The Best of Japanese Heavy Metal

Looking for some of the best Japanese heavy metal bands? Look no further than this list of essential groups that any fan of the genre needs to know.

History of Japanese Heavy Metal

The late 1970s and early 1980s saw the rise of heavy metal music in Japan. Bands such as Bow Wow, Loudness, and X Japan rose to prominence in the Japanese music scene. These bands would go on to influence the development of the subgenre known as visual kei. Visual kei is a type of music that is characterized by its use of make-up, elaborate hairstyles, and flamboyant costumes.

Early beginnings in the 1970s

Japanese heavy metal began in the late 1960s with bands such as Blue Cheer and Les Rallizes Dénudés, who played American-style hard rock and proto-heavy metal. These bands were soon followed by others such as Flowers (later Mirage), which played psychedelic rock, and Miraikaku and Black Maria, which started out as blues rock bands before moving towards a heavier sound in the early 1970s. The 1970 debut album by Earthshaker, nativized as Chikyū Funka Shōkan Dai Shitsu, is often credited as being the first real heavy metal album by a Japanese band.

In the early 1970s, there was a brief flirtation with glam rock-influenced sounds by bands such as Alice, Flatbacker and BowWow; this period is often referred to as “the glitter years”. The early 1970s also saw the rise of proto-metal bands such as Golden Pavilion and Lazy; these were followed in the latter half of the decade by more straightforwardly metal groups such as Loudness and Earthshaker.

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal influence

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, gaining popularity through the early 1980s. The movement developed partly as a reaction to the decline of early hard rock bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, and the rise of punk rock. NWOBHM bands abandoned blues influence to develop faster and heavier sounds.

During the 1980s, Japanese heavy metal (HM) bands put their own spin on NWOBHM, adding elements of power metal, speed metal and thrash metal to create a unique sound. This new sound quickly gained popularity in Japan and would go on to influence HM bands around the world.

By the early 1990s, Japanese HM had developed into a distinctly different genre from NWOBHM and other Western HM subgenres. Some Japanese HM bands, such as Loudness and X Japan, achieved global success during this period.

Today, Japanese HM is still going strong, with new bands continuing to emerge and gain popularity both in Japan and beyond.

The birth of Visual Kei in the 1980s

The Visual Kei scene in Japan began in the 1980s with bands such as X Japan, D’erlanger and Buck-Tick adopting a more flamboyant look which was inspired by Western glam rock and shock rock acts such as Kiss, David Bowie and Alice Cooper. This look often included make-up, hair dyes and eccentric costumes.

In 1989, X Japan helped to pioneer the Visual Kei sound with their debut album Vanishing Vision. This was followed by a number of other successful albums including Jealousy (1991), Art of Life (1993) and Dahlia (1996). The band’s popularity continued into the new millennium with the release of their final studio album, hide with Spread Beaver (1998).

Since the early 2000s, Visual Kei has seen a decline in popularity, although there are still a number of successful bands within the genre such as Dir en grey, Versailles and Alice Nine.

The Big Four of Japanese Heavy Metal

Within the metal genre, there are sub-genres, and often these are separated by geographical location. Today, we’re going to discuss Japanese heavy metal, or J-metal. This type of metal usually has two guitarists, a drummer, a singer, and sometimes a bassist. The guitars are often down-tuned, and the music often has complex time signatures.

X Japan

X Japan is a Japanese metal band that was founded in 1982 by guitarist Yoshiki Hayashi. The band’s early releases consisted of mostly power/speed metal and heavy metal, but they later transitioned to a more progressive and symphonic sound with their later releases. The band achieved success in the late 1980s and early 1990s with their albums Vanishing Vision, Blue Blood, and Jealousy, which all reached the top ten in the Japanese Oricon album charts. In 1992, the band’s drummer, Taiji Sawada, died by suicide, which resulted in the temporary dissolution of the band.

In 2007, X Japan reformed with new drummer hide replacing Taiji Sawada. The band released their first studio album in 20 years,, titled Age of Heroesin 2011. The album peaked at number one on both the Japanese Oricon album chart and the US Billboard Heatseekers chart.X Japan is widely credited as one of the pioneers of visual kei, a subgenre of rock music characterized by elaborate stage performances and costumes.

The band’s sound has been influential on many other rock genres such as power metal, speed metal, gothic metal, and symphonic metal. X Japan has sold over 30 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling Japanese bands of all time. They have had sixteen number-one singles on the Japanese Oricon Singles Chart , eleven number-one albums on the Oricon Albums Chart , and hold five Guinness World Records .

Dir en Grey

Dir en grey is a Japanese metal band that formed in 1997. The band’s current lineup consists of vocalist Kyo, guitarist Die, guitarist Kaoru, bassist Toshiya and drummer Shinya. The band has released nine studio albums, three mini-albums and nineteen singles. Their debut album Gauze was released in 1999 and their latest album The Unraveling was released in 2013. Dir en grey is one of the most popular and successful metal bands in Japan. They have sold over two million albums worldwide and have had numerous number one albums and singles in Japan. The band has also had success outside of Japan, with their single “Obscure” reaching the top ten on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 2006.

Babymetal

Formed in 2010, Babymetal is a Japanese heavy metal band that combines elements of J-pop and traditional Japanese music with heavy metal. The band consists of three teenage girls: Su-metal, MoaMetal, and Yuimetal.

The band’s debut album, Babymetal, was released in 2014 and peaked at number one on the US Billboard World Albums chart. The album’s lead single, “Gimme Chocolate!!”, became a viral hit and helped to bring Babymetal to the attention of Western audiences.

Babymetal has been praised for their unique sound and energetic live performances, and has been compared to other metal bands such as Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth.

BABYMETAL

BABYMETAL is a Japanese metal band that formed in 2010. The band currently consists of three members: Su-metal, Moametal, and Yuimetal. The band’s music is a mix of metal and pop, with the band’s image being a mix of cuteness and aggression.

The band started out as a sub-unit of the idol group Sakura Gakuin, with their first song “Doki Doki Morning” being released in 2010. In 2013, the band released their debut album Babymetal, which topped the Oricon chart in Japan. The following year, they released their second album Metal Resistance, which debuted at number two on the Oricon chart.

BABYMETAL has toured internationally, performing at festivals such as Sonisphere Festival in the United Kingdom and Glastonbury Festival in England. In 2015, they became the first Japanese act to perform at Lollapalooza in the United States.

The Future of Japanese Heavy Metal

Japanese heavy metal, or J-metal, has been on the rise in popularity over the past few years. Bands like Babymetal, Crossfaith, and One OK Rock are leading the charge and showing the world that Japan can metal with the best of them. But what does the future hold for J-metal?

The new generation of Japanese heavy metal bands

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in heavy metal music in Japan. A new generation of Japanese heavy metal bands are taking the stage, and they are winning over fans with their powerful sound and intense live performances.

These bands are keeping the spirit of heavy metal alive, and they are innovating the genre with their own unique style. If you’re a fan of heavy metal, then you need to check out these Japanese bands!

The international appeal of Japanese heavy metal

Japanese heavy metal has been gaining in popularity in recent years, with a growing number of bands playing shows outside of Japan. This increase in international appeal has been driven in part by the rise of social media, which has made it easier for fans around the world to discover and connect with Japanese heavy metal bands.

One of the most successful Japanese heavy metal bands in recent years is Babymetal, who formed in 2010. Babymetal combines elements of metal with J-pop, and their unique sound has won them a large and loyal following both in Japan and abroad. The band has performed at some of the biggest festivals in the world, including Download Festival and Lollapalooza, and their latest album debuted at number eight on the UK album chart.

With more and more people discovering and falling in love with Japanese heavy metal, it seems likely that this genre will continue to grow in popularity in the years to come.