Releases

In My Vanitasss rings in new year with 6th single “Violet Visions”

Jan 5, 2026

Starting the new year off strong, Tokyo-based new wave band In My Vanitasss released a new single! "Violet Visions" is the band's sixth single and combines new wave with post-punk to create a distinctive, allur...

HANABIE. announces “HOT TOPIC” EP, 2026 North America tour

Jorge M.

Dec 30, 2025

Releases, Tour and event

Following their European tour, metalcore band HANABIE. announced the release of their new EP for January 28, 2026. They also announced a North American tour, kicking off next Spring.Titled HOT TOPIC, the mi...

HYDE livestreams orchestral birthday concert worldwide, signaling a new chapter

Erica

Dec 27, 2025

Online Concert, Releases, Tour and event

Fans worldwide can celebrate Japanese rock icon HYDE’s birthday with a special live orchestral performance, available both in cinemas across Japan and via global livestream. “HYDE Orchestra Tour 2026 JEKYLL”, r...

GLAY’s single “Dead Or Alive” tops Oricon chart as “Record of Ragnarok III” theme

Hitomi

Dec 26, 2025

Anime, Music Video, Releases

After closing out their spectacular 30th anniversary year with two massive dome shows, GLAY is kicking off their 31st year stronger than ever. Their latest single, “Dead Or Alive,” released on December 3, serve...

Re:Instinct debuts first single “SILENCE INTO SOUND”

Jack

Dec 24, 2025

Music Video, New Band, Releases

Released on December 5, French-Japanese band Re:Instinct debuted their first single "SILENCE INTO SOUND". As a first single, SILENCE INTO SOUND shines the light on you with a heartfelt message of hope.Re:In...

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...

Matenrou Opera rings out the year with single “EMBRYO”

Lin

Dec 18, 2025

Releases

Matenrou Opera unveiled their newest single, EMBRYO, set to release on December 29, 2025. The three-track single marks Matenrou Opera's final offering of 2025."EMBRYO" Cover ArtAfter their busy year of...

BABYBEARD unleashes darkest single yet “SEMI-FINAL”

Mizerable

Dec 15, 2025

Music Video, Releases

BABYBEARD is ready to rock with a brand new single, "SEMI-FINAL". Released on November 30, "SEMI-FINAL" is a symphonic-metal-adjacent track from the pop-metal trio's upcoming album.In both lyrics and visual...

DIR EN GREY’s 12th album “MORTAL DOWNER” slated for 2026 release

Erica

Dec 11, 2025

Releases, Tour and event

DIR EN GREY closed out their domestic tour, TOUR25 EN'EN (蜿蜒), with a major announcement: their 12th full-length album, MORTAL DOWNER, is set for release in 2026.In our interview with guitarist Die earlier ...

DRUGS drops second chaotic single “UNTIL I DIE”

Jack

Dec 5, 2025

New Look, Releases

DRUGS released the highly anticipated second single UNTIL I DIE on December 3. Fans have been on edge awaiting more music from DRUGS, and UNTIL I DIE doesn't disappoint.Following our first look at DRUGS in ...

NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST confirms South America tour 2026

NBT

Nov 29, 2025

Releases, Tour and event

The heavy hitters NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST, a fan-favorite metal band that recently headlined our own JROCK NEWS event, is stepping outside Japan for an upcoming overseas tour. The tour will make four stops in Septe...

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...

PHALUX showcases diverse range of talents in first EP “FORTUNA”

Jack

Nov 24, 2025

New Band, Releases

After debuting with their first track, self-titled PHALUX in September, PHALUX is back with their first EP FORTUNA, released November 19.PHALUX's first EP FORTUNA demonstrates an extreme range of talents. P...

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 ...