LYNCS is a cyber gothic metal band that formed in Japan with roots in China. Exploring themes of darkness and night, vocalist Noctis Zang and guitarist LIN don’t shy away from heavier themes and emotions in order to appreciate the light.

Their debut single NIGHT WHISPER was just released in November of last year, and we’re excited to get to know the band further.

Join us as we shed some light on the darkness that is LYNCS, how the band formed, and what plans they may have for the future.


Thank you for chatting with us! Would you please introduce yourselves to our readers?

NOCTIS: I’m Noctis Zang of LYNCS, a Chinese-born and raised metal vocalist and songwriter, currently living and working in Japan.

LIN: Hi. I’m LYNCS’ guitarist, LIN.

Guitarist LIN (left) and Vocalist NOCTIS (right)

Who came up with the band name LYNCS? Does it have any special meaning?

NOCTIS: LIN and I came up with it together. The name consists of letters taken from the names of the band members: LIN=LYN, and NCS=NOCTIS. For the letter Y, both of us really liked the idea of having this letter incorporated into the band logo design and because LIN and LYN have similar pronunciation, we decided to switch the letters. There is no deeper meaning behind the name, it’s just two names combined together.

LIN: It does. Originally, LYNCS was planned to be more of a collaboration, but we decided to form a band midway through, so it’s a fusion of the names LIN and NOCTIS. Back then, I was on stage, and NOCTIS was watching from the audience. Years passed, and we met again in Tokyo, and that’s where our bond through music was born.

All events have a ‘LINK’ in meaning and consequence. We chose the name LYNCS with the hope that our music will link us with listeners around the world.

In your own words, how would you describe LYNCS’ music?

NOCTIS: It is a mix of metal and different genres. We want to express our minds through music freely. That is why we stay away from labeling ourselves as something specific.

LIN: At the moment, I’d describe it as ‘Cyber Gothic Metal’!

When we started the band, I actually wrote two songs to kick things off. The first song has a heavier rock sound, and the second song is NIGHT WHISPER. These two songs are quite different. However, they both share an innate darkness, but there’s a light at the end of that darkness… Eventually, that first song will be released, but I chose NIGHT WHISPER as the debut single because it best represents what LYNCS is today. We ourselves will become the NIGHT WHISPER, and show you all what we can do.

How did the two of you meet? What made you decide to make music together, and why did you decide to perform as a duo?

NOCTIS: We first came across each other in Shanghai in 2017 during Lilith’s last live–LIN’s previous visual kei band. We have been following each other on social media for some time and when I finally moved to Japan, I decided to text him to ask about the music industry and so on. We met up a few times and enjoyed each other’s company and exchanged ideas for new songs which we both thought were cool. From that point, we began to form a friendship that ultimately would turn into a music project.

We did not really plan to perform as a duo at first, but after giving it some thought, we made up our minds to give it a shot. We are open to welcoming new members if an opportunity arises.

LIN: It was mentioned earlier, but when I was still in Shanghai, NOCTIS came to watch my last show with my previous band, Lilith. He later came to Japan, so our first meeting was in direct messages on Instagram. [Laughs]

As we got to know each other, I felt his strong determination, as well as his aesthetic vision. He reminded me of myself in the past, and I ended up growing pretty fond of him.

At first, I thought I’d just write a song for him, so I made two demos. We received a good response to those two demo songs, and from there we planned to form a four or five-piece band, but due to various circumstances, we ended up deciding to start with just the two of us.

Well, you could say that the two people with the strongest wills were the only ones that remained. [Laughs] You can’t form a band unless you are prepared, and that requires a lot of effort and work, so I only want to work with people who are as serious about it as I am. So for now, we think a two-person team is the best way to go.

The band’s concept “The Darkest Link to the Lights” centers on the world of night. What does this concept mean to you?

NOCTIS: The world of night can be perceived as life itself; it is mysterious and unpredictable. We can only helplessly watch as the events progress and change the scenery around us leading us ahead to the unknown. The concept of “Darkest Link to the Lights” is based on our shared experiences as people who went through treachery, disappointments, and failures, and made countless sacrifices to relentlessly try to find joy in what they truly love despite constant misfortune. Light shines the brightest in the darkness–you can only understand true joy if you have suffered.

LIN: Loosely, it means ‘By knowing the deepest darkness, you learn the meaning of the strength of the light that shines through’. After all, there are good times and bad times in life, aren’t there? When times are rough and just living feels painful, if you don’t give up, get up, and move forward, there will always be light.

However, whether or not you can catch that light depends on you. It’s important to choose not to give up and strive to keep moving forward.  The two of us never gave up, despite difficult circumstances, and now we’ve formed LYNCS.

We hope to create a new bond with our listeners through the music of LYNCS.

Please tell us how this theme is different from other bands and projects you’ve been involved in.

NOCTIS: For us, it is a recollection of our own feelings and private life events, which has led us to the point where we are currently at. Our previous projects were more focused on keeping up with commonly recognized general themes and experimenting with them rather than focusing on our internal feelings. We do not think this approach is something that hasn’t been done before, but each personal narrative is unique and can become food for thought.

LIN: In my case, I think there’s quite a difference. Originally, I wrote for all kinds of genres, but with LYNCS, I’m moving away from pop elements and instead focusing on maintaining a consistent theme of ‘darkness’. The easiest way to explain it is that the songs have a theme of ‘the night’. Our songs are built around creating an atmosphere first and foremost, so the guitar parts also reflect that.

The single NIGHT WHISPER expresses that by knowing the darkest place, you know the meaning of the strength of the light. Are you planning to further explore this concept in future songs?

NOCTIS: For me, NIGHT WHISPER is just a prologue. We will certainly follow this theme in future releases but we also want to be more elaborate and try to portray deeper thoughts through music.

LIN: NIGHT WHISPER was created with the intention of being almost like a theme song for LYNCS. We will be releasing more songs in this vein in the future, but please look forward to all sorts of different types of songs from us too.

According to your profile, both NOCTIS ZANG and LIN have Chinese roots. What influence has this shared background had on your work?

LIN: In my opinion, Chinese people are pretty straightforward about things. For example, what is cool is cool, and what is beautiful is beautiful! I believe that we value things that are easily distinguishable.

Both NOCTIS and I share these values, so it’s very easy to work together in the production process. Since we are both aiming in the same direction, the goal becomes easy to see.

NOCTIS: Same with LIN.

Although you identify as Japanese and Chinese, the lyrics of your debut song are entirely in English! Why did you choose to use English for your debut?

LIN: NOCTIS is very particular towards English lyrics, but most importantly, we want our music to be accessible to more people across the globe.

NOCTIS: English is the most widely used language in the world. From my personal perspective, foreigners don’t quite understand the lyrics and mindsets which originated in East Asia. Maybe because of language barriers and cultural differences, it is hard to grasp what we are trying to convey. For the sake of mutual understanding and clarity, we decided we must use English as our prime language.

Your debut single is out in the world. So what can we expect next from LYNCS? Any future plans you can share with us?

NOCTIS: For now, we have endless ideas and plans but a limited time frame to actually produce something valuable. We are definitely looking forward to releasing new songs but also we are planning to become closer with our fans. Stay tuned for upcoming surprises next year.

LIN: We’re currently working hard on the EP. I want our listeners to get to know the world of NIGHT WHISPER as soon as possible, so I’m working hard on it!

After the EP is completed, we plan to start live performances in Japan.

If you get the opportunity to tour internationally, what are some cities you would like to play in?

NOCTIS: To be honest, it would be incredible to perform anywhere abroad. Each place has its own aesthetic and energy so it is difficult to choose from a variety of cities.

LIN: I’d love to play in the US and France!  I also want to perform as LYNCS in Shanghai, my former home.

What final message do you have for fans around the world?

NOCTIS: Shall we begin?

LIN: I hope the music of LYNCS can reach your heart!  We’re counting on you all to show us your support!


JROCK NEWS thanks Chaotic Harmony Imports for making this interview possible.

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