Metal Overview: Anthem (Part 3)

Welcome to part 3 of my look at Anthem fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

We last saw the band with their last album of the 2000s, Black Empire. It was a great way to not only end that decade, but a great way to prove to the fanbase & those out in the world at large that they were back with a vengeance. As we entered the 2010s, yet another phase of Anthem began. Would they still begin strong, or would they stumble when they step onto the ground. With that out of the way, here’s is part 3 of my look at Anthem. Let’s begin.

Heraldic Device (2011)

By 2010, Anthem’s 7 album contract with JVC Victor was coming to an end. Naoto Shibata around this time was beginning to feel suffocated by what was going on: if the band wanted to make it into the international market, the clock was ticking down on that chance (They were in their 3rd decade of existence by this point). Enter Universal Music Group, who promised the band more favorable contracts, and while ambiguous, a promise to make a push into America. With this incredibly lucrative deal on the table, it kept Anthem’s partial attention, and wound up distracting them. It was this distraction that ended up giving us the album I’m talking about right now; Heraldic Device. Release on the 6th of July, 2011, Heraldic Device is the other bad album that I hinted at back in part 2, but in a weird way it’s only just bad. As I was listening to the whole thing, I was strangely reminded of Stryper’s 2005 album Reborn: there’s a lot of potential, but it buried by a thin layer of bad. I’ll repeat this in a bit, but Anthem aren’t lazy on Heraldic Device, but it’s obvious that they’re doing the minimum just to fulfil their deal with JVC Victor, who themselves would go through a rebranding just a few years later.

Best Track? Code Of The Silence is yet another great instrumental track, and perhaps is one of the few songs on the album that has more strength that has the rest. I can’t say anything else here that I haven’t said already: great drumming from Hirotsugu Homma & great guitarwork from Akio Shimizu. Nothing else to say really!

Code Of The Silence

Worst Track? Heraldic Device’s only fault is that it was cranked out simply to fulfill their contract with JVC Victor & hoping the Universal deal would come through. They’re definitely not being lazy, as I don’t think Anthem are capable of being such, but it’s also obvious that they’re coasting just to get by. The guitar & bass is safe, and Eizo’s vocal work sounds pretty safe as well. However.....

If there was any instrumental issue, it would be with Hirotsugu Homma. Normally an incredibly reliable drummer, by this point he was beginning to feel the effects of being behind the drumkit. Coupled with previous motorcycle injuries, his playing comes across like downpaced hard rock than the typical Anthem drumwork. Not awful by any means, but definitely not quite up to snuff when compared to previous releasesHe would not be with the band for much longer....but we’ll just have to wait for that when the time comes.

Heraldic Device. Like I said above, it’s just barely bad. As with Reborn from Stryper, there’s a hell of a lot of potential within the music, but because of the band’s attitude at the time with their record company, as well as the issues the band was going through, it’s easy to see why the record ended up the way it did. Fortunately for Anthem & their fans, things would turn around just a year later.....and it would end up being one of the best releases they ever made. Next album!

Burning Oath (2012)

As time moved on from Heraldic Device, cracking were finally beginning to show themselves in the reformed Anthem. In addition to Hirotsugu Homma feeling the effects of old motorcycle accidents, not to mention being behind the drums almost constantly for decades at this point, it was obvious it wasn’t long for the exit sign. On top of that, the band practically jumped ship almost immediately to Universal’s side after Heraldic Device was release. If anyone thought that Anthem would fold because of all of this, Burning Oath would put them to shame. Released on the 24th of October, 2012, Burning Oath was the exact opposite of it’s predecessor, as Heraldic Device was done with less effort & to fulfill a contract. Their 2012 outing, meanwhile, was a strong & energetic release. It was made by a band no longer shackled to a record label that didn’t know how to promote one of the finest Heavy Metal groups on the planet, and it was made by a band that felt seemingly refreshed by the change in labels. Not only that, but the Power Metal like vibes come back in force, as yet again they never go all the way, but they sure as hell are close!
   
Best Track? Double Helix once again shows off the craftsmanship of Hirotsugu Homma & Akio Shimizu in a fantastic instrumental piece. At this point, it should be obvious that neither of these two guys, when working together, are incapable of making anything even remotely resembling trash. Nothing else to say, but a great song!

Double Helix

Worst Track? This doesn’t have anything to do with the music, but more to do with the band itself. Hirotsugu Homma by this point was feeling incredibly drained, having played in Loudness, Eizo, and Anthem for a good chunk of his life. Couple with the previously mentioned older injuries, he would had in his resignation, and become a drum instructor ironically enough, recording only one song on Burning Oath. His replacement would come in the form of Isamu Tamaru, who was decades younger than him, but genuinely just as talented as him (Maybe even better if I’m being honest). Unfortunately for Anthem, Homma wouldn’t be the only member to leave, as Eizo Sakamoto would leave right after the tour of Burning Oath. Due to a mix of quickly switching record labels, recording records within a year of each other, and rumors of Animetal reunions, this resulted in band complications, and thus he had to leave. Fortunately, he left on really good terms with the rest of his bandmates, and actually has a brief yet profitable run in a commercial for a restaurant called Steak Ken. On top of that, Naoto Shibata found out during a routine checkup that he had early stage Stomach Cancer, but fortunately enough all he need was surgery & some time to heal & kick out of it, and thankfully he did.

Burning Oath. A massive reversal of the album before it, it restored faith to the small handful of fans that were expressing doubt after what came out in 2011. If you were dissatisfied with Anthem’s first outing in the 2010s, then you will dig the hell out of this one. Next album!  

Absolute World (2014)

Like I just said above, Anthem definitely suffered some setbacks on their last album. Thankfully, they got a brand new drummer, and Naoto Shibata managed to recover from the cancer scare. However, there was the issue of finding a singer, and who were they going to find? Yukio Morikawa of course! Despite not being with the band for nearly 20 years by this point, he & Anthem remained in orbit of one another since the group’s dissolution after Domestic Booty, so since they couldn’t get Graham Bonnet back for a 2nd run, it seemed only right to bring Morikawa back into the fold. Not only that, but Yukio has lost none of his vocal power since the last time he was with the band! With a new singer in tow, Anthem went into the recording studio, and on October the 22nd, 2014, Absolute Word was released.

Best Track? Bit of a two-way tie between Pain & Love Of Hell. The former is a speedy little track, and while it doesn’t quite have the intensity of something like Voice Of Thunderstorm was, but there’s still quite a bit of meat on the bones, and it strikes a perfect balance between blistering speed & steady pacing. The later goes in a more slower direction, but it is compensated by a darker & more emotional atmosphere. Yukio Morikawa’s vocals, while always great as a whole, are perfected sharpened to a fantastic point on Love Of Hell. It’s that perfect mix of low, crooning, and loud-ish that lets him soar on the tune in question. Definitely don’t skip these two!

Pain

Love Of Hell

Worst Track? None! NONE! Absolute World is a fantastic album from beginning to end, and unlike what came out in 2012, there were no issues among the members of the band both physically & mentally. This resulted in a release that shows no sign of weakness in even remotely any way, and thanks to the new infusion of blood with Isamu Tamaru, the band have a new drive they probably haven’t felt in quite some time.

Absolute World. A record that proves that one can charge right through adversity, and come out like a beast. If their last outing was even remotely shakey, then their 2014 release was as solid as Mt Fuji, and just as titanic. Next album!

Engraved (2017)

With Yukio Morikawa back as the leader signer, it seemed as if Anthem finally had a stable base once again. The oldest members were still firing on all cylinders, and their new drummer was still a great infusion of new blood. So with things solidified for a 2nd time, they went to record their 4th album of the 2010s. Released on June the 21st, 2017, Engraved leaned in & expanded upon the melodic nature of Absolute World, as well as continue to travel alongside the Power Metal road. It’s definitely a strong package for sure, and while it does come across as similar to Absolute World, there is way more things that are different than there are the same.

Best Track? Gotta give it up to the one-two combo of Midnight Growl & Sacred Trace. Though Morikawa sings very well on the first song, both tunes have some of the best instrumentation on the entire album. Isamu Tamaru definitely proves he got the chops on these two (Been proving himself the past few years, to be honest), but Akio Shimizu yet again shows how genuinely phenomenal he is on the guitar. Able to shift pacing at the drop of a hat, Akio has not lost a single bit of energy in the 20+ years since he joined Anthem, and I don’t think he’s leaving anytime soon.

Midnight Growl

Sacred Trace

And while this doesn’t have anything to do with the music, I gotta give some small credit to the artwork. Engraved’s album cover harkens back to Anthem’s oldest albums covers, on account of the minimalism & slightly faded colors. Again, it’s nothing big, but I found it to be something of a small surprise.

Worst Track? The Artery Song would be the only track I’d say is bad/worse, but even then it actually not. If anything, it feels misplaced when compared to everything else on Engraved. It’s still got the same level of quality & intensity as all of the other songs, but it comes across like a tune from Anthem’s time in the 2000s rather than the 2010s. Even more strange is the fact that it opens up Engraved, and one the song is done it’s almost not remembered by the time the record is done.

The Artery Song

Engraved. An absolute banger of a release, and one that kept things going for the reinvigorated band. If you were a fan of Absolute World, but maybe want an upgrade or two, then this record for you. Unfortunately for Anthem & their faithful, tragedy would strike the band, and strike hard. Next album.

Nucleus (2019)

In the early morning of January the 7th, 2018, longtime producer Chris Tsangarides tragically passed away at the age of 61 due to a mix of pneumonia and heart failure. With their western champion now gone from the picture, Anthem began looking for a new producer. One that was just as good as Chris, and one that would continue to help them grow in the west. Enter Jens Borgen: known for his work with Opeth & Dir En Grey (Dir En Grey was probably how Anthem found out about Borgen), he has just as much love & respect for Anthem as Tsangarides did, and that was good enough for the band. Coupled alongside a new deal with Nuclear Blast Records of all companies, they set out to produce a new record, and on the 29th of March, 2019, Nucleus was released. A spiritual successor to Heavy Metal Anthem, Nucleus was a collection of songs from their prior output. In Nucleus’s case, it was selections from 2001 all the way to 2017, but the release was also remarkable in that it was Anthem’s first ever album completely sung in English. In addition to this, they premiered for the very first time at the Keep It True festival in Germany in 2019, where the proceeded to steal the show from everybody else, and considering some of the bands that were there......that’s saying something.

Best Track? The redo of Venom Strike marks the lone older track on Nucleus, and it’s that oddity that makes it the best song on the album. The modern production makes the revised instrumentation sound absolutely incredibly, and Yukio Morikawa sings like a damn banshee at the high points. I gotta give Yukio credit here, as while his English sounds nice across the entire album, it definitely comes across as the best on this tune. Ironic, since Yukio said in an interview or two that singing in a language he wasn’t completely familiar with was tough.

Venom Strike

Worst Track? Like I said when talking about Heavy Metal Anthem, the lone fault of this album would be yet again that I’ve heard all of these songs before. I can sort of forgive HMA for doing this because it basically remastered older tunes with newer vocals, but with Nucleus I just find it weird. It’s slightly more frustrating in this case, as outside of Venom Strike, the songs in question are from their fresher material from 2001 to 2017. As such, old-school Anthem fans might get pushed away because of this, but those who haven’t heard of them might get a kick out of what’s on here.

Nucleus. As a way to show off a decades old legend to an audience that may not know of them I think is perfect, but for longtime Anthem fans it’s probably more of a curiosity than anything else. It’s definitely not a necessary album to listen to for old-schoolers, but it’s not a bad one if it ever comes your way.

Well folks, that was my last look at the iconic Anthem. Absolute titans in Japan, and thanks to some fairly recent deals, are now finally becoming rightfully well known here in the United States & Europe. Not only that, but we got a brand new album to look forward to in April of this year! So if you are looking for Heavy Metal outside of the normal countries that’s absolutely wonderful, you cannot find a more excellent example than these guys! Well, March isn’t far away, so join me next month for some fun stuff.......but I’ll be starting the month of green off with something serious. See you then.


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If you’re curious about listening to these albums, then click on the links below:

Heraldic Device

Burning Oath (Incomplete. Will Update At A Later Date)

Absolute World (Link At A Later Date)

Engraved

Nucleus

Convention Review: Katsucon 2023

Katsucon 2023 is in the book fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Just this past weekend, the Gaylord hotel opened it’s doors to the largest & wildest horde of geeks, nerds, otaku, weebs, and even metalheads to ever congregate on the east cost of the United States! Ravenous for art, merch, and reuniting with one another, we all came and conquered the hotel & convention center for a few days to celebrate what makes us happy, and to escape the horrors of the world for a little bit. Did it meets my standards like the last 2 times I’ve gone? Well, let’s not waste anymore time, and take a look at my review for Katsucon 2023!

Good Points
Like I said last year, the first good point about Katsu would be the strict entry requirements. You gotta have your COVID card with you, and you gotta wear a mask throughout the whole event. The card part of the entry was enforced pretty strictly, while the mask wearing aspect.....well, I got a thing or two to say about that a little later. Regardless, I like the fact that this was still in place for 2023, as while COVID is definitely shrinking away, it’s still around in enough places & at enough frequency that some form of safety should be implemented.

Another good point in Katsu’s favor would be it’s space. Like I said in the past 2 reviews, the Gaylord is an absolute behemoth of a venue. In addition to great rooms, you got a lot of amenities practically in arm’s reach. There’s restaurants, a couple bars, some souvenir shops, and a spot or two so you can grab a snack. I must admit I found the pricing to be a bit silly this year as opposed to the past 2 times I came, but if you buy things only once in a while, it’s not incredibly draining on your wallet! **

The 3rd good point, and I don’t think I’ve talked about this in my last 2 review, would be the absolute party atmosphere that Katsucon provides. I admit I’ve never partaken in any of the raves, room parties, or absolutely absurd orgies many Katsu goers say take place (I’d like to think they happen in their own weird way), as I’m nearly 36 & probably don’t have the energy unlike those that are younger than me. That being said, see a bunch of geeky people having the time of their lives just brings a giant smile to my face. Seeing everybody dancing & such just adds to the positive energy and good vibes to the entire convention. Hell, even after the con was done this year, there was still some partying in the main area where the gazebo was, and that made me smile more!

To round things out, the last good point would be all of the cosplay & stuff to purchase. As usual, the sheer amount of costumes I see at Katsu is just jawdropping! From low-end yet charming simple cosplay, to the most elaborate getups that probably took months to make, there is no end to the creativity of all of the cosplayers that roam the halls of the Gaylord. As for the swag to get, Katsu always delivers! The Dealers Room is always filled from top to bottom with a wide variety of stuff, and the Artist Alley always has talented artists & craftsman showing off. I do not regret my purchases from the stalls I stopped at, and I definitely won’t next year.

(Tiny good point: no high school class was scheduled to stay at the Gaylord this year! Woo!)

Okay Points
Strangely enough, I can’t really think of anything to put in this section of the review. Perhaps the only thing I could think of would be the mask mandate, but even then with COVID still being around at smaller rates (Pandemic is apparently going to end in May from what I’ve heard, but I could be wrong with that), it’s easy to see why the staff of Katsucon & the Gaylord wanted to make sure that everyone was safe in that regard. However.....

Bad Points
The enforcement of the mask mandate throughout the weekend was god awful! There were plenty of people that had one on, but there were far more that didn’t. Throughout the con, I only heard about 4 to 6 staffers says anything about con-goers keeping their masks on (A lot of the staff didn’t have masks on to be honest), and most of the others didn’t seem to care! To play devil’s advocate, Katsucon has a horde of people come in, so perhaps it wasn’t strictly enforced because of the sheer volume of numbers (Something that oddly wasn’t an issue in 2022). Even so, it’s absolutely pathetic that the mask mandate wasn’t implemented as strongly as it was in the past year, and if by chance there is one next year.....I hope it is enforced to the letter.

A second black spot would be the odd aggressiveness of some of the staff. Not exactly with the con staff, but more along the lines of the hotel & security staff. I confess I’m simply assuming more in this regard, cause I don’t always engage with the late night parties & such. Still, I’m surprised at the early closings of the Gazebo, along with hearing/seeing some con-goers leave pictures & comments in the Katsucon 21+ Facebook page. If anyone (Including any con or hotel staff) has more clear information on this, please leave a comment so I can correct this portion of the review.

A 3rd point of complaint would be the odd lack of voice actors & recognizable guests. Outside of one (The narrator for Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, who’s name escapes me as I type this), there was only a small selection that came this year. It’s absolutely baffling, and outside of potential COVID scares & such, I can’t think of any other reason why Katsucon wouldn’t invite a bunch of voice acting guests to come. If there’s any con staff (Or con goers in the know) that have any answers, then please let me know.

Finally, and this isn’t a knock on the convention itself, but the time it takes to get to Katsucon is insane. Like I said in my 2022 review, I live in Upstate New York, and it takes a good chunk of the day to come down to Maryland/Washington DC. I said last year it took 7 to 8 hours to get to the convention, and I think it took the same amount of time for 2023's. That does include stops, although my group did stop for dinner on the way back, and so coming home was definitely longer.  

Final Thoughts & Rating
Katsucon 2023 was a step backwards from the previous 2 times I’ve gone. Make no mistake: I had a hell of a time, I took in the sights, and I will definitely be coming back (If I’m able to) in 2024. That being said, the things it had going against it in 2023 were definitely damaging to the overall experience. Perhaps I’m complaining a bit too much, but I hope that things get fixed for next time, cause if this happens a few more times, then I’m out. Still, Katsucon 2023 was a lot of fun, and I’ll definitely be talking to my friends about it for a bit!

Katsucon 2023 gets a 7.5 to 8 out of 10.

And that was my review of Katsucon 2023. A step backwards compared to the prior 2 I went to, but at the same time there was still fun to be had, and I bet a bunch of you has a blast also. So, with my look at this nerdy bastion behind me, I got my last look at Anthem for the end of the month......and it’s possibly some of their best work of their entire career. See you soon!




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I actually stayed at the Wyndham hotel not too far away from the Gaylord (Couldn’t fit in with the group that brought me down), and the room I was in was huge!

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If you’d like to read my review of last year’s Katsucon, click on the link below:

Convention Review: Katsucon 2022

Also, here’s where I stopped for dinner coming home. Absolutely phenomenal, and worth the trip & price!

https://www.mtfujirestaurants.com/

Metal Overview: Anthem (Part 2)

Welcome to part 2 of my look at Anthem, fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

We ended part 1 on the goofily named Domestic Booty. It was an absolute monster, but it marked the final album of Anthem’s career in the 1990s, and seemingly by extension the last one they’d ever do. So as the band members went their separate ways to pursue their own projects & such, the fates were beginning to weave a new tapestry. One in which would call the band back to the metallic forefront in Japan, and reignite the cult fanbase outside of the Land of the Rising Sun. So let’s not waste anymore time, and check out Anthem’s time in the 2000s! Let’s begin!

Heavy Metal Anthem (2000) ***

With the release of Domestic Booty, Anthem’s tour venues kept getting smaller & smaller, until the point where it just wasn’t worth it anymore, and the gas in their tank finally ran dry. Feeling the strain, the band finally called it quits, and went their separate ways throughout the rest of the 90s. Then the dawn of the new millennium came by, and the weirdest thing took place. Naoto Shibata was in a restaurant one night, apparently quite shitfaced, but he just so happened to be sitting opposite from iconic Japanese Metal producer Hisatake Yamasa. Mr. Yamasa said to Naoto that he’d be up for doing another Anthem album, but only if the legendary yet obscure Graham Bonnet would sing on the album....and that’s exactly what happened!

Best Track? Like I said in my review for the album, I thought that the newer version of Hungry Soul was a banger of a song, and I still stand by that. The pacing is similar to that of the original, but with the improved production & sound, things sound a bit fresher. Perhaps importantly, a western listener can finally understand the lyrics (Outside of the original’s Engrish), thanks to the translations & Graham’s excellent singing voice. Not much else to say but that!

Hungry Soul

Worst Track? Also like I said back in 2021, the only fault with Heavy Metal Anthem is that I’ve heard all of these songs before. Yes, the instrumentation & production is improved. Yes, Graham Bonnett sings his ass off and still has a great voice, but all of the songs on this album I’ve listened to on prior releases. Got nothing against the band wanting to show themselves off to a newer generation, but rehashing prior material comes across as rather lazy. They would do this again around the end of last year, but I’ll talk about that when I get to part 3.

Heavy Metal Anthem. Retreads previous material, but at the same time it’s a great gateway into the annals of Anthem. If you’re someone new, or a longtime fan that would like to get back into the band, then this is a lovely place to start. Next album!

Seven Hills (2001)

With Heavy Metal Anthem now behind them, it was time for Anthem to look into their future. With Graham Bonnet heading off to do his own stuff, somebody had to come in to fill the shows. Luckily for all of us, the iconic Eizo Sakamoto came back to provide the voice that would propel the band into the new millenium. If anything, his singing was vastly improved from his time in the 80s due to singing with a bunch of bands in Japan, and I think a few outside as well (I could be wrong on that last part). Sadly, Takamasa Ohuchi couldn’t return to the drums, but the equally impressive & legendary Hirotsugu Homma was able to take that spot. While an exceptional drummer, his bandmates in Anthem complemented him more on his cooking skills than anything else (Naota Shibata once said in an interview that if Hirotsugu left, it would be the band’s loss but the restaurant industry’s gain). Coupled with returning band members, it was time for the band to skyrocket, and on the 22nd of August, 2001, Seven Hills would be the release to help the group fly into the sky!

Best Track? The weirdly named D.I.M. 422 takes the spot as best track of this album. It’s unique in that there’s no vocals in this song, as it’s a pure instrumental tune.....but what a hell of a tune! Hirotsugu Homma definitely shines on the drums, but it’s the duo of Akio Shimizu & Naoto Shibata that have a giant amount of time in the spotlight. Akio in particular is going to town on the guitar during the song’s entire runtime. So much so, that at one point you’d swear he became pure electricity. This is a track you shouldn’t skip!  

D.I.M. 422

Worst Track? I legitimately can’t find a single awful tune on Seven Hills. While it does show off it’s 20+ years of age (In small ways), it also manages to remain a crisp & clean release through pretty much the whole run time. A great experience in every way!

Seven Hills. If Heavy Metal Anthem was a key starting up the engine, then this record was the roar of that engine. If you want an example of a legend making it’s triumphant return, look no further than this beast. Next album!

Overload (2002)

Blindly devoted MAGA cultist & pretentious metal hipster asshole Razörfist would have you believe that Anthem have no bad albums. That they are perfect, flawless, and so many other fancy words you pull from a dictionary. Well, hate to break it to you Paul, but even a band as absolutely phenomenal as these guys are have some bad eggs, and Overload is the first......of only 2 bad albums in their decades spanning career. Yes, that’s right, Anthem only have 2 duds to their 40-something years as a band! Release on the 9th of October, 2002, Overload is something of a strange release. Their last 2 records reignited their career, but Overload takes a weird turn towards commerciality. Not full-blown, but they did incorporate a little bit of late 90s/early 2000s radio friendly element into their music, in addition to some oddly used rap metal elements. The end result is an album that doesn’t have a solid identity, but the overall quality remains mostly intact (Outside of some small hiccups).

Best Track? Ground Zero is another phenominal instrumental track from Akio Shimizu. You got Hirotsugu Homma still pounding away, but Akio takes up the stage as he tickles the guitar strings like no other. If anything, he kinda reminds me of Hideaki Nakama: both absolute geniuses when it comes to their instrument of choices, but only have a fraction of the ego of the guitarist that more than likely inspired them (In this case, Yngwie Malmsteen). The song never outstays it’s welcome, but instead takes up just the right amount of time to show off how awesome it is!

Ground Zero

Worst Track? Like I said above, Overload is suffering from an identity crisis. There’s plenty of the signature quality we’ve come to known from Anthem, but at the same time that late 90s/early 2000s radio commerciality the band was embracing takes away some of that classic identity, and coupling the rap metal elements I mentioned earlier didn’t help things either. The end result is a record that isn’t 100% awful, but it could definitely be much better.

Overload. Not a hideous abomination when taken in doses, but as a whole it’s a very bipolar experience. It is definitely not a horrid experience, but it is a mildly unpleasant. Fortunately for us all, a release would come 2 years later that would silence any potential naysayer, as well as fix any damages done by this release. Next album!

Eternal Warrior (2004)

With the release of Overload, there were many potential naysayers beginning to come out of the woodwork. The two releases before that reignited an interest in Anthem, but their 2002 output made some question whether or not their return was just a flash in the pan. Fortunately the metal gods intervened for us, and gave the band a big boost of energy. With said energetic boost, the boys entered the studio, and on the 21st of July, 2004, Eternal Warrior was released. This was a welcome breath of fresh air after what came out in 2002, as the band seemed to refocus their efforts, and made a transparent attempt to simultaneously have old-school vibes mixed with then modern playing. Not only that, but it was around this time that Anthem would begin to incorporate Power Metal into their music. While they would never fully go down that path, you can easily feel elements of that style on Eternal Warrior & fundamentally every release since 2004.

Best Track? Omega Man is yet again a great instrumental piece in a sea of already great instrumentals from Anthem. Yet again, Akio Shimizu & Hirotsugu Homma play their Japanese asses off in spectacular fashion. Not much else to say, but this is a great track!

Omega Man

Worst Track? While an undeniably awesome record as a whole, Eternal Warrior is a little lopsided when it comes to it’s energy. The first half is badass to the 10th degree, while the second half is still great in it’s own right, but does loose a little bit of steam. Fortunately, this slight loss of fuel doesn’t impact the album as a whole, as the entire experience is something that’s worth your time from beginning to end!

However, if there was one gripe outside of Anthem’s control, it would be with their record label. Back in 2001, the group would sign a multi-year deal with JVC Records. More specifically, they would sign with JVC’s metal sub-label Victor, and if any of you cringed at the sight of that name, then good for you. For those who don’t know, Victor were virtually incompetent when it came to marketing the band. From numerous copyright takedowns on Youtube, to region locking music videos, and just having horrible distribution in general. Not only that, but they seemed intent on keeping it that way! This will come up again when I get to part 3, but I won’t say anything else.

Eternal Warrior. Maybe sputters in the second half ever so slightly, but doesn’t damage the record’s overall quality. If releases like Inferno from the almighty Motörhead were signs that legends could come back into the spotlight, then this early 2000s masterpiece rightfully deserves to stand in that company. Next album!

Immortal (2006)

2005 marked a significant point in Anthem’s career. It was in 2005 that the band celebrated 20 years as a musical group, so the celebrate the occasion they had the mother of all Heavy Metal shows. In addition to an hour-long set, all of the prior members of Anthem (sans the legendary Graham Bonnet) were brought on stage to perform songs from their respective fans, and was won of the biggest love letters to said fans in Heavy Metal history. It’s also this love & strength that gave way to way to the eternal life themed Immortal. Released on the 30the of August, 2006, Immortal was a follow up of sorts to the similarly themed Eternal Warrior. Maybe a little more solid when it comes to it’s energy & production, but it deals with the topics of life, fighting, freedom, love, and fantasy just as much as their 2004 records was (Anthem’s entire career was like this to be honest).

Best Track? Soul Motor is a spiritual successor to Anthem’s first intentional/unintentional tribute to the iconic Motörhead (Said intentional/unintentional tribute was Voice Of Thunderstorm from part 1). Everybody is firing on all cylinders as the songs goes on: Eizo Sakamoto still kills it when it comes to singing, Naoto Shibata has a tight grip on the bass, Akio Shimizu is still amazing when it comes to the guitar, and Hirotsugu Homma continues to be great on the drums. It’s an incredible testament when it comes to Anthem, as by 2006 they have been producing albums for just over 20 years, yet rarely if ever has there been any dip in quality. A great song all around!

Soul Motor

Worst Track? Like Eternal Warrior, Immortal suffers from a energy imbalance despite being a great experience on the whole. This time around, it’s the beginning of the album that doesn’t quite have as much steam (Except for the best track I mentioned above), but the second half is where the amps are charged to maximum. Nothing else to say in this regard!

Immortal. Take Eternal Warrior, and flip it around, and you have Anthem’s output in 2006. Again, the overall experience is fantastic, but the lopsided energy makes it for a slightly unbalanced experience at the same time. Fortunately for those that were worried that the band would keep this lopsided nature had no idea as to what was coming in 2008. Next album!

Black Empire (2008)

If the prior 2 releases teased the Power Metal influences, then Black Empire practically bathed in those influences. Released on the 29th of October, 2008, Black Empire is perhaps the strongest album of Anthem’s time in the 2000s, as the whole of the release as a solid level of energy throughout it’s run time. Not only that, but the Power Metal elements the band so lovingly used made many of the songs on here sound incredibly similar to groups like Stradivarius & many others. However, it was also around this time that the press in Japan would begin to express doubt over Eizo Sakamoto’s time within not just Anthem, but also in his longtime gig with Animetal (A metal band dedicated to covering anime theme music). Eizo practically silenced everybody when he said that his attention was squared solely on Anthem, and would outright breakup Animetal in the process. This would result in the only other bad album in Anthem’s career, but we’ll get to that when we get to part 3!

Best Track? Walk Through The Night stood out to me in a lot of ways. For starters, it’s highly reminiscent of 80s Hair Metal ballads. Not just in emotional power, but in instrumentation as well. It’s just as heavy as everything else on here, but Anthem must have had nostalgia goggles on, and seem to be going for a Dokken-like pace. Hell, even Eizo Sakamoto has a little bit of that Don Dokken style of metal crooning in his singing voice on this song, as while it’s loud & intense like pretty much everything on Black Empire, he lets the emotion flow a little more obviously as the tune plays on.

Walk Through The Night

Worst Track? Ladies & Gentlemen (and everywhere in between), name me one single bad song on here. I dare you! Black Empire is one of Anthem’s best releases in the 2000s, and unlike their previous 2 outings, the energy on this album is consistent throughout the entire playtime. From beginning to end you’re treated to an absolute beat of a record that never wavers, and stays nice & heavy also.

Black Empire. A scorching way to close out the 2000s, and also manages to be a solid release energy wise. If you found the prior 2 records, as great as they are, to be lopsided when it comes to strength, then you will love the consistency of this one. I guarantee it!

And that was part 2 of my look at Anthem. Like a phoenix rising from it’s ashes, these noble masters of metal came right back to life, showing the world that they were here to stay. However, with this newfound energy, can they carry it over into the 2010s? Join me around the end of the month when I’ll have my final look at the band, but in the meantime I got my 1st con review of 2023 coming soon! See you next time!


***
If you’re curious about listening to these albums, then click on the links below:     

Heavy Metal Anthem

Seven Hills

Overload

Eternal Warrior

Immortal

Black Empire

Also, coped info from the 2021 review. Again, I know it’s a lazy move!

Happy Birthday Neon Dynasty (Things That Make Me Happy)

Main Set (Left) & Commander Decks (Right)

Happy early Birthday Neon Dynasty!

I wanted to try something different with this post. Whenever the mood strikes me, I want to talk about things that make me happy. Just an off the cuff post about something in life, big or small, that brings a smile to my face. The world has sucked giant amounts of canal water in recent years, so it’s nice to be able to do something to balance it all out. If any of you liked this, then please let me know when you’re done reading this as soon as you can. So with that out of the way.....let’s get into it!

As you saw right above, this is a birthday celebration for a lovely little Magic The Gathering set called Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. Longtime MTG fans immediately recognize the first part of that name, as it probably crashes into them like a tidal wave of nostalgia. More casual fans of the game, and even people outside of it, probably don’t understand the feeling that many of us felt when we would return to this world after nearly 20 years of almost not hearing a single peep. However, on the 18th of February in 2022, those of us who longed to return to the world of Feudal Fantasy that was Kamigawa were finally granted passage back into that realm.....but not quite in the way that we all thought.

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Official Teaser

To understand what made this such a jaw-dropping return, you need to understand it’s roots. Like I said above, the first time we were in Kamigawa it was in a complete Feudal Fantasy setting. Without going too deep into it’s story (Since it would take quite a while), Kamigawa centered around the events of the Kami War, which was a 20 year battle against the spiritual beings known as Kami. A great crime was committed against them, and thus they seemingly fought against all of the denizens of the plane because of this crime, only for it to finally end once the good guys won the day after going through quite the ordeal. Kamigawa felt very much like a fantasy version of Japan: there were Samurai, Ninjas, an equivalent of Shinto, Oni, old-world Japanese buildings, etc! It honestly felt like an epic story from the Land of the Rising Sun, but once we left after the 3rd part of the story (Saviors Of Kamigawa), it seemed as if Wizards Of The Coast didn’t want to look back. Outside of a few lore elements & teasers, it seemed as if Kamigawa was going to become a distant memory. Little did we know, that in 2022, we would return to the feudal lands.....but in an incredibly remarkable way.

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Official Cinematic

As you can tell by the two videos I like above, we most definitely returned to Kamigawa, but now things are incredibly different. The plane of Feudal Fantasy we once knew was gone, and instead a realm of Asian Cyberpunk took it’s place. Make no mistake: there are still Samurai, Kami, and a respect for the traditions of old, but now there’s giant mechs, neon of all colors, and just the right amount of anime references to make this new yet incredibly familiar plane come together to work incredibly well. I confess that when I first heard that Kamigawa was going Cyberpunk I did scratch my head for a second. All of the teases we got years prior never at any point hinted that the plane was heading in that direction, so when the time came to reveal the world a little more (Outside of the tiny bit of art that came out).....we were all in shock.

Building Worlds - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty

So, why am I talking about this? Well, like I said above, this potential series is about things that make me happy, and this MTG release in February of 2022 is something that constantly makes me have a smile on my face. I should that there were several releases prior to Neon Dynaty that I enjoyed very much. Ikoria, Adventures In The Forgotten Realms, and Crimson Vow were just a couple of the sets that I had fun with.....but they didn’t hit me like Neon Dynasty did. Like I said in my top 5 games of 2022 list, I felt nothing but sheer amounts of pure, unadulterated, genuine joy when I got to play this at a pre-release held in a local Hibachi place. Traveling to this realm of neon harkened back to when I first got into Magic The Gathering nearly 20 years ago, and that feeling has stuck with me since.

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty w/ Post Malone! l Game Knights 51 l Magic: The Gathering Gameplay Commander

As of the time of me typing this up, I’m 1 card away from finishing number 7 out of 12 EDH decks based around commanders from Neon Dynasty. Budget friendly of course, but 12 decks centered around a world of magic & mecha, and it’s a goal I plan on finishing hopefully by the end of 2023. I can understand why some people might find that silly, and I even agree with those people to a certain extent, but with the big smiling face this set gave me when I first touched it on that fateful day, I felt it was only appropriate to do so.

Let's Play The Kamigawa Neon Dynasty Booster Box Game! | Magic: The Gathering

And that was a birthday celebration of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, and the start of a potential new series of posts. If any one of you read this, and are interested in more of this, please leave a comment below. Before I go, take a look at this selection of incredible artwork from the set. I’ll provide a link after the artwork to the site that has the selection I put here, as well as everything else I didn’t get. Enjoy!

Art Of MTG (Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty)

Metal Overview: Anthem (Part 1)

Hello fellow Otaku & Metalheads, and welcome....to the month....of Anthem!

Those of you who’ll recall part one of my Summer Of Japan event back in 2021 may remember these titans from the land of the rising sun, but for those who don’t, Anthem are one of the premier Heavy Metal bands from Glorious Nippon. What Judas Priest was to England, these guys were to the land of Samurai & Ramune. For a very long time Anthem had cult status here in the United States & Europe, but thanks to some special record deals, they now have a gateway to take over Europe, and to make a triumphant return to America. So, to celebrate one of my absolute favorite sleeper bands of all time, I’m dedicating February to taking a look at the band’s discography. Given their discography, I’m splitting my look into 3 separate posts, and today is obviously part 1. This post will cover the band laying down their foundation, creating some of the best metal that the 80s & early 90s had to offer. So with that said, here’s my look at the juggernauts known as Anthem.....part 1!

Anthem (1985) ***

Our story begins in Tokyo in the year 1980. A quartet of men would come to form what would be the Japanese equivalent of Judas Priest: singer Toshihito Maeda, guitarist Akifumi Koyanagi, bass player Naoto Shibata (Nicknamed "Ski") and drummer Takamasa Ohuchi (Nicknamed “Mad” due to his drumming style & drinking habits). Koyanagi would actually leave in late 1983, and his replacement would come in the form of guitar god Hiroya Fukuda. In December a year later, Toshihito Maeda would leave as well, and would be replaced by Eizo Sakamoto just in time for the band’s first release. Anthem would be release in July 1985 by Nexus (In Japan) and licensed to Europe by Roadrunner Records, but never released in the United States & the rest of the world (As far as I know).

Best Track? Like I said back in June of 2021, Blind City was a banger of a song! The instrumentation was perfect, Eizo’s voice was great despite a small hiccup, the pacing was wonderful, and even the rough production value adds to the track’s atmosphere. This is definitely the kind of song you’d hear in a seedy part of the city. The part where building look a little worn, and the people there are a bit on the tough side. Despite it being the 3rd to last tune, it’s most easily the face of the record in my opinion.

Blind City

Worst Track? Also like I said back in 2021, the only faults that like with the album were it’s production value & Eizo’s voice. The overall sound quality ranges between rough but bearable at best, and grating at worse. Given that Anthem didn’t have a producer, but the president of the Killer Guitar Company (George Azuma) turning the knobs, it’s not completely surprising as to why the albums sounds the way it does. As for Eizo’s voice, I can only say that it sounds like the guy is learning how things go as he sings. He’s definitely not an incompetent vocalist, but I have a weird suspicion that he may not have been as used to Heavy Metal as he was at that time.

Anthem. A rough start, but one in which showed a lot of promise of the band. If you can somehow find a way to buy or download this record, I can only say to do you. You will not be disappointed. Next album!

Tightrope (1986)

Despite the potential of their first album, Anthem unintentionally has a bit of a focus issue on it. The whole thing came across like something that the band wanted to sound like, yet they didn’t have a clear way to get there. Fortunately for them, a shift in sound would begin in 1985, when the band were contracted by Nihon Falcom to make a soundtrack single for the second Dragonslayer videogame, Xanadu.

Xanadu (Act 2)

As excellent as that single was, it would not compare to what would be coming. Released on the 21st of April, 1986, Tightrope was further evidence of the band evolving their sound & vision. Thanks to the enlistment of music producer Ken Casey (The first time they would get help from outside Japan, btw), not to mention the band’s manager Masanori “Masa” Ito throwing out the original recording & demanded that it come across more like the original demos. Because of this, the music on the album is thicker, richer, and more melodic than what came before it. Even the production got a bit of an upgrade.....but more on that in a bit.

Best Track? I’m definitely a sucker for the title track. Still containing plenty of speed (That’s also prevalent on a majority of Tightrope, btw), the band definitely lean a little more towards the melodic side of things on this one. Like the song’s name, Anthem are definitely walking on a tightrope for this one, yet show no signs of falling off. They strike a perfect balance between the speed and melody, but they don’t waver in any way.

Tightrope Dancer

Worst Track? Sort of like their first release, the production value on Tightrope is rough. I say sort of, because things sound so much better on here. If anything, I say the sound & production quality on Anthem’s second release sounds like the best off of their first. Because of this production improvement, Tightrope has aged quite a bit better that their self-titled debut, and isn’t quite as grating.

Tightrope. A considerable improvement over their self-titled release, it showed that Anthem was capable of evolving their own sound into something special. There’s still a little bit of production bumps here & there, but it’s not quite as ear-breaking as it was on their first release, and it’s smoothed out a bit more as well. Next album!

Bound To Break (1987)

Even those outside of Japan know of the mythical beings called the Oni. In ancient times they were a quasi-legitimate superstition, but in modern times it’s more along the lines of the unlucky number 13. Within the Japanese music industry, the 3rd album in anyone’s career is basically that unlucky number (Naota Shibata admitted as much). With the record company put a lot of pressure on the band, Anthem had to buckle down when it came to record number 3, but said pressure is what gave the band the strength to crank out one of the best albums in their career. Released on the 5th of March, 1987, Bound To Break was a colossus in their musical library! On top of that, it was also the first time that the guys would work with a producer that was outside of Japan. In this case, it was the legendary Chris Tsangarides! Known for his work with Black Sabbath & Judas Priest, Chris was a natural fit with Anthem, as he had nothing but respect for the band, and championed them for decades. Perhaps more remarkably than they, they would actually travel to the United States for their first (And currently their only) tour alongside Racer X....but that would have interesting implications by the time said tour was done.  

Best Track? To pick a single song off of this album to represent it is absolutely difficult. Every single tune I listened to on this album is the pinnacle of 1980s Heavy Metal quality! So much so, I dare say that every song is the best. If I had to pick a favorite, however, I’d have to say it’s a tie between the delicious title track, and the rhythmic beats of Show Must Go On. That second song is somewhat significant, as it was actually featured in the OVA of Devilman from 1987 in an effort to push Anthem more commercially (Music from Tightrope would also be featured, but I don’t know which song was used). Regardless of commerciality, both tunes are heavy & rhythmic tracks filled to the brim with gorgeous riffs, pounding drums, and metallic crooning that only Eizo Sakamoto could provide. Again, everything on Bound To Break is fantastic, but these two tracks are my favorites.....and so I’m picking them!

Bound To Break

Show Must Go On

Even more so than the songs, the best thing about Bound To Break is the production! Compared to the self-titled release from 1985 & Tightrope from 1986, Anthem’s 3rd album was the best sounding thing at that time. There’s no roughness at any point, and as such has aged significantly well in the 25+ years since it’s release. If I had to compared this production increase to another album, it would have to be Grim Reaper’s third release, Rock You To Hell. Like Anthem, the first 2 albums from Grim Reaper had production issues, but when it came to their 3rd album it sounds significantly better in so many ways.  

Worst Track? This doesn’t have anything to do with the music, but the worst thing that could be said about Bound To Break would be with Eizo Sakamoto himself. During the tour with Racer X & the world tour by large, it was reported that he was suffering from some pretty brutal stage fright, which resulted in some awful crippling panic attacks. Coupled with the constant tour/recording cycle, he couldn’t deal with the stress anymore, and left Anthem before said stress took him. Eizo would return much later down the line.....but we’ll just have to wait for that until part 2!

Bound To Break. An absolute behemoth within the Japanese Heavy Metal scene, and for the Anthem Cult outside of Japan, a tasty glimpse into the land of the rising sun’s musical landscape. If you somehow have a copy land in your lap, then don’t let go! Next album!

Gipsy Ways (1988)

By 1988, there was a musical shift in the air. Over here in the United States, the spandex and aquanet hair of Glam Metal was giving way, and the denim and leather of Bands like Guns & Roses and their ilk were moving in. Ironically, the opposite thing was taking place in Japan, with what would eventually be called Visual Kei was taking the place of bands like Anthem. Feeling the effects of this musical shift, the band would increasingly become more melodic because of this. However, there was the problem of their singer leaving the band the year prior, but their savior would come from an unlikely source.

Enter Yukio Morikawa! Originally trying out for the position of Anthem’s singer at the beginning of their career, he would ironically only receive runner up status, but his name was in bassist Naoto Shibata’s little black book since that encounter, and come time to find a replacement he most certainly did. Whereas Eizo (As fantastic as he was) had more of a rawness to his vocal work, Morikawa was much more refined when it came to his singing, being able to be smooth & heavy simultaneously as he sang. With the new lead singer acquired, as well as continuing to work alongside producer Chris Tsangarides, Anthem got back in the studio, and on the 21st of May, 1998, Gypsy Ways was released. Selling pretty well in Japan, the record would also act as a symbol of the shifting musical landscape in the band’s home country. For better or for worse things were changing, and Anthem were going to adapt & kick ass at the same time!  

Best Track? Kinda like Blind City off of their self-titled debut, Bad Habits Die Hard is a song that you’d swear you would listen to in the seedy part of town. You’re sitting down in a dirty bar, the bar chick hands you whiskey on the rocks, and all the while you’re looking at everyone in the place, sizing up everybody, but always keeping your eye on the one guy in the corner that just gives you the creeps. Taking the atmosphere out of the picture, the song has great guitar & bass, pounding drums, and Morikawa’s vocal work is easily a wonderful replacement for Eizo. As a way to help open the album up to listeners, this is a nice choice.

Bad Habits Die Hard

Perhaps the other best thing about Gipsy Ways is Yukio Morikawa’s singing. More specifically, his ability to sing in English. Eizo Sakamoto is talented on the microphone no questions asked, but when he goes out of his comfort zone language wise, you get the sneaking suspicion that maybe he’s a little uncomfortable about it. Not so with Yukio, as he sound pretty confident & strong when he decides to crack open a can of English. Even when the album delves into the Engrish side of things, Morikawa still sounds competent when he’s singing outside of the languages he knows.

Worst Track? I dare anyone to find an issue with Gipsy Ways. I DARE ANYONE! From beginning to end you’re treated to a behemoth of a late 80s Heavy Metal album. Production is perfect. Instrumentation is perfect. Vocal work is perfect! The only thing one could nitpick would be that Anthem sacrifices a little bit of speed to put in more melody, but said melody adds to this album’s atmosphere delightfully.

Gipsy Ways. An absolutely fantastic start for the new singer, and a great record in it’s own right. If you fancy yourself more on the melodic side of Japanese Metal that’s got some improved English vocals in some songs, than Gypsy Ways is for you. Next album!

Hunting Time (1989)

By the end of the 1980s, things seemed to brighten for Anthem. Despite their original singer leaving a few years prior, the new guy was just as good if not better. On top of that, they were able to recover from a tiny slump, and there were even talks of a second tour in the United States. Sadly, that tour hasn’t happened even to this day, but perhaps the biggest sign that trouble was coming was the rift between Naoto Shibata & Hiroya Fukuda. By the sessions for their 5th release in 1988, both men were hardly speaking to one another, and this was complicated by the fact that Fukuda was laboring under reality that he was beginning to suffer from permanent hearing loss due to the constant touring in Japan. Despite all of the issues cropping up, everybody still put their noses to the grindstone without complaint, and on the 21st of May, 1989, Hunting Time was released. I’ll repeat this at the end, but Hunting Time was a great way to close out their time in the 1980s: in addition to continuing down the melodic path like Gypsy Ways (But picking a little bit of speed back up), it’s also another display of Yukio Morikawa’s vocal work.

Best Track? I gotta give it to the title track for this spot. Hunting Time the song is just wonderful! It’s got plenty of melody to it’s name, but is one of the tune on this album that got a little bit of that previously mentioned speed back. This is the kind of track you play in your car in the early evening with the windows rolled down & the top folded back (If your choice of vehicle has those), the sun is setting into the crimson sky, and the breeze flies against you at just the right strength. Even if you don’t listen to it this way, it’s still a great track regardless!

Hunting Time

Worst Track? How.....can anyone.....find a song.....on this album that sucks!? Anthem are a band that work their ass off, crafting gorgeous music under intense pressure from all sides. Every member of the band digs up diamonds from the rough, while Chris Tsangarides shines those diamonds until they sparkle so bright that virtually everybody in the world can see them. Anyone that even remotely tries to say that a song on this record sucks is genuinely mad, and should be put in the nearest mental hospital as soon as possible.

Hunting Time. More melodic than Gypsy Ways was, yet it doesn’t lose a single amount of heaviness over the course of it’s run time like it’s predecessor. It continues to be a great showcase for Morikawa, and is a great record to close out the 1980s at the same time. Next album!

No Smoke Without Fire (1990)

1990. In the eyes of most metal elitests, this was the year in which classic Heavy Metal up & died.....and in a messed up sense, they weren’t completely wrong. Metal was slowly being moved out of the spotlight, and Grunge & Rap/Hip-Hop were moving in to take metal’s place. Anthem were no exception to this, but they were having issues of their own around this time. Since the late 80s, Visual Kei was beginning to take over as one of if not the most popular genres in Japan, and as such the band was slowly being pushed out of the limelight, but it doesn’t stop there. The constant tour/album cycle was really putting a strain on the band, and the equally constant pressure from the record company didn’t help matters. Then, there is the matter of their producer, Chris Tsangarides. After their earlier output went on deaf ears outside of Japan, they parted ways with him despite still recording in London. In Chris’s stead emerged, and I’m not kidding, was longtime Duran Duran producer Tony Taverner. Even the band knew that this wouldn’t fly among metalheads in Japan, and so his name was left uncredited (Even on the 2005 re-release) to this very day. Finally, there was the leaving of Hiroya Fukuda. Due to a mix of being burned out, getting annoyed that the rest of Anthem was adding more commercial elements to their music, and being dismayed that Visual Kei was beginning to take up more room within the music scene in Japan, he ultimately decided to leave the band (But not before finishing). So with the record company once again adding on the pressure, Anthem sent out a message to anyone that could hear them: come on in if you can play guitar. They got their replacement in the form of Hideaki Nakama, a Yngwie Malmsteen like guitar god that already had something of a following in Japan (But with much less ego). Ironic, since he actually didn’t play a single note on Anthem’s 1990 release, though he would have an instrumental on the single for Love On The Edge.

Put out on the 21st of March, 1990, No Smoke Without Fire was an absolute beast of a record when it came out, despite the record company showing less & less interest in Anthem as Visual Kei was going places. If you recall from my review of this CD during part one of my Summer Of Japan blog event, you may recall that I heaped hordes of praise upon it, and I will still continue to do so. Despite the band practically running on fumes, they still put in a hell of a lot of work! Hiroya Fukuda puts in his work on guitar (Despite NSWF being his last album), Takamasa Ohuchi still calls down lightning & thunder on the drums, Naoto Shibata swings the bass like a kanabo, and Yukio Morikawa continues to prove that he’s just as good singing as the vocalist before him. Even with the lack of spotlight, it was still proof that Anthem were an absolute force to be reckoned with!

Best Track? Voice Of Thunderstorm is the Japanese equivalent of the iconic Ace Of Spades. Fast, rhythmic, shocking, you name it! It comes out of the gate like lightning & thunder, electrocuting anything that’s in it’s path, and you’re gonna feel it during the entire run time. Coupled with the excellent production that’s felt across the entire album, and you have a genuine Speed Metal classic. Don’t skip this song!

Voice Of Thunderstorm

Worst Track? Nothing! None! Nada! Zip! Zilch! No Smoke Without Fire doesn’t have a bad track anywhere! It has managed to age incredibly well in the 30+ years since it’s release, and thanks to it’s phenomenal production value, I got a feeling that it’ll manage to age well for a decade or two more. It’s that....damn.....good!

No Smoke Without Fire. Starting off the 1990s with an Japanese Bang, it’s proof positive that classic Heavy Metal didn’t “Die” when the 80s ended. If you want to see why Heavy Metal actually thrived in the decade of Crystal Pepsi & Saturday Morning Cartoons despite not being in the spotlight as much, I point you to this monster of a record. Next album!

Domestic Booty (1992)

As the beginning of the 90s continued on, Anthem were suffering a number of problems. Record companies being more interested in Visual Kei rather than their music, financial woes, and being unable to make it big in both Europe & the United States. To make matter worse, any attempt to make it to those nations would ultimately be squashed by of all things the Gulf War, which tripled the cost of travel. Hideaki Nakami was incredibly frustrated by his bandmates’s ability to get outside of Japan, and after a motorcycle accident in 1991 after the No Smoke Without Fire tour, he resigned from Anthem. His replacement would come in the form of Akio Shimizu, who’s particular way of playing guitar was different from both of his predecessors, yet still had an incredible level of quality behind it. With the replacement secured, and Chris Tsangarides back behind the producer spot, Anthem would go on to craft what would be their final album of the 1990s (And their last album for nearly a decade). Released on the 16th of March, 1992, the hilariously titled Domestic Booty was yet another example of classic Heavy Metal managed to stand strong in the decade of Boy Bands & Bill Clinton, raising it’s middle fingers into the face of any cynics claiming that metal died. This was actually the first Anthem I listened to years ago, but at that time I admit I didn’t appreciate it, but now that I’m a fan of this band, I understand it much more than I did back then.....Engrish & all!

Best Track? Venom Strike was always a catchy little tune whenever I listened to this album. It’s not quite a Speed Metal titan like Voice Of Thunderstorm was on the prior release, but this is made up by supplementing things with a bit more rhythm & melody. The song doesn’t feel like it’ll fly off the rains, but there’s still plenty of intensity over the course of the track’s runtime. Yukio Morikawa sings his ass off the entire time, but he keeps his voice under just enough control so as to not wear out his vocal cords. As a way to open up their final album in the 1990s, I couldn’t think of anything better.

Venom Strike

Worst Track? Look, I’ve been saying this for virtually this whole time, and I will for almost every other time after this, but Anthem are seemingly incapable of making an album that sucks. If there’s one crime that they have committed, and multiple times in fact, it would be the copious amount of Engrish that’s sung. To play devil’s advocate, English obviously isn’t the band’s primary language, and Japanese is definitely their first. Even with that said, I’m constantly doing double takes when they sing in Japanese, then all of a sudden an English word or phrase comes. This does break up twice....but more on that in parts 2 & 3.  

Domestic Booty. Goofy name aside, it’s an absolute beast of a record, and given the album that came before it is saying something! If you can get past the wonky Engrish, you will find yet another example of Metal not getting “Killed” in the 1990s. You won’t regret it!

And that was part 1 of my look at Anthem. This was the foundation upon which the band built their empire in Japan, and the era where they also had perhaps their nose to the grindstone the hardest. So with Domestic Booty in their rear (Teeheehee)  view mirror, and with diminishing returns & shows, the band quietly drifted into the night to take it easy & pursue their own personal projects. However, a metallic titan like Anthem does not rest so easily, so join me in the middle of February, when we’ll look at their time in the 2000s. See you then!





***
If you’re curious about listening to these albums, then click on the links below:

Anthem

Tightrope

Bound To Break

Gipsy Ways

Hunting Time

No Smoke Without Fire

Domestic Booty

Also, I copied info from my review of the first album in 2021 at the beginning of this overview. Lazy, I know!