Review Archives

Report: Former visual kei artists return to stage for “ARGONAVIS AAside Live Royal Fes 2020”

31 October 2020

Sharing the large stage at “Live Royal Fes 2020” on October 10 is five male-fronted bands from the line-up of “ARGONAVIS from BanG Dream!”, a franchise active within anime, games, music, and more. With each act...

Report: Streaming MAN WITH A MISSION’s 10th anniversary show

Ziggy

18 September 2020

Featured, Online Concert, Review

Toilet break? Check. Drink and snacks? Check. Fully-charged laptop battery? Check. Volume to the max? Check. If you were a regular attendee of live music events, following streamed concerts may have become ...

Report: Ending summer with a bang at “BanG Dream! 8th LIVE”!

Mazohyst_Kyo

3 September 2020

Review

As summer comes to an end, the BanG Dream! franchise celebrates with Special Live ~Summerly Tone♪~. A top-level showing of their bands with everything from water cannons and fireworks down to pyrotechnics. A sp...

Review: Playing the cute game “Hatsune Miku Tap Wonder”

afaenia

27 June 2020

Game, Review, Vocaloid

Hatsune Miku Tap Wonder is a new clicker style game available on Android and iOS brought to you by Ateam and Crypton Future Media, where you work up the crowd at Miku's live performances to progress! Gameplay ...

Report: Yoshikimono at the V&A Museum

edoh+

17 March 2020

Entertainment, Featured, Review

The three UK musketeers of JROCK NEWS made a special pilgrimage to visit London's famous V&A Museum for the Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk exhibition. Featuring designs by Yoshiki of X-Japan, the Yoshikimono piec...

Review: FAKE ISLAND “Cell Division” album, where scream and clean vocals work in harmony

afaenia

12 March 2020

Review

Cell Division is the debut album from Tokyo based metalcore band FAKE ISLAND, released on March 4, the album boasts twin female vocals: Erica on growls and YuuriBJOUX on clean vocals. It really drives home the ...

Report: STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION’s electrifying show heats up the floor!

afaenia

10 March 2020

Review

Despite having been active making music for over six years as STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION, musician RON’s sound-making project had not performed live outside of appearances during large events. For his first one-man...

Report: DIR EN GREY offers theatrically rich performance in London

Sizergyia

26 February 2020

Featured, Review

Back in February 2019, DIR EN GREY announced the European leg of their TOUR20 This Way to Self-Destruction, amongst which a London date appeared, this time performing at the Islington Assembly Hall. Undeterred ...

Review: SCANDAL revives rock roots in “Kiss from the darkness”

G Andrew White

23 February 2020

Review

SCANDAL's Kiss from the darkness shines brightly with their former style of pop-rock in combination with strong rhythms and uplifting lyrics. They demonstrate the likeability and mastery that has made them a re...

Report: Hatsune Miku creates an unparalleled sense of unity

Sizergyia

3 February 2020

Review, Vocaloid

Even though I wouldn't say I'm a fan of Hatsune Miku, it's hard to ignore the fact that she's become a huge phenomenon even outside of Japan these days. I attended my first Hatsune Miku live show out of curiosi...

Report: BRATS’ first US performance win over fans at Animé LA 2020

G Andrew White

31 January 2020

Review

Continuing on with our Animé LA series after our interview with BRATS, we report on their debut in America which left a big impression on attendees with their heavy dose of punk, aggressive Jrock. On January...

Report: MIYAVI slays in white suit at Zepp Diver City, Tokyo 2019

afaenia

21 January 2020

Featured, Review

Odaiba, an artificial island that houses an array of entertainment complexes, sits in Tokyo Bay and is home to Zepp Diver City—a 2,400 capacity concert hall nestled on the edge of a shopping mall. The penult...

Photo report: DIR EN GREY live at Gramercy Theatre, New York

Zephyr

17 January 2020

Featured, Review

On December 13, 2019—a little over four years after their last show in New York, DIR EN GREY once again made their mark at Gramercy Theatre, a venue they are definitely familiar with at this point having played...

lovebites-electric-pentagram-review-2019

Review: LOVEBITES’ album “Electric Pentagram”, a power trip to the gates of hell!

G Andrew White

17 January 2020

Review

Get the year started with an electric bang on January 29, when LOVEBITES release their third full album Electric Pentagram. It delivers 12 electrifying tracks of guitar shredding, face-melting power metal. Also...