5 Metal Albums From Japan You Should Own

 Well fellow Otaku & Metalheads, we’re home!

I had a lot of fun touring the metallic landscape of Japan with all of you this summer! I know that the season doesn’t officially end a few weeks from now, but it always seems like when August is going to end the magic of the past few months begins to fade. Luckily, there’s still some left to use, and none of these themed summers is complete without a list! With this one, I got the 5 metal albums from Japan that you need in your library. There are far more bands in the Land of the Rising Sun that are easy candidates for this post, but these are the ones I thought of first. Anyways, take a look, and enjoy!

1) Monster Musume - Centorea EP (Song)

It might seem a little strange to have an Anime CD on this list, but hear me on this! Out of all of the Monster Musume EPs released over half a decade ago, the one dedicated to the most noble of centaurs is firmly within the realm of Heavy Metal. Power Metal, to be more specific. Given that Lady Centorea is a steadfast knight, it’s only fair that the music reflects her nature. It’s a little difficult to locate these days, and it does play for a short time, but it is sincerely worth going out of your way to find this!

2) Gotsu-Totsu-Kotsu - The Final Stand (Song)

Who knew that Japan is not just known for J-Pop & typical Heavy Metal!?

Okay, that may sound a little goofy, but discovering that Death Metal has made it’s home even in the Land of the Rising Sun was certainly a surprise. Not only that, but the band mixed western brutality with the history & folklore of their home country into something unique. Like I said in the review, The Final Stand is distinctively Japanese, but that shouldn’t stop anyone outside of Glorious Nippon from giving this behemoth a listen to.

3) Loudness - The Birthday Eve (Song)

This album was a surprising hit when it first came out. Despite practically no music videos, singles, or even promotion from their record company for the most part, Loudness has crafted a genuine masterpiece! It does have some grey hairs on the top of it’s head on account of being 40 years old, but even with it’s age the song on The Birthday Eve are proof that Japan can kick ass and take names just as much as the rest of the world can. Take a listen, and see for yourself!

4) Balflare - Downpour (Song)

As a Power Metal fanatic, I took to this album like a politician takes to dishonesty. Like I said in my review for it, this is the most western record from Japan when compared to pretty much everything else I’ve covered this summer. Balflare have far more in common with European Power Metal than anything from their home country, so there is that bit of whiplash. It may have been nearly a decade since the band has released anything, but the downpour they unleashed in 2012 is still coming down nice and heavy.

5) Anthem - No Smoke Without Fire (Song)

Anthem’s first release of the 90s holds a special place in my metallic heart. In addition to being the first album from this iconic band I have ever acquired, No Smoke Without Fire also happens to be the first Anthem record that got it’s hooks into me. Much like Devin Townsend’s 2012 behemoth Epicloud, the music presented here is damn good! The guitar & bass is superb, the drumwork pounds like thunder, and the vocal work from Yukio Morikawa is fantastic. The fact that Anthem had a tiny foothold here in the states back in the 80s is incredible, and if that foothold stayed by the time 1990 came about, I’m sure that No Smoke Without Fire would be the album that gets my fellow Americans to pay closer attention. An outright classic!

Well, these were 5 metal albums from Japan you should own. Maybe next year, I might decide to do another trip through a different country. Who knows!? With that said, the blog’s 7th anniversary is coming, and I can’t wait to show off what I got coming. See you soon!

Album Review: Balflare's Downpour

Hey fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Well, the end of our trip through Japan is coming. It’s been a hell of a journey, and I loved every minute of it with you all. We’ve taken a gander at one obscure Japanese band, so why not do another one? The subject of today’s review, however, might be the furthest from Japan than I’ve ever heard. From beginning to the end, you’ll swear that you’re listening to something straight from the heart of Europe’s Power Metal scene! Don’t believe me? Well, take a look at the highly obscure Balflare & their 4th album Downpour, and hear it yourself!

Background
If you think finding out information about Gotsu Totsu Kotsu was a pain, there’s not that much of a difference here. At the very least there’s a tiny wikipedia page, and the band has a website that hasn’t been updated in a while (Here), as well as some reviews on Metal Archives & some information scattered elsewhere. Otherwise, you’re not going to find a lot.

Basic Description
“Western” Japanese Metal.

Out of everything I’ve covered during this summer, this is perhaps the most Western sounding album out of the Land of the Rising Sun. More so than Gotsu Totsu Kotsu, and even more so than Anthem or Loudness, Balflare’s 4th release is the furthest from Japan when compared to practically everything else that comes out of the country. Like I’ve seen in a bunch of Youtube comments & reviews from other sites, people compare Balflare to the likes of Sonata Arctica and Stratovarius, and probably a few more groups. These guys are definitely on the melodic side of Power Metal, but for the first time in their career, they finally seemed to sync up. All parts come together, and things seem to finally work perfectly together. There is one fault to be had (More on that later), but Downpour is perhaps some of the best Power Metal to be released outside of Europe!

Best Track
Kinda gotta give it to Sate the Heart, and the 2nd to last track, From the Edge of Time. The former is a more fast-paced tune, but Balflare never loose focus, and they keep themselves on a leash as they play & sing. They never loose the intensity though, as the guitarwork & drums carry a lot of energy, the keyboards bring the sound, and the vocals are fantastic. From the Edge of Time on the other hand, shows off the more melodic side of the band. The speed & pacing is toned down a little, but is made up by more intense instrumentation & keyboarding. The Power Metal vibes are also slightly more obvious here (On an album that’s not subtle, that’s saying something), and I don’t know if I was hallucinating when I first listened to this song, but I swore I felt like I was hearing a forgotten Everfrost song of all things. That might sound strange, but I swear that’s what happened!

Sate the Heart

From the Edge of Time

Worst Track
Much like Gotsu Totsu Kotsu from last time, obscurity is this band’s fault, so I won’t say much in this regard. The only other thing I’ll mention is the singing, and for the most part you can’t tell that it’s a Japanese singer. Every once in a while though, a little bit of his accent creeps in. Not heavily, but enough that you can tell something is odd.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

Downpour

Overall Impression & Rating
Downpour is Balflare at their best. Though their first three releases were certainly something, it’s this album where things finally seem to click. The instrumentation, keyboarding, and vocal work all finally comes together to create something fantastic. Though Isao Matsuzaki’s accent does make an appearance once in a while, it doesn’t ruin the Power Metal on this CD. If you somehow find a download link or CD, you owe yourself the time to listen to this slice of badassery!

Downpour gets a 9 out of 10.

And with that, we board our plane for the return trip to the United States. However, we got one thing to look at during our flight, so join me next time when we’ll look at some albums from Japan that are needed for one’s own collection. See you soon!

Album Review: Gotsu Totsu Kotsu's The Final Stand

Well fellow Otaku & Metalheads, we’re just about ready to leave!

This trip has been a hell of a lot of fun. It’s nice to examine music from a country that some metalheads might not be familiar with. Though Anthem from June and Loudness from July certainly have some exposure outside of Japan, these last two albums have almost no exposure here in the U.S. and abroad. In fact, info & videos on sites like Youtube are as rare as a unicorn. Despite being highly obscure, the music on what’s to come is still an absolute blast to listen to! As for today’s review.....we’re gonna get our hands all nice & bloody. So, pray to your ancestors, sharpen your Katana, and take a look at my review of Gotsu Totsu Kotsu’s 5th release, The Final Stand. Let’s begin!

Background
So here’s where things get complicated. I can find practically nothing about this band. English metal sites (The few I go to, at least) have such little info, it’s practically useless. Only on the more obscure sites, or fans of more obscure metal bands, will probably have information on these guys. So, I can’t offer much in this department.

Basic Description ***
Brutal West meets the Land of the Rising Sun.

On the surface, The Final Stand comes across like a standard Death Metal album from the United States or Europe. From the instrumentation to the vocal works (Despite being sung completely in Japanese), one could potentially mistake them for a band outside Japan. However, it’s the little things that make the music on this unique. For one, there’s the subject matter: laced throughout all of the brutality are images & references to samurai, Japanese culture, and Japanese folklore. This is even reflected in some of the instrumentation, as occasional usage of Japanese instruments gives the album some cultural identity to their music. So what you have is some absolutely brutal Heavy Metal, but metal that is also culturally aligned to a nation as well. Some really interesting stuff if you ask me!

Best Track
If there was a song that seemed to stand out from the rest, it would have to be Bunbutsu to-sen, or Cultural Battle as it is translated. For starters, the instrumentation is wild and furious, but it doesn’t fly off the rails. The vocal work is oddly clear, as Haruhisa Takahata (The singer & bassist of the band) puts his point front and center, but still leaves some guttural snarls in there for good measure. The lyrics seem to be a mix of acknowledging that war can progress civilization, but also criticizes the scars it can leave behind when the fighting is all done. In an interesting take, and one that’s just perfect for this album.   

Bunbutsu to-sen (Cultural Battle)

Worst Track
Honestly, obscurity & lack of information are this album’s only weakness over in the states. Hell, for all intent & purpose Gotsu-Totsu-Kotsu has a true cult status in America & the rest of the world. It is surprising who likes this band, and just as surprising is who’ve review pretty much anything from these guys.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

The Final Stand

Overall Impression & Rating
The Final Stand is a bonzai charge upon your brain! If Gotsu Totsu Kotsu weren’t so obscure and hard to locate, I might have given their 5th album a perfect 10. Even so, The Final Stand is worth all of your time. The absolutely relentless Death Metal, mixed in with cultural references to Japan’s past, makes for music that’s heavy but unique. Should you somehow find this thing, you would do well to get your hands on it!

The Final Stand gets a 9 out of 10.

And that was The Final Stand. An absolutely brutal Death Metal assault, but with a bit of Samurai ascetics thrown in to make it unique. It may be a pain in the ass to locate online, but it’s worth it in the end. So join me next time, when we get a little bit of power from Glorious Nippon. See you soon!


***
One final note: Gotsu-Totsu-Kotsu prefer to call themselves Samurai Metal & not Death Metal. Give the themes they sometimes cover on this album (And the rest of their discography), I’m not surprised.

Food For Thought/Thought For Food No. 21: The Ghost Of Blizzard

I remember when I was 9 years old. Dad was into PC Gamer back in the day, and in an August issue in 1996 as usual was the included CD that had demos. It was one in particular that kept me glued to the computer monitor. One demo that was dark, gothic, filled with nightmarish creatures that seemed to come from the recesses of shadows just past the corner of my eye, and a lone warrior wading through a decrepit cathedral. It was all capped by one of the most striking & iconic intro cinematics I’ve ever saw at that time.....and maybe still to this day.

Diablo – Opening Cinematic

Yeah, I’m definitely talking about the whole Blizzard situation. I wanted to wait a week or so to see if anything else would develop this dumpster fire of a collapse, and sweet baby Jesus things have been crawling out of the dumpster! In a way, we all should have seen this coming: the past few years we’ve seen their quality sink, and their reputation being ruined outside & within. Not only that, but many parts of the fanbase have become increasingly apathetic and leaving WoW for incredibly greener pastures. Again, I definitely wanted to wait for more info to pop up before I said something, and now that there’s enough out there, it’s time to say something.

For starters, I gotta talk about quality. For untold ages, Blizzard was known for the high craftsmanship of it’s games. Diablo 1 & 2, Warcraft 1 to 3, Starcraft, and even the first few years of World of Warcraft were landmark games that show off how good you can be. Hell, even later titles like Heroes of the Storm and Overwatch (The last good thing they’ve made in my opinion) were still example of what you can do when you care! Now? Nothing is being done with Starcraft, Diablo 3 started out incredibly flawed (But ended up being pretty damn good), HotS is effectively dead, WoW’s track record of expanions in recent memory has been awful (Shadowlands anybody?), and even Overwatch was unnecessarily been tampered with! It’s absolutely frightening that the quality has slipped up so much, to the point where I have to wonder if future releases (Especially D4 and OW2) will come fucked up right out of the gate! Shape up Blizzard!

Secondly, I gotta talk about the apathy & attitude that the Blizzard staff seems to show to it’s fanbase on nearly a constant basis these days. Now I’m not talking about the twits and assholes in this case. Those idiots shouldn’t be listened to, despite the company occasionally doing so (I’m looking at you Mercy rez nerf). I’m talking about gamers like you & me. I’m talking about the various streamers across Youtube & Twitch who’ve made it their career to play and talk about your games! Blizzcon 2018 should have been the signal that maybe they don’t care that much, and as time moved it only seemed to get worse. The various teams seem to think that their shit don’t stink, and they at times seem to actively hate the gamers that play their games. Dafuq!?  

And then there’s the matter of the treatment of the female staff. Anyone who knows me knows I love the ladies. Whether in real life or in Anime/Manga/Gaming, and in more.....adult situations, the female form is a work of art. You know what I’m not? A fucking jackass! I don’t ditch my work on girls/women, just to be a lazy prick or go off and get drunk! You know what I don’t do? I don’t try to perv on the ladies in an effort to get laid! And the one thing I don’t do!? DRIVE A FEMALE STAFF MEMBER INTO OFFING HERSELF! I’m not exactly a MeToo person, as I have issues with the political side of the movement, but if there was ever a time where I would align myself with the movement in even a remote manner, it would be this! To any of the male staff members that participated in any of this, I hope your cock & balls shrivel off into dust!

Finally, I gotta say a few words about dear Bobby Kotick. Bobby, you business-minded fuck. You sure as shit know nothing about games. Hell, Forbes has said that you don’t even like video games, and are more concerned about cash than quality! For ages, you’ve proved you’re a sad little man with a sad little dick. Time & time again you’ve shown your true colors: that of a pathetic business man with no passion for anything that isn’t green. You’d rather drain a beloved company dry, than actually show care for the product you make. Oh, and being in Epstein’s little black book doesn’t help with your image either. When you finally & rightfully croak and rot in a grave, the 4th circle in Hell takes you in with flaming open arms and you’ll burn for the rest of existence.

In conclusion, Blizzard is nothing more than a ghost now. The poison that Activision injected into them over a decade ago has finally put our once beloved game company in hospice. Quantity over quality, not listening to the playerbase, showing increasing dislike towards said playerbase, and horrendous attitudes & actions towards the female staff are just a few of the things that have been happening over the years, and really came into the light in the last 3. If Blizzard manages to somehow live through this, they will more than likely look & feel like nothing we once knew. They will probably be almost completely gutted out, and filled in with who knows what. It could be good, or it could somehow be worse than it is. The point is.....Blizzard as we’ve known since the 90s.....is all but gone.

And that’s how I feel about the ghost that is Blizzard. I genuinely don’t want them to die, as there’s still some tiny part of me that likes them in a strange way, but at this point maybe death is a good thing. Perhaps as the company we once loved is resting in the grave, maybe another will take it’s place and rekindle that love we once had. With that said, we’re finally off to the last few destinations of our metallic journey through Japan, and they’re definitely off the beaten path. See you in a few days!