Report and review

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

Jan 31, 2026

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 ...

Review: coldrain’s EP “OPTIMIZE” fuses heartfelt lyrics and brutal soundscapes

Jorge M.

Nov 6, 2025

Releases, Report and review

Amidst their ONE MAN JAPAN TOUR 2025, coldrain unleashed their fifth Extended Play, OPTIMIZE. The five-track collection dropped on October 24 and marks the band's debut release under German label Century Media ...

Report: Experiencing the world’s biggest anime song event, Animelo Summer Live 2025!

NBT

Nov 3, 2025

Anime, Report and review

As a big fan of both anime and Japanese music, I have always been interested in attending even more events that fuse these two themes. With Animelo Summer Live 2025 “ThanXX!”, or simply "Anisama", celebrating i...

Report: DIR EN GREY’s first U.S. performance in nearly 6 years, “TOUR25 WHO IS THIS HELL FOR? [mode of VULGAR]”

Erica, Zephyr and Nori

Aug 3, 2025

Report and review

In April of 2025, after nearly six years away, DIR EN GREY made a powerful return to the U.S. with a sold-out, three-night run in Los Angeles and Anaheim, California. Drawing a combined crowd of approximately 6...

Review: XaaXaa’s “Best Album Chuudoku Shoujou San” shares 10 years of darkness, duality and maturity

Erica

Jul 2, 2025

Releases, Report and review

Celebrating their 10th anniversary, XaaXaa released their third greatest hits album, Best Album Chuudoku Shoujou San (ベストアルバム中毒症状〜三〜), on March 30. Aptly titled "Symptoms of Addiction", the two-disc collection...

Report: SiM’s high-energy Madrid debut a total blast

Jorge M.

Jun 27, 2025

Report and review, Tour and event

On Thursday, June 19, SiM held their first performance in Madrid, Spain. The show was part of SiM's European tour, Fests & Chaos Tour 2025, which ended on June 22 in Belgium. Celebrating a 20-year career, t...

Report: Wagatame’s breakout success at Nekocon 2024

Erica

Feb 21, 2025

Report and review

In November 2024, Nekocon marked its 26th year at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, VA, drawing approximately 7,000 attendees. The event, known for celebrating Japanese culture, featured its usual...

Report: BABYMETAL expands conquest of the Metalverse with show in Des Moines

Zephyr

Dec 30, 2024

Report and review, Tour and event

BABYMETAL, a metal phenomenon whose name at this point needs no introduction, brought heavy metal chaos upon the crowd in Des Moines, Iowa on November 27 as a stop on their 2024 World Tour. Leading up to the sh...

Report: “Inside” HYDE’s world tour finale in Los Angeles

Nori

Dec 20, 2024

Featured, Report and review

Jrock superstar HYDE descended upon Los Angeles on November 30 with his haunting carnival, marking the ultimate stop of the HYDE LIVE 2024 WORLD TOUR. HYDE’s travels had swept him across Asia—to Taipei, Hong K...

Review: HANABIE.’s unapologetically fierce EP “Bucchigiri Tokyo”

NBT

Dec 4, 2024

Report and review

Today marks the release of HANABIE.’s EP, Bucchigiri Tokyo (ぶっちぎり東京), and we’ve had the opportunity to dive deep into its tracks ahead of its official launch. Our first impression was how the EP offers a more r...

Report: HEY-SMITH steals the show at Supernova Ska Festival 2024

Erica

Oct 24, 2024

Releases, Report and review

The Supernova International Ska Festival marked its 10th anniversary in 2024 by turning the beach at Fort Monroe, Virginia, into a vibrant celebration of ska culture. The festival offered a well-rounded experie...

Review: BAND-MAID album “Epic Narratives” steps forward to unlock joy

Nori

Oct 10, 2024

Report and review

BAND-MAID dropped album Epic Narratives on September 25, marking the eight full-length record that follows Unseen World from 2021. After filling the three-year void with the punchy 2022 EP Unleash and two North...

Report: MAKE MY DAY says goodbye with final show “The Farewell”

afaenia

Jul 21, 2024

Disband/Hiatus/Revive, Report and review

After 10 years of working together, the members of MAKE MY DAY announced on April 11, 2024, that they would be calling it a day with a final show titled "The Farewell", to take place on May 31. Ten years is a p...

Report: ASTERISM rocks out with fans at Anime Expo 2024

Bri

Jul 15, 2024

Report and review, Tour and event

Instrumental metal band ASTERISM appeared at all four days of this year's Anime Expo, making the most of every moment to meet with fans and share with them the world of PLANET OF METAL. Their jam-packed schedul...