth cosplay” around on your tongue for a few minutes.
Versailles’s music isn’t startling, having a lot in common with Northern European symphonic metal, but the style is a step beyond. The band is for anyone who goes to a performance of Webber’s Phantom of the Opera and thinks, “This is way too subtle.” I’m not sure how these guys rock without collapsing from heat prostration (those dresses are pretty heavy). Versailles is part of the visual kei moment, a subculture connected to ostentatious makeup, hair, and clothing styles.
Verailles is not new. They now perform with a different singer under the name “Jupiter,” but the Versailles’s videos are that little bit extra over the top.
Baby Metal (Death Metal/Children)
Nothing is more evil than a child. Horror films worked that out a while ago. Children also are violent, self-serving, and don’t care about your rules. That’s about as METAL as it gets. The Japanese realized that, and merged children and metal creating the phenomena of Baby Metal.
The group is built around the older girl, known as Su-Metal, who’s earlier band disbanded when she was twelve. The two younger members, Yuimetal and Moametal, are supposed to act as contrast, dancing around her as “angels,” though they can headbang with the best of them. Of course children age, and the members of Baby Metal are now teens. I do not know if that’s good or bad.
The song below is Megitsune, which is a must see as much for the video as the music.
Wagakki Band (Metal/Traditional Instruments)
OK, Wagakki Band isn’t a metal band, though they can edge into pretty hard rock, but they are way to cool not to put on this list. While also very theatrical, the focus is on the music. Electric guitar and bass intertwine with shamisen (3 stringed instrument), koto, bamboo flute, and Japanese percussion. The world needs more rockin-out on a shamisen.
There’s a full concert on Youtube that is well worth your time, but here’s a song to start you off. They are addicting.