Featured

Report: HANABIE. ignites frenzy across San Francisco Bay Area

May 11, 2026

On a chilly, drizzling Friday evening in San Francisco, a sold-out crowd wrapped around August Hall, eager for HANABIE.’s return. The show marked the penultimate stop of the band’s latest U.S. tour, an ambitiou...

Interview: Madmans Esprit delves into inspirations behind album “Dandelion; Danjeol”

Jack

May 10, 2026

Interview, Releases

Madmans Espirit is rapidly becoming a fan favorite in the visual kei scene. Initially a solo project of vocalist Kyuho, Madmans Esprit has evolved monumentally with guitarists Juho and Somyul, bassist Geon, and...

Review: DIR EN GREY sinks into despair on “MORTAL DOWNER”

Nori and Erica

May 6, 2026

Report and review

DIR EN GREY returned on April 8 with MORTAL DOWNER, the band's 12th studio album and first in nearly four years since PHALARIS. As the band approaches its 30th anniversary in 2027, the release arrives with a qu...

Giveaway: Win tickets to Anisong Festa to see Cö shu Nie, yama, Nakagawa Shoko

NBT and Jorge M.

May 4, 2026

Anime, Featured, Tour and event

In collaboration with Japan Expo to celebrate their 25th anniversary, JROCK NEWS and Japan Expo are giving three lucky winners the opportunity to attend the Anisong Festa concert in Paris, France on July 10. Ea...

Giveaway: Win free tickets to OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM’s concert film, exclusive screening in Hollywood

Erica

May 1, 2026

Featured, Tour and event

OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM unveils an exclusive screening of their live concert film “OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM LIVE at STADIUM 2025” on May 17, at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood, CA. The film documents the fin...

Review: Madmans Esprit’s album “Dandelion; Danjeol” delivers heavier production, dynamic metal compositions

Jack

Apr 9, 2026

Releases, Report and review

The wait for Madmans Esprit's fourth full-length album, Dandelion; Danjeol is finally over. Fans have been on the edge of their seats impatiently waiting for March 30 to see what the band has been concocting si...

Review: BLAZE’s album “DETERMINATIONS.” unleashes sentimental, brutal soundscapes

Jack

Apr 2, 2026

Releases, Report and review

BLAZE unleashed the album “DETERMINATIONS.” on February 18. Previous releases were sold exclusively at live shows in Japan. However, DETERMINATIONS. is the first complete album available to fans worldwide, acce...

Interview: Exploring HYDE’s heavy music and imagining “Moon Child 2” movie

NBT and Nori

Mar 30, 2026

Interview

Despite the rising cost of touring, HYDE remained determined to complete his two-year world tour "HYDE LIVE 2025 WORLD TOUR", culminating in a finale in Stockholm, Sweden, on November 23, 2025. For this show, ...

Interview with Fukuro: inspiration fueled by touring the world

Sizergyia and afaenia

Feb 1, 2026

Interview

In the small pool of visual kei and visual kei-adjacent bands being brought overseas, there's Fukuro with its self-proclaimed "piano-rock" sound. Embodying said sound, all while wearing suits and ties, are voca...

Report: HYDE celebrates birthday with “HYDE Orchestra Tour 2026 JEKYLL” global livestream

Erica

Jan 31, 2026

Releases, Report and review

On January 29, HYDE celebrated his birthday with a special orchestral performance at Tokyo Garden Theatre. The show was streamed worldwide via Live Viewing Japan and simulcast in theaters across all Japan’s 47 ...

Interview with CHAMELEON LIME WHOOPIEPIE: Vocalist Chi- on whooping up second full-length album

Aya and Nori

Jan 24, 2026

Interview

Experimental alt-pop vocalist Chi- and fellow “creatures” Whoopies No. 1 and No. 2 of CHAMELEON LIME WHOOPIEPIE blend vibrant creativity in their latest album Whoop It Up "DELUXE Edition". For the very first ti...

Interview with Crystal Lake: Entering a new era with “The Weight Of Sound”

NBT and afaenia

Dec 21, 2025

Interview, Releases, Tour and event

Crystal Lake have been touring relentlessly this year, and we managed to catch up with them back in May while they were in Stockholm, Sweden. During our conversation, we talked about the band’s new lineup and t...

Interview: Inside exist trace’s first full album in 11 years, “WHO I AM”

Erica and afaenia

Nov 27, 2025

Interview, Releases

One of the pioneering all-female bands in visual kei, exist trace (stylized as exist†trace) has returned with “WHO I AM”—their first full-length album in 11 years, released digitally worldwide on November 19. T...

Interview with Sawano Hiroyuki: Inside the mind behind iconic anime soundtracks

Jorge M.

Nov 10, 2025

Anime, Interview

Sawano Hiroyuki, a music composer with a worldwide recognition, from creating soundtracks for games and anime to TV dramas and movies. With a long trajectory in the industry, he has shouldered music creation fo...