Last month, I profiled a new metallic hardcore band out of Kawasaki, Japan I was impressed with called Torture Smile. During my chat with vocalist xTRUEKILLx (a stage name for all stage names), he offered up some other current bands from his country he wanted No Echo readers to check out.
I figured it would be more helpful to break his band list off into its own article for the site's readers to use as a reference.
Below is xTRUEKILLx's list of current Japanese hardcore bands everyone should check out. Dig in!
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From xTRUEKILLx, vocalist of Torture Smile:
"To be honest, we’re pretty much the only hardcore band in Kawasaki. But Yokohama, the city next to us, has a lot of great bands. That’s why we feel like it’s on us to build up the scene in our own area.
"Instead, I’ll introduce some of the best bands from our generation in Japan."
View From the Soyuz
"First up, View From the Soyuz. Everyone probably knows them already, even people who aren’t deep into hardcore. Calling them a melodic death metal/new school hardcore band is an easy way to describe them, but led by vocalist Masa, they’re constantly evolving by blending different styles. They’re truly an amazing band."
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Dozeone
"Dozeone is a Tokyo band that plays groovy, danceable hardcore influenced by NYHC classics."
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Vice City Slave
"From Tokyo, Vice City Slavez has an absolutely terrifying beatdown sound, led by their intense vocalist, Takumi."
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SPKEZ
"SPKEZ from Tokyo blends power violence elements into a fast hardcore punk style.
"These first three bands are full of wild party animals, so being around them is always a blast."
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UNHOLY11
"In Osaka, there’s a crew called West Side Unity, and their bands UNHOLY11, ReVERSE BOYZ, and Fallen Grace are all top-tier. They’re the rightful successors of Kansai Hardcore from the early 2000s.
"Especially UNHOLY11—their live shows are even more brutal than the Japanese Hardcore Mosh Style 2 videos."
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Stained
"Further west in Okayama, there’s a crew called DARKSIDE OYC, and the bands Stained and Zetton from that scene are insane. Their dedication to music is unreal. Their hardcore punk sound is incredibly intricate and meticulously mixed with various influences."
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Belmadigula
"There are a ton of great bands all over Japan, but my personal favorite from our generation is Belmadigula. It’s impossible to describe their music in words—you just have to see them live if you ever come to Japan!"
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Recluse
"Lastly, I’m part of a mosh crew called GRAMSECT, so let me introduce some bands connected to us.
"Recluse is a rare band in Japan where all members are straight edge. They have a sleek, danceable sound rooted in early new school hardcore without metallic elements."
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L2D
"L2D is a brand-new band, but they’re definitely going to lead the Nagoya hardcore scene. They play NYHC-style hardcore that just makes you want to mosh like crazy."
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Tagged: belmadigula, dozeone, l2d, recluse, scene report, spkez, stained, torture smile, unholy11, vice city slave, view from the soyuz
