Nori, NBT, Author at JROCK NEWS

Interview: Marty Friedman on gifting Jpop to the world (part 1)

31 October 2023

It’s not every day an international guitar hero replies to our cold call with a resounding yes! But Marty Friedman, formerly of the “big four” GRAMMY-nominated thrash metal legend Megadeth, emphatically welcome...

LUNA SEA resurrects legacy with re-recordings of albums “MOTHER”, “STYLE”

Nori

17 October 2023

Releases, Tour and event

Visual kei pioneer LUNA SEA unveiled the rerelease of two genre-defining albums MOTHER and STYLE, due November 29. Nearly three decades since the original versions, all 21 songs have undergone rigorous rearrang...

SCANDAL lives on in “Highlight” reel with new single

Nori

6 October 2023

Releases

All-female rock unit and Guinness Record setter SCANDAL released its 29th single Highlight no Nakade Bokura Zutto on October 4. Translating to “always in the highlights”, the up-tempo party anthem commemorates ...

Interview: YOSHIKI’s mission to shatter music boundaries worldwide

Erica, Nori and NBT

5 October 2023

Interview, Tour and event

YOSHIKI, one of the most influential musicians in Japan, has made an enduring impact in both the rock and classical music realms. He's renowned as the founder of the globally beloved rock band X Japan and the l...

Interview with Kouki: Bridging cultures through music and passion

Erica, Omatsu, afaenia and Nori

20 September 2023

Interview, Tour and event

Meet Hanamizakura Kouki, a star in the visual kei scene dedicated to promoting Japan's distinctive culture to global audiences. With a Tsugaru-jamisen guitar in hand and a resplendent folding fan, he embarks on...

SCANDAL nabs Guinness World Record!

Nori

25 August 2023

Entertainment, Releases

Osaka pop rock quartet SCANDAL made history on August 21 with the Guinness World Records title “Longest running rock band with the same musicians (female)”. The date also commemorated the band’s 17th anniversar...

Report: BAND-MAID completes 10th anniversary victory lap in North America

Nori and Jonathan Lane

23 August 2023

Report and review, Tour and event

The hard rock waitstaff of BAND-MAID conquered the west on their 10th ANNIVERSARY TOUR, wrapping up the North American leg in Mexico City on August 18. JROCK NEWS reporters Jonathan Lane and Nori made a few lon...

Report: Dream Theater unites metalheads across Silicon Valley

Nori

14 August 2023

Report and review, Tour and event

Prog bellwether Dream Theater hunkered down in San Jose, California on July 24 with colleagues Animals as Leaders and Devin Townsend for another night of its traveling festival Dream Sonic. With only three stop...

Interview: Dream Theater’s John Petrucci on breaking international barriers

Nori

11 August 2023

Interview, Tour and event

For nearly 40 years, prog metal flagbearer Dream Theater has stood tall and fortified the redoubt of guitar-driven rock. For aspiring amateurs as well as professional musicians across the world (and especially ...

Review: BAND-MAID annihilates in single “Shambles”

Nori

3 August 2023

Releases, Tour and event, Videos

Hard rock juggernauts of BAND-MAID come back swinging in digital single Shambles, their first new track in six months. Whereas the previous tune Memorable offered a sentimental retrospective on US TOUR 2022, Sh...

Vocalist Noctis Zang implicated in BBC investigation, removed from band LYNCS

Erica, afaenia and Nori

12 June 2023

Disband/Hiatus/Revive

On June 9, the gothic cyber metal band LYNCS halted activities and dismissed vocalist NOCTIS ZANG in response to allegations in an article published by the BBC. The announcement of NOCTIS' dismissal, provided i...

Interview with Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: From Harajuku to the world

Nori

7 June 2023

Interview, Tour and event

Electropop diva Kyary Pamyu Pamyu voyages on "WORLD TOUR 2023 -POPPP-", making seven colossal appearances across North America and Europe! JROCK NEWS caught up with the "Pink Princess" during her stop at The No...

Report: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu showers LA with love in “WORLD TOUR 2023 -POPPP-“

Nori

31 May 2023

Report and review, Tour and event

A gray Wednesday in downtown Los Angeles marked the second stop in Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s “WORLD TOUR 2023 -POPPP-”. Contrasting the dull overcast, a motley assembly in palettes of glitter ascended two flights of ...

YOSHIKI cherishes mother’s memory with classical tour “REQUIEM”

Nori

18 May 2023

Releases, Tour and event, Videos

Jrock pioneer and international legend YOSHIKI unveiled his momentous 2023 roadmap at the LA GRAMMY Museum on May 5. Commemorating the 10th anniversary of his classical piano album Yoshiki Classical, the supers...

Author Nori