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East of Eden Head West with International Debut Mini Album “Forbidden Fruit -1st piece-“

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Japan’s breathtaking new band East of Eden are set to expand west as their hotly anticipated debut mini album ‘Forbidden Fruit -1st piece-’ gets a physical release via London’s JPU Records from 2 February 2024. The release includes an exclusive booklet with English lyric translations from bassist Wakazaemon, lyric transliterations, and a limited-edition bundle with subtitled behind the scenes video footage and an exclusive shirt.

Forbidden Fruit -1st piece- features East of Eden’s breakout track ‘Evolve’, which brought them attention from all over the globe, including its music video which received a million views within four months. Follow up release ‘This Moment’ is also included, and its video surpassed one million views on YouTube within just four weeks as hype for the band and Forbidden Fruit -1st piece- continues to grow. The mini album also includes brand new tracks; ‘Rasenkairo’, ‘Mujuryokuhiko’ and ‘Hanabi’ and is available to stream worldwide digitally from today, 20 December 2023, ahead of its international physical release.

East of Eden is the brainchild of violinist and producer Ayasa. Her beautiful breakout hit ‘The reason why’ topped instrumental charts in 46 countries on iTunes and its live music video has been watched over 11 million times on YouTube – she is also part of the hugely popular BanG Dream! project where she plays Rui Yashio of the real band Morfonica. Ayasa set out to gather four other female musicians that share the same level of passion, world-class musicality and who have the power to transcend barriers. She found what she was looking for; she found East of Eden.

Joining Ayasa is powerful vocalist Akane Minato, who first made a name for herself as lead vocalist in predia, followed by various TV appearances and sporting events for her overwhelming vocal abilities; extraordinary guitarist Yuki, a member of instrumental band D_Drive, and has been featured on many artists’ tracks; lefty bassist Wakazaemon who’s supported many bands in Japan since her teenage years and was selected as a member of COTTELEE, a band born from the world’s first franchise system by the band MAXIMUM THE HORMONE; and dynamic drummer MIZUKI, who has played at some of Japan’s biggest venues and festivals, and was part of Shinkuhorou (whose song ‘Niji’ was an ending theme to Naruto: Shippuden) and is currently in the band Lonesome_Blue.

East Of Eden links:

Live Music, Live Reviews, Media, Photography

A tale of two venues…HANABIE. proves ready for the world stage.

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HANABIE., the unique and fast-rising metalcore band out of Tokyo, delivers the goods at two very different gigs, during their first overseas tour since the group formed in 2015: as openers in an intimate rock venue in a small southern city, and as headliners at a sold-out show in New York.

Written by Jonathan Lane

Following eight dates in Europe and the UK – a mix of festivals and concerts – the self-labeled “Harajuku-core” group continues with gigs across the US. This label signifies a blend of the sensibilities of Harajuku, Tokyo’s home for “kawaii (cuteness)” culture and fashion, and the band’s metalcore thrust.

At the down-to-earth rock ‘n’ roll club, Ground Zero, in Spartanburg, SC HANABIE. opens for Galactic Empire, the Star Wars-themed metal band. An informal survey of fans indicates about half have shown up from near and far to see HANABIE..

HANABIE. strides onstage to a wildly enthusiastic reception that seems to surprise even them – drummer Chika, front woman Yukina, and guitarist Matsuri each takes her bows. Bassist Hettsu hobbles onto the stage wearing a protective boot. She injured herself the night before in Greensboro, NC.  She sets herself up on a stool, plugs in, cheerfully waves to the crowd, receiving warm props for her “can-do” attitude. Hettsu rocks out despite the handicap, providing solid bottom to the kickass music. The band gets right down to business with “Hyperdimension Galaxy“, the first track on their 2023 album, “Reborn Superstar!” and continues to blast the room with their special brand of beautifully crafted metal chaos. It’s a fully satisfying sampling of 8 hits from 2021-2023, including breakthrough music and video hits “We Love Sweets” and the 2023 trilogy of “Pardon Me, I Have To Go Now”, “TOUSOU (Run Away)”, and “Be the GAL~Early Summer ver.~”.

This was an intimate, mesmerizing and head banging performance. HANABIE. quickly won over the half of the crowd that didn’t already know them – interaction with the crowd was warm and friendly. There was moshing.

The band hits another half dozen southern cities together with Galactic Empire, and then switches over to “headliner” mode, hitting cities from New York to L.A., with support from metal band Fox Lake, as well as Dropout Kings on some dates.

At Gramercy Theatre, where other fast-rising Japanese bands (Band-Maid and Nemophila, for example) have had smashing New York debuts in recent years, HANABIE. is up to the task. The band looks right at home on the more expansive stage and thrills the big-city crowd with a 13-song set, including an encore, 2019’s “L.C.G.”

With seven US shows under their belts since Spartanburg, all four members seem to enjoy themselves even more. A very animated Hettsu is back on her feet, Chika shakes the hall with her in-the-pocket drumming, Matsuri’s clean vocals and riffage are both hard and sweet, and Yukina owns the stage, which she leaves briefly for a little crowd surfing. She seems elated as she wraps herself in the Japanese flag a fan has given her, filled with autographs of musicians the fan has copiously collected in the US.

The music perfectly fills these quite different venues, and begs the question, how will this band sound and perform in an arena?

Based on these two slices of HANABIE.’s first overseas tour – the quality of performance, the confidence and stage presence, and crowd enthusiasm – it shouldn’t  be long before we’ll have a chance to answer that question.

HANABIE. will be turning Australia upside-down on December 1, 2, and 3 to finish up what looks to be a very successful overseas tour on three continents.

Hanabie Social Media Links

Set Lists – HANABIE.

Ground Zero, Spartanburg, SC, September 13, 2023

1.    Hyperdimension Galaxy

2.    REIWA Dating Apps Generation

3.    We Love Sweets

4.    NEET GAME

5.    SUNRISE Miso– SOUP

6.    TOUSOU (Run Away)

7.    Be the GAL ~Early Summer ver.~

8.    Warning!!

9.    Pardon Me, I Have To Go Now

Gramercy Theatre, New York, NY, September 24, 2023

1.    Hyperdimension Galaxy

2.    NEET GAME2021

3.    Be the GAL ~Early Summer ver.~

4.    Warning!!

5.    REIWA Dating Apps Generation

6.    We Love Sweets

7.    LOVE Ranbu

8.    Tales of Villain

9.    TOUSOU (Run Away)

10. Pardon Me, I Have To Go Now

11. Today’s Good Day & So Epic

12. Encore: L.C.G

Photography by Jonathan Lane

https://www.photographer-jonathan-lane.com/hom

Yukina (vocals) Instagram @yukina_hanabie

Hettsu (bass) Instagram @hanabie_hettsu

Chika (drums) Instagram @hanabie_chika

Matsuri (guitar, vocals) Instagram @mtr_hanabie

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lynch. REBORN with New Album

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Respected Japanese rock band lynch. complete their long-awaited comeback with powerful new album REBORN, out now internationally from JPU Records. The release follows the band’s spectacular show at Japan’s legendary Nippon Budokan arena, marking their official return from hiatus a few months ago. 

REBORN features ten tracks and is the first album in the band’s long history to have tracks written by all five members. In a video message recorded especially for the band’s international fandom, bassist Akinori comments, “I think you’ll find a wide range of unique songs [on it]. So I believe you can feel the new lynch.”

lynch. hail from Nagoya, Japan. Fronted by vocalist HAZUKI, who can effortlessly switch between beautiful vibrato vocals and aggressive screams, and utilising multi-faceted bass sounds within the rock genre, the band have gained support from Japan’s domestic rock scene, as well as a following overseas. In 2022 lynch. performed at Nippon Budokan for the first time in their career, and now with the release of REBORN, their momentum continues to grow even further.

HAZUKI’s solo work is also available from JPU Records, and sees him create music completely different to that of lynch., but will still appeal to fans and newcomers alike. He even covered lynch.’s 2020 single ALLIVE in his new style, found on latest single RENGEKYOU.

  1. ECLIPSE
  2. THE FORBIDDEN DOOR
  3. NIHIL
  4. ANGEL DUST
  5. CRIME
  6. BLEU
  7. PRAGMA
  8. CANDY
  9. CALLING ME
  10. SINK
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KRUELTY Releases Devastating “Harder Than Before” Video

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Japanese metallic hardcore outfit KRUELTY has just issued a new video for “Harder Than Before,” the second single to drop from the band’s second album, Untopia, nearing March release on Profound Lore Records.

Formed in Tokyo in the summer of 2017, KRUELTY has emerged as the most notable artist to find that sweet spot where heavy beatdown hardcore and ‘90s American/Scandinavian death/doom metal meet. This devastating amalgamation becomes the blueprint of brutality and slam the band unleashes. With KRUELTY, you will hear the ultimate convergence of some of the most punishing death metal riffs and the most mind-blowing breakdowns influenced by Japanese and ‘90s East Coast hardcore bands.

2020 saw the release of KRUELTY’s debut album A Dying Truth and revealed itself as one of the heaviest albums that year. With their second LP, Untopia, the band will release an album even more massive in scope and ultimately heavier than their debut. The bulldozing seven-song record was produced by Taylor Young at The Pit Studios (Nails, Xibalba, Section H8) while the band was touring in the US earlier this year, mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Obituary, Terminal Nation, Mindforce), and features artwork by Norwegian artist Sindre Foss Skancke.

Directed and edited by Seijiro Nishimi, the damaging new video for “Harder Than Before” simply showcases what KRUELTY does best; deliver top-tier, bottom-heavy, unrelenting beatdown force.

Untopia will see release through Profound Lore March 17th on LP, CD, CS, and digital formats. Find preorders alongside the prior single, “Burn The System,” HERE.

In support of the album, KRUELTY is currently executing a succession of tours across the globe. Having just completed a set of dates across New Zealand, today the band begins the Hell Across Australia tour supporting Honest Crooks for seven shows running February 16th through 25th. KRUELTY will then return to Europe for the Untopia European Domination Tour 2023, running from April 12th to May 7th with special guests Gates To Hell on all dates and Splitknuckle from the 23rd to the 28th. See all confirmed dates below and find AU tickets HERE and EU HERE. Additional tour announcements should be expected in the weeks ahead.

KRUELTY Hell Across Australia w/ Honest Crooks:

2/16/2023 Vinnies Dive Bar – Gold Coast, QLD

2/17/2023 The Tomcat – Brisbane, QLD

2/18/2023 Newcastle Hotel – Newcastle, NSW

2/19/2023 Factory Floor – Sydney, NSW

2/22/2023 The Basement – Canberra, ACT

2/24/2023 The Workers Club – Melbourne, VIC

2/25/2023 Crown & Anchor – Adelaide, SA

Untopia European Domination w/ Gates To Hell, Splitknuckle (4/23-4/28):

4/12/2023 Le Temps Machine – Joué-Les-Tours, FR

4/13/2023 Orbeko Etxea – Llodio, ES

4/14/2023 Sala Rouge – Vigo, ES         

4/15/2023 Gasoline ACD – Barreiro, PT

4/16/2023 Let’s Go Rock Bar – Parla, ES

4/17/2023 La Deskomunal – Barcelona, ES

4/18/2023 Secret Place – Montpellier, FR

4/20/2023 Le Glazart – Paris, FR

4/21/2023 The Green Door Store – Brighton, UK

4/22/2023 The Cab – Newport, UK

4/23/2023 Deadwax – Birmingham, UK

4/24/2023 The Lubber Fiend – Newcastle, UK

4/25/2023 Flying Duck – Glasgow, UK

4/26/2023 Percy Picklebackers – Nottingham, UK

4/27/2023 Boom – Lees, UK

4/28/2023 New Cross Inn – London, UK

4/29/2023 Treftpunt – Gent, BE

4/30/2023 Bloodshed Fest – Hengelo, NL

5/03/2023 Pod Minoga – Poznan, PL

5/04/2023 Gerber 3 – Weimar, DE

5/05/2023 Kulturzentrum dasHaus – Ludwigshafen, DE

5/06/2023 Rocas – Luxembourg, LU

5/07/2023 Baroeg – Rotterdam, NL

Music News

ANTHEM To Release Crimson & Jet Black Full-Length On April 21st Via Reaper Entertainment

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First Video/Single Wheels Of Fire Available

Leading Japanese heavy metal act, ANTHEM, will release their brand-new studio album, Crimson & Jet Black, via Reaper Entertainment on April 21st, today unveiling the record’s artwork, track listing, and first single.

It’s been four years since the release of the band’s critically acclaimed Nucleus full-length — a re-recording of their classic hits with English lyrics. But ANTHEM used the pandemic downtime wisely. Crimson & Jet Black features eleven tracks, once again performed in English.

Comments bassist Naoto Shibata of the band’s first single, “Wheels Of Fire,” “Obviously this is the most heavy metal album I have ever made. Experience the monstrous groove generated by the band. You will be the witness of the best album by ANTHEM. I promise that ANTHEM will come to your towns and play. Until then, listen to this incredible album and be blown away.”

After finishing two anniversary tours in 2021 — the band’s thirty-fifth anniversary tour, which had been postponed due to the pandemic restrictions, as well the twentieth anniversary of their reunion tour called the ANTHEM 2001 Vs ANTHEM 2021 Tour — the band began work on their latest offering. Originally scheduled to be completed in the Spring of 2022, band leader Shibata, a perfectionist at heart, decided to enrich each of the songs’ quality and pushed the recording schedule to Summer/Fall. Like previous ANTHEM works, Naoto is the main producer of the album, but this time renowned Swedish producer Jens Bogren, (Arch Enemy, Amon Amarth, Dimmu Borgir, Opeth, etc.) who had previously mixed and mastered Nucleus, is credited as a co-producer.

Crimson & Jet Black Track Listing:

1. Snake Eyes

2. Wheels Of Fire

3. Howling Days

4. Roaring Vortex

5. Blood Brothers

6. Master Of Disaster

7. Void Ark

8. Faster

9. Burn Down The Wall

10. Mystic Echoes

11. Danger Flight

ANTHEM:

Naoto Shibata – bass

Akio Shimizu – guitar

Yukio Morikawa – vocals

Isamu Tamaru – drums

Music News

Japanese metal band View From The Soyuz sign with DAZE records

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Share new single “When My World Collapse” and announce Immaculate EP out February 10th

Based out of Tokyo, Japan, View From The Soyuz are making a world-wide impact with their blend of modern metalcore and melodic death metal. Today, the band announces their signing with North American record label DAZE and their forthcoming EP, Immaculate, set for release on February 10th. First single “When My World Collapse” is a serious headbanger, strewn with dense drumming and captivating guitar riffs. Lyrics take form in both English and Japanese, and Senta from Tokyo-hardcore band NUMB lays a guest vocal feature on the track adding to the band’s already pummeling delivery.


Formed in the Summer of 2021, View From The Soyuz is composed of vocalist Masa, guitarist Nari, bassist Sima, and drummer Shunsuke. Making a mark with their debut EP, In Misty Path, the band followed it up with a string of standalone singles in 2022. The band is quickly becoming a staple in the Japanese metal/hardcore scene, and has already opened for international touring acts like Unearth and Xibalba. With the release of Immaculate, the band set out to create well-constructed, aggressive songs that will have them starting 2023 on a high note.

Immaculate Tracklist:
1. Chronostasis
2. Caligula
3. When My World Collapse
4. Sky Burial
5. Stick In The Mud (Vinyl exclusive)
6. Frozen Black

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LOVEBITES Return with JUDGEMENT DAY: New Music Video Out Today

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New Album Out Feb 2023

LOVEBITES, one of Japan’s most important names in heavy metal, return from their hiatus with a new member, a new music video and news of a fourth studio album coming in February 2023. The album is also available to preorder today from JPU Records, and is available physically in three editions.

JUDGEMENT DAY, the fittingly titled album will be the first to feature the band’s new line-up, which includes bassist Fami, who was selected after an audition process and is just 20 years of age. The fast, melodic and heavy metal sound that LOVEBITES has excelled at since their debut is still burning strong, but has been sublimated further. Newcomer Fami also brings an added charm to the quintet, including her signature slap technique. The album contains ten completely new songs, mixed and mastered by Finnish masterminds Mikko Karmila and Mika Jussila, who have worked on all of the band’s studio albums.

Fans can get a taste of the new LOVEBITES today with the release of the digital single and music video to the album’s title track, available to download, stream and watch now:

The cover art for the album features a wolf, an incarnation of the band that has appeared on all of LOVEBITES’ previous albums. This time, as the title suggests (JUDGEMENT DAY), the wolf clutches scales that weigh good and evil within its jaws, and is captured sprinting between the sun and the moon. Further meaning from the cover art can be discovered in the title track’s music video, and further details will likely be revealed in the future too.

The album will be released digitally worldwide on 22 February 2023, and released on CD from JPU Records from 24 February 2023. A video on Demand and CD bundle is also available directly from JPU Records’ website. It features a documentary of the bassist auditions which includes interviews with the members of the band, as well as Fami while she was still one of the finalists – all with English subtitles. It also includes four studio sessions; ‘The Hammer of Wrath’, ‘Golden Destination’ and ‘Shadowmaker’ from the audition finals, and ‘Bravehearted’, the first session with Fami as an official member of LOVEBITES. There is also a third edition that includes the CD, the video on demand content and a JUDGEMENT DAY T-shirt. Additionally, 50 orders of this latter bundle will randomly receive a sleeve case that has been signed by the members of the band.

LOVEBITES – JUDGEMENT DAY

CD release date: 24 February 2023.

The fourth studio album from LOVEBITES, the first to be released with Fami on bass.

LOVEBITES JUDGEMENT DAY Tracklist:
1. We Are The Resurrection
2. Judgement Day
3. The Spirit Lives On
4. Wicked Witch
5. Stand And Deliver (Shoot ’em Down)
6. Victim Of Time
7. My Orion
8. Lost In The Garden
9. Dissonance
10. Soldier Stands Solitarily

VoD (Video on Demand) Includes:
– Bassist Audition Documentary (with English subtitles)
– Studio Sessions of ‘The Hammer of Wrath’, ‘Golden Destination’, ‘Shadowmaker’ and ‘Bravehearted’

T-shirt Edition Includes:
– All of the above
– Double sided T-shirt printed in the UK with UK sizes
– 50 orders will be selected at random to receive a signed sleeve case

Pre-Order Now

LOVEBITES formed in 2016 with vocalist Asami, guitarists Midori and Miyako, bassist Miho and drummer Haruna. The band’s EP THE LOVEBITES EP was mixed by Mikko Karmila and mastered by Mika Jussila, a team of talented Finnish engineers known for their work with Nightwish, Children of Bodom and Amorphis. In May 2017 LOVEBITES made their debut and released THE LOVEBITES EP through London’s JPU Records, followed by full length album AWAKENING FROM ABYSS in October 2017 and had a series of shows in Japan and the UK. In 2018 LOVEBITES made their first festival appearance at Vans Warped Tour Japan 2018 Presented by XFLAG, as well as a headline show in June for mini album BATTLE AGAINST DAMNATION. In July they participated in HEADSTRONG FES.18 organised by ANTHEM, followed by performing at the world’s biggest metal festival Wacken Open Air in Germany and Bloodstock Open Air in the UK. They also toured Europe with X-ray Touring. After returning to Japan LOVEBITES completed their second album CLOCKWORK IMMORTALITY by the end of the year, and performed at Metal Mania by RED BULL, which also featured LOUDNESS.  LOVEBITES began 2019 by touring Japan, followed by supporting Arch Enemy on tour in China. First live album DAUGHTERS OF THE DAWN: LIVE IN TOKYO 2019 was released in July, recorded at MYNABI BLITZ AKASAKA in Tokyo in support of CLOCKWORK IMMORTALITY. The same month the band toured festivals, including Download Festival in the UK, Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium, and Download Festival Madrid in Spain. At Download Festival in the UK, Asami joined HALESTORM on stage to sing “Love Bites (And So Do I)”, the song that gave LOVEBITES their name. When the band returned to Japan they toured Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka before appearing at SUMMER SONIC 2019. They then joined DragonForce for their UK tour in November as special guests. In January 2020, the band released third album ELECTRIC PENTAGRAM. It became the band’s first album to enter Japan’s Oricon Top 10 rankings, peaking at number nine. The band then kicked off tour of Japan in February and released FIVE OF A KIND: LIVE IN TOKYO 2020 in July, recorded at Zepp DiverCity, which reached number one in the Oricon Music Blu-ray chart. In March 2021 they released mini album GLORY, GLORY, TO THE WORLD, which reached number ten in the billboard general chart. Immediately afterwards the band began the RIDE FOR VENGEANCE TOUR 2021, touring four cities across Japan. In August Miho left the band and it was announced that LOVEBITES would take a break. In the meantime HEAVY METAL NEVER DIES – LIVE IN TOKYO 2021 was released in the UK as a CD and video on demand release, featuring the Tokyo show from the RIDE FOR VENGEANCE TOUR 2021, followed by best album IN THE BEGINNING: THE BEST OF 2017-2021. In April 2022, the band held an audition for all nationalities, ages, and genders worldwide to find a new bassist. After a long selection process, fami joined in October of the same year, leading to LOVEBITES once again being composed of five members.