Japanese metal idol Isiliel will be wrapping up her 2025 Moonbow Rebellion World Tour with two shows in the US: Brooklyn, NY on November 22, and San Francisco, CA on December 5.
Isiliel is Himari Tsukishiro’s solo metal project, already three years in and going strong. On this world tour, She is celebrating the 2025 release of her latest album, “Moonbow Rebellion”.
Written by Jonathan Lane
From folk-tinged post-black metal to shimmering city pop, Isiliel fuses traditional Japanese instrumentation with global songwriting and production talent to deliver a breathtaking, fiercely powerful audiovisual onslaught.
Add Himari’s emotion-charged lyrics and vocals, and graceful choreography, and it’s easy to understand why Isiliel’s audiences go wild – and come back for more – whether they are fans of metal, J-rock, anime, or cosplay.Get to know this fascinating artist in an intimate, never before published interview from her 2024 US tour. Interviewer and music photographer Jonathan Lane caught up with Himari at Natsu Matsuri in Carteret, NJ, USA.
Photography by Jonathan Lane
https://www.photographer-jonathan-lane.com/home
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW:
Jonathan: For starters: I believe the name “Isiliel” means “Daughter of the Moon” – correct?
Himari: Yes – Daughter of the Moon.
Jonathan: Why did you choose this name?
Himari: In my name, Tsukishiro Himari there is the word “moon” as well, and for me, the Moon is a very special concept – it’s a very special identity. The moon is always in the sky. During the day maybe we can’t see it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there. In the dark times, it shines down upon us. And that’s the kind of person or character I want to be for my fans. Even if you don’t see me, I’m always there, always watching over you, and in your dark times, I’m shining out over you. That’s the reason I chose the name Isiliel, Daughter of the Moon.
Jonathan: (sincerely) I think I’m going to cry now. (Himari laughs)
Jonathan: And like “Isiliel”, the name and theme of “Moonbow” is important in your works and performances, too.
Himari: Yes, that concept of a moonbow: it’s like almost a miracle. And it’s not something you see very often-it’s very, very rare. But on tour, I’ve been fortunate enough to see a lot of rainbows. Sometimes that might just be in a fountain or a cloud but whenever you find those, you have a special connection to that place touring as Isiliel, I want to be like that rainbow that you find, because I meet a lot of people, and get to interact with them and that Moonbow society grows just person by person from the cities and different countries we visit.
I think Isiliel is the only metal idol or the only performer who’s doing this kind of world tour or large-scale touring. Through that, we have these miraculous connections made in every city and area we alight in, and for me, that’s a very special part of touring.
Jonathan: How did you end up becoming a musical performer?
Himari: It was actually a sudden decision. I was in a karaoke room with a friend of mine and we agreed, “let’s just send out an application to join a group”, and we both filled out the application and sent it off and that was the start.
Jonathan: I assume you already liked to sing.
Himari: (laughs) Not at all! Because my mother often said to me, “you sing badly”.
Jonathan: How did you arrive at the point of no return, where you realized this would be your life’s work?
Himari: It was when I first actually started to get fans. At that time, I realized it’s not just me, there are other people involved in this.
Jonathan: You now have multiple tours under your belt as Isiliel, in Japan and around the world, and over two years since going solo. What are your reflections on touring overseas and on being a solo performer – and, how has your perspective on touring evolved?
Himari: Really, doing an international tour as a solo artist is a lot of pressure because the entire show is resting on your shoulders. You have to sing, you have to dance, the whole thing is on you. So it’s not like a group where there are singing parts where you sing this part, another person sings that part, somebody dances here, you dance there. It’s all on you. And so, you’ve only got one body but you have to do all of that yourself. On top of that, there’s also connecting with the fans, the atmosphere…there are many, many elements that come together. It’s a lot of pressure. The fans are coming just to see you: to meet you, and to see you on stage, and so of course it’s a great honor, while also being a big pressure. Doing this as part of a group, you separate things out, but doing it as a solo, you can’t do that. It’s all just one big thing that you’re doing yourself and so just really having the power to push through all of that, to just muscle through everything you have to do on your own…it’s a big job.
Jonathan: So, as of the middle of 2024: which is better: being part of a group, or solo?
Himari: (laughs) That’s a really big question, and a difficult one. For me, I really want to love the now – I really want to love what I’m doing right now. Of course, you’re only here where you are today because of what’s come in the past, or what you’ve done in the past, but I really want to put a lot of weight and treat where I’m at currently as specially as I can. It’s very easy to look back on the past, and when you get caught up in that, you can become a ghost. But what you can do if you love the present and really put weight on where you are in the present, that’s how you make the future and that’s how you connect it to where you’re going, so for me that’s the mentality that I want to have going forward. To really love where I am right now, and the kind of push forward into what’s waiting.
Jonathan: Earlier on in this tour, in California, you had a live band on stage with you – the U.S. band, The Lilin – how did this come about? How was it having a live backup band on stage with you?
Note: for the Natsu Matsuri performance the night of this interview, New Jersey’s Eternal HOSHI joined Himari onstage for her last two songs.
(Himari bounces the question to Isiliel producer and our translator, Ricky)
Ricky: It was a connection on my side thru an event on the West Coast called BAR Con that we have performed regularly. We talked with the event producer about putting together a live band this time and The Transplants, the venue we performed at wanted us to have a live metal band to make it a metal event. They said we’d love to have you, and we’d love to have you with a band.
Jonathan: How did you like that?
Himari, in English: Fucking amazing, super cool. I will play in future together, definitely.
Jonathan: So I think you answered my next question: would you like to do this more?
Himari: (Enthusiastically:) “Yes!”
Jonathan: Himari, how do you prepare for a live show?
Himari: I divide that into two different sections: First physically, it’s really about keeping my condition as good as it possibly can be. So, I have a routine I follow, and I follow that routine as closely as I can even on a tour schedule to keep my body, my throat, to keep my physical condition to where I consider it optimal.
Jonathan: Does this include exercise?
Himari: Yes – exercise, food, nutrition are all in there. On top of that, is mental – there come those times where you just run into that wall – and you can’t make progress – mentally – you’re out – you’re done. But you still must go forward, and overcome that wall, those obstacles, in your heart, to be able to give everything you can on stage.
Jonathan: On this tour, what special moments – onstage or offstage – have been rewarding for you – whether professionally or personally?
Himari: Onstage, it would definitely be playing with The Lilin for the first time, and so having our first overseas band performance. Personally, offstage, we were driving between venues and there was a duck crossing and there was this one duck doing his best to cross the street and it was super fucking cute. So that was my special moment. (Himari demonstrates how the duck made his way across).
Jonathan: In these last couple of years of Isiliel, how do you feel your performances or performing have evolved, and what will you work on for the next time, once you’ve returned home to Japan?
Himari: Really, I think just singing and dancing – these basics, are the areas I have really grown in. When I first started, I couldn’t do either at all. There’s a legendary story about my past where I was in the recording booth recording vocals and the producer had to come in and actually clap along with me so I could keep the rhythm because I just wasn’t able to get it myself. As a singer, that’s completely hopeless.
So, to go from that start to where I am today is something I’m really, really proud of. Going forward, I want to work on bringing the crowd into the shows more to really warm up the crowd, get them excited, and break down the wall between the stage and the crowd.
Jonathan: Would you share with me a little bit about the creative process – how you decide on the next project, even if it’s just the next song, and how you go about realizing it to completion?
(Himari defers to Ricky to answer)
Ricky: I guess this one is more on my side, but we work together, a lot. So usually for example if we’re talking about a song, I’ll say, “OK, I’m looking for this kind of song so let’s work with this songwriter, I’ll send him some references – this kind of drum, this kind of guitar, this kind of overall tempo and feel, and I want the vocals to sound kind of like this style or that style.
We’ll get the song ready, and then normally once the demo is about where it needs to be, Himari does the lyrics. I’ll say this is the overall feeling or world view I have in mind for this song – what do you think? We’ll go back and forth a little bit, and then Himari will do the lyrics and title and then we’ll go from there.
(Prompted by Himari, Ricky continues): Another example: on tour, Himari uses the term “pinky promise” a lot – a promise between herself and the fans – “I’ll definitely come back, don’t forget about me.” She was thinking, “I’m always wearing black, playing this heavy music, I’d like to show a different side of myself and use that phrase “pinky promise” as a more bright or cheerful side. But, how to present that and make that part of Isiliel without causing a dysfunction, or cognitive dissonance? So she suggested “Hey, let’s do this as an April Fool’s release” and that’s the way that song was born. That was all Himari.
Jonathan: Several years ago, another Japanese artist put out a very elaborate April Fool’s music video that shocked and delighted fans. Everyone wondered for a whole year, “How will they top this next year?” The next April Fool’s Day, they released an entire EP with seven songs, including that one. Will there be more surprises or easter eggs like Pinky Promise in the future?
Himari: There’s definitely something to look forward to next year – we’re already starting to move on that.
Jonathan: If I may make a comment: based on my experiences attending last year’s and then this year’s performances in Philadelphia, there was a difference. I don’t think you lost the serious, gravitas feeling but it felt a little bit lighter – and reviewing photos from that show (just a week before this interview) I saw the same thing. So, I think you’re succeeding in showing that different side.
Himari: Thank you!
Jonathan: Overall, especially with the first full album, your music has a feeling of gravitas to it, and the music videos reinforce this feeling of conveying an important message to humanity. What messages or themes do you hope listeners take from your music?
Himari: There are so many messages contained within the lyrics and choreography and music videos, there’s a lot there. But if you had me boil it down to one thing, my message would be, “It’s going to be OK-it’s going to be OK, so keep on living – keep on keeping on.” That’s the one thing I really want people to take away from it.
Jonathan: I read that among other interests, you like to play the flute. And then I listened again to the album, and I think the song was Komyou Kishi and in the beginning there’s a flute. So, I was wondering if that was you playing it.
Himari, tentatively: Yes! (Ricky: Really?) Himari: Laughing, No…no no no. But I want to play.
Jonathan: Will you play it on stage in the future?
Himari: Yes, definitely I would love to do that. On this tour we played with the band Isenmore that has two violas, and seeing their performance, where you had this really heavy sound along with this really beautiful lilting sound, and the interplay between the two – I thought that’s such a great concept and dynamic. So yes, I would love to do that.
Jonathan: I think you would win a lot of hearts if you started a song playing the flute and then put it down and began to sing and dance.
Himari: (laughs).
Jonathan: Some in our audience in North America, Europe and even Japan are already fans, or at least familiar with Isiliel or Necronomidol, but some are not. What message would you like to convey to your present and future fans?
Himari: “Stay Metal” – that’s what I’d really like fans to take away – just stay metal, don’t give up.
When I first started singing, I was a very weak person and I still had a lot of growing to do but through all of this what I’ve really come to learn is, “Stay Metal” – stay solid, stay strong.
When I started out with the group my motto or raison d’être was “I will stay positive”, and looking back on that now, I think, “Oh god I was still such a baby, I had so much growing left to do.” But now, I’ve boiled that down and solidified it into Stay Metal. I’m just going to stay the course; I’m going to stay tough and keep pushing on. So, once again, the message is, Stay Metal!
Jonathan: Thank you guys both so much.
Himari and Ricky: Arigato! Thank you, too!
Listen to Isiliel’s latest album, “Moonbow Rebellion” (released 2025)
Tidal ( https://tidal.com/album/441851851/u )
Spotify ( https://open.spotify.com/album/2KcDTzr3qk1nL5KClxHAUt )
YouTube channel ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5DvPji8PO4z8lOoHto3jcQ )
Instagram: isiliel_jp
Twitter/X: isiliel_jp
Website: isiliel.jp
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