LOVEBITES will release live album Knockin’ At Heaven’s Gate – Part II from JPU Records digitally on 20 December 2023, followed by a physical release from 2 February 2024. The latter will feature English liner notes about the release, plus additional options for video on demand content such as full concert footage with audio commentary available with English subtitles for the first time, as well as a limited-edition T-shirt.
The news follows LOVEBITES’ latest album Judgement Day ranking in at #15 in ‘The 50 Best Metal Albums of 2023 as Voted by the Readers of Metal Hammer’. The respected British metal publication went on to comment that the album is “A love letter to the high-octane thrills of power metal and NWOBHM”. LOVEBITES’ track ‘Stand And Deliver (Shoot ‘em Down)’ has also been nominated in ‘The Best Metal Songs of 2023 as Voted by the Readers of Metal Hammer’.
Knockin’ At Heaven’s Gate – Part II sees the Japanese metal band LOVEBITES mark their return as a five-piece in the only way they know how: LIVE! Experience the resurrection of the band from its hiatus and welcome new member Fami in this triumphant and spectacular comeback show recorded live at Tokyo’s EX THEATER ROPPONGI on 12 March 2023. Feel closer to LOVEBITES like never before as the physical disc edition not only features the full 17-song setlist from the second night of their return, but also three pages of English liner notes. The concert is also available to watch in full, along with audio commentary, and a number of special bonus videos too with never-before-seen footage.
Also available and out now is the first part of Knockin’ At Heaven’s Gate, subtitled ‘Live in Tokyo 2023‘ and documents LOVEBITES performance on 11 March 2023, the first of their two come-back shows.
Disc One 01. Opening (The Five Coffins) 02. The Awakening 03. Holy War 04. Bravehearted 05. Golden Destination 06. Stand And Deliver (Shoot ‘em Down) 07. Shadowmaker 08. Break The Wall 09. Empty Daydream
Disc Two 01. Piano Solo (Etude Op.10, No.12) 02. Swan Song 03. Judgement Day 04. When Destinies Align 05. M.D.O. 06. Under The Red Sky 07. Glory To The World 08. We The United
To celebrate the release of LOVEBITES‘ new album JUDGEMENT DAY, a premiere listening session “JUDGEMENT DAY -EVE-” will be available on Tuesday, 21 February, the day before the album’s digital release, where fans can listen to the whole album in advance! The band members will appear on the program, so fans can feel as if they are listening to the album with them. In addition, the second music video from the album will have its world premiered at the end of the program! Enjoy as they do!
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
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.
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
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.
LOVEBITES, one of Japan’s leading heavy metal bands, has announced the addition of new bassist ‘fami’. To mark the occasion, the band has released its first studio session with its new line-up on YouTube today, featuring fan favourite track ‘Bravehearted’.
After the departure of bassist miho in August 2021, LOVEBITES went on hiatus for a while. In order to find a new bassist, LOVEBITES held auditions in April 2022, open to all nationalities, ages and genders from around the world. After a long process, fami was selected as LOVEBITES’ new bassist.
fami is a 20-year-old bass player from Japan who has experience of performing live and working with many artists since her teenage years. She has also produced her own solo album, writing all the music and lyrics, and is experienced in expressing herself as an artist. Her YouTube channel boasts around 650k subscribers and over 58 million views, which she started making content for while she was still in school.
The members of LOVEBITES prepared this statement on welcoming fami;
“After a long audition process, we are very pleased to announce that fami is our new bassist. We would like to thank all of our fans who supported us during our hiatus, as well as all of the bass players and musicians from around the world who participated in the audition. We are now a 5-piece band again, and even stronger and more excited to share our heavy metal music with you again, as well as to see you live at venues as the new LOVEBITES. That day will come along soon, please wait a little while longer.”
LOVEBITES’ new formation is finally ready to spring into action and one again prove that Heavy Metal Never Dies.
Japanese heavy metal band LOVEBITES will hold auditions to find their new bass player! The band, who won Metal Hammer’s Golden Gods Award for ‘Best New Band’ and went on to play metal festivals around the world, will be taking applications for the role of bassist from Saturday 2 April, 2022.
Applications will be open to everyone, regardless of age, gender, nationality or professional / amateur musicians and can be submitted via the band’s website: https://lovebites.jp
To apply, bass players need to record a video of themselves playing along to a specific track and dropping in their own bassline. Applicants must be able to travel to Tokyo for further phases of the audition process, as well as able to conduct band activities around Tokyo, Japan and the rest of the world if they are successfully chosen.
The first phase of auditions is from 2 April until 24 May 2022, and if you upload your audition video to social media, the band is asking to please include the hashtag #LOVEBITES_BassistAuditions.
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 is set to be releases shortly in the UK as a CD and video on demand release, featuring the Tokyo show from the RIDE FOR VENGEANCE TOUR 2021.
