Zilqy: Tokyo's Exciting All-Female Metal Band Concert Review

Global All-Female Metal Band from Japan delivers their highly anticipated “Start the Fire” concert in Tokyo.

Only announced as a band in mid-September, Zilqy has generated “buzz” at peak levels up to today. Japanese and overseas fans of rock and metal have been treated to a barrage of teaser music videos, full music videos, as well as interview and “making of” videos, and the release of their first record, EP “Vacant Throne”. This show sold out almost instantly on the first day, and according to a number of hardcore J-Rock fans who regularly come to Japan for the music, this was an impossible-to-get ticket.

Written by Jonathan Lane

Band members are:

Anna on vocals
Toki on guitar
Miho on bass
Kano on drums

While Anna has rich experience in the music industry, and Kano is now in her first band, Toki and Miho are best known to fans – for their years with popular metal bands Aldious (Toki) and LOVEBITES, Destrose (Miho).

The performance

Each member enters to raucous crowd approval. Anna triumphantly marches onto the stage last.

“Carry On”

From the get-go, Kano’s thunderous drumming fits the music while reflecting her jazz background. Her drumming is creative and powerful. Listen for a cool time change during the breakdown. Anna’s voice is at times sultry, bright and crisp. Miho and Toki are solid throughout.

“Disguise”

Fast and hard, with a pop-y chorus. The two styles work together seamlessly.

“Bleeding Love”

Like “Disguise”, this song comes on hot and heavy with mournful verses and urgent choruses, both showing off Anna’s signing range.

“Hallelujah”

Then, a shift from the heavy, dramatic music, in a song especially important to Anna, Hallelujah, the classic by Paramore. The song features delicious licks by Toki and Kano provides heavier but fitting drumming. Strong backup harmonies from Miho. Hallelujah fits well between the two heavier, original songs.

Also included in the set are two evolving new songs – with working titles: the cheerful “Valentine” and dark, spooky “Psycho”, which features a killer solo by Toki. These new tunes confirm that there is even more breadth and depth in Zilqy’s songwriting than already displayed in the original 5 songs on the EP. Anna has revealed that these two songs may find themselves on their first album, planned for Autumn 2026. The bad will have their first tour in early 2026 – see details below.

Zilqy has another musical surprise, cheerfully recognized by fans after a few drum strokes and guitar licks: Heavy Metal anthem “Enter Sandman”. Recognizing the challenge of including this cover in their debut and making it their own, Zilqy met the challenge with a rocking version that did the song justice, complete with thunderous drum strokes by Kano and crispy, edgy riffs by Toki.

“Cannonball”

This rocker features Miho on backup vocals, and while full of “metal” elements, including a nice solo by Toki, it refuses easy “genre” classification – maybe the genre is “Zilqy”.

“Realize”

This song puts the “metal” in “nu metal” – with Anna’s slightly sinister-sounding vocals, Kano’s relentless drumming interwoven perfectly with Miho’s bass, and a slick, edgy solo by Toki, this has some of her fastest guitar riffs so far. on the EP.

Encore – Reprise of “Carry On”

To chants of “Ankōru! Ankōru!” (encore), Zilqy returns to the stage, beaming, and happily tired from the energy they’ve spent in the past hour. Anna begins singing “Carry On” – a capella this time – and demonstrates the raw emotion and inner strength she can project with her voice. The band joins in, and fans enjoy a couple more minutes of joy.

Reflections on the band

With every song, Anna looks and sounds like a rock star, commanding the stage, her versatile voice demanding attention and evoking emotion. The other three bang away, with Kano setting the pace. People in the crowd point at Kano, look at each other and nod with approval. The other members also reflect this approval. Many expected the other three to be up to the task of “wow-ing”, Kano, who has not previously played in a well-known band, steals the attention just a bit. (Comments during the show and the Press Conference from the other members make it clear they know they chose the right drummer to join them.)

Fans of Miho and Toki, who know them from years of stellar live play with their former bands, are treated to all the stage presence along with a few new musical tricks, and quite different sound. Arguably, both have the opportunity for their playing to stand out as never before with this new configuration, and everyone wins. Miho’s detailed and intelligent bass work is higher in the mix, and Toki is able to demonstrate her ability to carry out all the guitar work. Her solos soar and are edgy and badass.

Toki and Miho started talking about forming a new band nearly two years ago, with a concept of creating a new sound, and a band that could “take on the world.” They knew they had to complete the band with great musicians they could share their own musical chemistry with who also had ambition, and, importantly, who “clicked” on a level of personal chemistry also needed for success.

In this debut show, Zilqy looked the part – bold, sexy, badass rockers – but they also walked the walk: they backed up the look and charisma with solid, exciting guitar, bass and drum work – and powerful goosebump-inducing vocals and songwriting.

This showcase concert was the “proof of concept” – that the musical and “people” chemistry works, that fans would be electrified, and that they have created something new and exciting that could well “take on the world”.

In my opinion, they have met all these goals.

Photos from the show

Please see a gallery of photos from the show, below – provided by the band’s management