A Japanese heavy metal band. A popular band in the Japanese metal scene.
After the 1980s Japanese metal movement—commonly known as “JapaMeta”—heavy metal in Japan experienced a prolonged decline.
However, as virtuosic musicianship and intense musical styles have once again come into the spotlight, the number of young bands and groups finding success overseas has been on the rise.
In this feature, we’ll introduce popular Japanese heavy metal bands—from legendary scene-defining acts to in-demand younger groups.
Dive into their fiery sound and experience the music that has built such a devoted fan base.
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Japanese heavy metal bands. Popular bands in the Japanese metal scene (61–70).
May breezeJADESTER
A track from JADESTER’s first album, EGOIST, by a band active mainly in Hokkaido.
The album was released on November 25, 2009.
Incidentally, the band’s guitarist, Shintaro Aoyagi, also played guitar in SIXRIDE, a sort of solo-project band of singer Takenori Shimoyama, known for his work with SABER TIGER and DOUBLE DEALER.
This wasn’t a particularly commercially successful band either, but with vocalist Yomogida’s expressive singing and more, it’s a group I highly recommend and hope many people will discover.
Day Of SalvationTHOUSAND EYES
A five-piece band that enjoys high popularity as a leading act in Japanese melodic death metal.
Formed in 2011 by KOUTA, the guitarist of LIGHTNING, the group welcomed former YOUTHQUAKE member AKIRA the following year and made their album debut in 2013.
They blend lyrical melodies with a modern, relentless drive.
Nocturnal RomanceMoi dix Mois
A gothic metal band produced by Mana of MALICE MIZER.
Their overwhelming world-building is nothing short of extraordinary, and the sound conveys a sense of grandeur that goes beyond a simple blend of 1990s classical visual kei rock and metal.
DREAMERLAZY
Lazy is the legendary band known for including members such as Hironobu Kageyama—later called the “Prince of Anisong”—and Akira Takasaki and Munetaka Higuchi, who would go on to form Loudness and gain worldwide fame.
They even borrowed their name from a Deep Purple song, and, aiming for authentic hard rock, debuted in their teens.
However, Lazy was marketed as an idol-style band, and while their 1978 single ‘Akaokami-chan Goyōjin’ became a hit and made them a household name, the members themselves struggled with a musical direction that differed from their true tastes.
Even so, they leaned more heavily into hard rock as their career progressed, and their 1980 “Heavy Metal Declaration” is a well-known episode.
In the end, differences in musical direction led to their breakup, but when you consider that without this band there might have been no Loudness and no array of wonderful anisong tracks, you can’t help but see them as a truly great band.
AriseUNITED
A foundational presence in Japanese thrash metal alongside OUTRAGE.
Although none of the original members from their 1981 formation remain, the band has never disbanded, and despite numerous lineup changes, they released their tenth album in 2018.
Electrostatic Karen Love SongDenkishiki Karen Ongaku Shuudan
A heavy metal band that has been active since 2001 as a music unit providing theme songs and background music for games and other media.
Initially, their activities focused mainly on PC games, so they had only a niche core fan base, but after releasing an album, their exposure increased and they have been steadily gaining fans.
MAZINGER ZAnimetal
As their name suggests, they’re a metal band that drew attention with metal arrangements of anime songs.
Featuring Eizo Sakamoto (ex-ANTHEM) on vocals, She-ja (ex-Gargoyle) on guitar, and MASAKI (ex-JACKS’N’JOKER) on bass—members indispensable to any discussion of the 1980s Japanese metal scene—the lineup sent longtime metal fans into a frenzy.
Their tracks, which weave virtuosic playing into the songs without breaking the essence of the originals, likely resonated with a wide audience beyond just anime and metal fans.
Although they announced a hiatus in 2006, they remain a high-quality band for whom many still hope to see a revival.
