There's More To Kick-Ass Japanese Rock Than Babymetal!

I didn't discover the awesomeness of the Japanese rock scene until relatively recently. The Big Bang of Japanese rock for me was Babymetal, the totally badass J-Pop/Metal hybrid that blew up a few years ago and introduced much of the world to "Kawaii Metal" (AKA Cute Metal).

But Babymetal is far from the only killer rock band that hails from Japan. I'm no expert, but in my studies, I've run across a whole host of excellent rock and metal acts and I'm feeling kinda generous. So, here are my five favorite Japanese bands, apart from Babymetal. Hit up YouTude or Spotify or whatever and treat yourself to some damn tasty ear candy.

Silhouette from the Skylit

How I Found 'Em: A YouTube video by The Rock Critic

Loud, melodic and crackling with RAWK!! energy, SFTS (yes, the band's name is grammatically incorrect) play some kickin' radio-friendly rock that mixes big guitars and drums with electronic flourishes. I'm kinda thinking if you fronted old-school Paramore with a guy and added in some Dance-Dance keyboards for flavor, you'd get something pretty similar to SFTS. Not my regular flavor, but when I'm in the mood for them, they get me totally amped!!

Mary's Blood

How I Found 'Em: A Referral on Spotify

These gals whoop some serious ass. Playing classic power metal riffs with thrashy intensity, Mary's Blood blasts a potent sound that I can best describe as Judas Priest on steroids. Singer Eye has a fantastic soaring voice, like a female Bruce Dickenson. You may detect the occasional pop hook, but don't be fooled. These ladies are pure metal!

Sigh

How I Found 'Em: Sons of Metal reviewed one of their albums.

How do I describe Sigh? Avante-Guard Metal? Japanese Black Metal? Extreme Metal with a fucking saxophone? If's there a term that properly describes these guys, I've yet to stumble across it. You just have to hear it for yourselves.

MergingMoon

How I Found 'Em: They were on an episode of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

Just when I didn't think I could love Mr. Bourdain's globetrotting food adventure program anymore, he gives these guys some screen time. It was love at first taste. To my ears, I hear In This Moment crossbreeding with Amon Amarth in their sound. With the occasional stray metalcore noise. And keyboards. I love it all.

Band-Maid

How I Found 'Em: YouTube recommended them when I was jamming some Babymetal.

Ok, so Babymetal is pretty gimmicky, but I think these ladies might have 'em beat. A hard-rocking all-girl act, Band-Maid dresses up maid outfits when they hit the stage. But don't judge by their clothing choices. These ladies kick major ass, like Halestorm of Halestorm was a tad bit heavier. Plus, unlike the Babymetal ladies, Band-Maid plays their own instruments!

There's still a lot of awesome Japanese rock and metal I didn't get to here. And I'm sure there's so much out there I haven't heard yet. I'm putting on my headphones and going on an audio adventure. If you have recommendations, I'd love to hear 'em! ROCK ON!!