Hello.
I was wondering if anybody knew of any good Japanese metal bands (besides Dir En Grey), maybe even hard rock. Thing is, I don't like the extreme metal, the screeching singers, 'cradle of filth' crap. I just want a Metallica type sound, or maybe even like Rammstein type sound, maybe something in the vein of Static-X...I dunno, just something cool. Everytime I do a search, all I get is J-pop. Any suggestions would be cool. Thanks

On the metal side, I kind of like Blood Stain Child, but I guess you wont as they are a death metal band with a screeching singer (usually I'm not fond of them either.

I dont really know any J-heavy metal bands, but as far as hard rock is concerned you could try B'z (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B'z), get their 2 latest albums Monster and Action and give them a try.

Ohh, and Luna Sea is the only visual rock band that I've given a chance and really liked, it aint hard rock but they are still worth a listen.

the only thing I can really say about Jap-Metal is "BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID" If anyone can get a clear picture of the glamrock movement of the 70's, this is it, again, but worse. Sure the music is quite good and that's what matters but they have looks to scare the shit out of ya.

hmm, you could try Girugamesh, they're hard rock and they don't scream that much. If you like some old school heavy metal, you could try Onmyouza, they sound kind of like Iron Maiden, but their lead vocalist is a woman, with a guy as back up. You could also try Oto-Oni, they play rock music mixed with tribal elements, but their music is hard to find.

I'd advise you to check out Japanese Speed metal band Sex Machineguns (http://forums.ffshrine.org/showpost.php?p=1035501&postcount=421), they may have a rather visual-kei look but the music is pretty awesome. Their whole discography can be downloaded from the link above.

The only band I can think of is Balzac, but they're Horrorpunk not Metal.

Ok, so I actually found some Oto-Oni, and I like it! Very trippy. And I've actually heard of Sex Machinegun before, I just don't think I ever actually listened to them, so I'll give them a shot. Thanks guys! Keep them coming if you think of more!

id say the underneath or even d'espairsray. actaully im not sure if d'espairsray could be considered heavy in japanese rock because i think that theyre pretty visual as well but idk

dir en grey is my personal fave but uve already pointed out that u dont need them

Well, first of all, Dir En Grey, Static-X, and Rammstein aren't metal.

The only Japanese metal band I listen to is Sigh, but I don't think you'd like them.

Well, first of all, Dir En Grey, Static-X, and Rammstein aren't metal.

The only Japanese metal band I listen to is Sigh, but I don't think you'd like them.

Well, they aren't exactly soft rock either...especially Static-X...

And why wouldn't I like Sigh?

Well, they aren't exactly soft rock either...especially Static-X...

And why wouldn't I like Sigh?

Well, Sigh is avant-garde black metal. Avant-garde is already kind of an acquired taste (it's one of my fav metal subgenres) and I have a feeling you wouldn't care for black metal.

Give them a try, though. I could be wrong.

You might like Concerto Moon. I never really got into them, though. They're neo-classical metal or something. Yo should also try X Japan.

Static-X, Dir en Grey, and Rammstein are far from metal. Just because it's not soft doesn't mean it's metal. Static-X is metalcore with much more of a core influence than a metal influence. I was a fan of them in my early to mid-teens. I don't know what the hell Rammstein is. I've heard them called metal, which is inaccurate. I've also heard them called industrial, but the serious industrial fans strongly disagree and I believe them. I believe they call themselves "tanz-metal" or something, and such a genre doesn't even exist. I'm not sure what to call Dir en Grey. nu-metal? some kind of rock? I was never a fan.

But I know metal and that stuff isn't metal.

Dir en grey is hardly nu metal. Nu-metal is old school Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit (blend of rap and rock). If anything they're some form of metal, if you've heard their latest album. I really hate all these sub genres for music, it just annoys me.

Anyways if you were to categorize Diru, I'd say just call them Visual Kei in their early "Gauze" days right to the "Kisou" or "Vulgar" days. By this time they're sound was changing from a bit of a pop/mainstream rock sound to a more progressive sorta thing. Some of their songs can be industrial. "The Final" music video reminds me of Marilyn Manson but that's just me. Anyways, hope that at least clears up some speculation of what Dir en grey really are. :)

Sub-genres are just annoying. There's metal there's not metal. Scorpions and Nickelback, that's rock and roll. Metallica and Five Finger Death Punch, that's metal. To me, that's all there is to it, because if you get too crazy with subs (Doom-Death-Black-Stoner-Core-Nu-Heavy- Etc...) it's gets too confusing for the consumers and the fans. If it sounds good, just enjoy it. If it doesn't sound good, then turn it off. It's that simple, really.

I grew up around lots of music. My Mom is a country fan, my dad likes old school rock. My brothers were responsible for turning me on to Metal, and my sister likes soft rock and butt-rock. Not just 10 years ago, before Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park's hey-day, categorizing music was very simple. Bluegrass> Country> Soft Rock> RockNRoll> Hard Rock> Metal> Heavy Metal. Now with the Nu-Metal fiasco, all the die-hards got together and decided that metal finally being popular again wasn't good enough. After years of "Metal-Heads Unite!", now it's "You listen to Mall-Core! You suck! Your not a metal fan!". Why this happened I'm not quite sure, but I do know that the introduction of Nu-Metal had a lot to do with it. Metalheads weren't quite happy about the same people who dug Britney Spears now thought it was cool for heavy rhythm guitars to be that same type of music. So the sub-genres began. Cradle of Filth=Black Metal. Bleeding Through=Metalcore. It goes on. It's very tiring. In my opinion, if it has guitars, play fast, loud, and welts your ears, it's metal! I enjoy all types of it, without the subgenre-ing...why can't everybody else? It's all a matter of opinion, and we are true Metal-Heads, what does it matter what anybody else thinks?

I don't think people suck for listening to mallcore. I just wish more people weren't so presumptuous as to what metal is. Most poeple don't know anything about it anymore and the popularity in real actual metal has fallen greatly. The reason it bothers me is that when I tell people I like metal, they're like "oh, you like Slipknot and Atreyu and stuff like that?" and I can't exactly take the time to explain that what they think is metal is not metal at all every time this happens. It makes me sound like a snob, but I just don't want to be misunderstood.

I don't think people suck for listening to mallcore.


Explain to me what mallcore is? See how sub genres cause massive confusion for people ==" Just shits me. LOL

Anyways Killswitch Engage, they're my favourite band and they're dubbed metalcore. What makes them metalcore? Also where I'm from, apparently if you listen to rock and just any form of rock, whether that's metal or even regular rock and roll, its apparently all emo. Where I'm from, everything thats rock related is now dubbed emo. WTF IS EMO SERIOUSLY =="

Seraphim is like a japanese version of Nightwish. There pretty good, awesome guitar work, and drum work.

Explain to me what mallcore is? See how sub genres cause massive confusion for people ==" Just shits me. LOL

Anyways Killswitch Engage, they're my favourite band and they're dubbed metalcore. What makes them metalcore? Also where I'm from, apparently if you listen to rock and just any form of rock, whether that's metal or even regular rock and roll, its apparently all emo. Where I'm from, everything thats rock related is now dubbed emo. WTF IS EMO SERIOUSLY =="

Lol. Now, that is one type of music I can't stand. Emo music is where a bunch of crying, whining-ass little bitches who dress all goth and sing about how everything in their world makes them sad. Their the type who cries while having sex with their girlfriend. Dashboard Confessional, My Chemical Romance even some Evanescence is considered Emo. I hate it, I hate everything that it stands for, and I can't the goth-wannabe crying losers who listen to it. It leaves a bad a taste in the world of Rock and Roll/Metal, as it just destroys the outlying potency (restraint, perhaps?) for musicians who actually write about real issues without having to cry about it.

That was quite a rant, wasn't it? Lol, sorry. I just can't stand emo crap. I'm glad it's a dying genre.

I heard of Seraphim, not yet listened...I'm going to look them up right now.

How can you hate emo when first of all, its not even an actual genre on its own and bands that are considered emo in the first place all sound different and have different sounds. You mention MCR when they're more of a upbeat punkish sound while Dashboard Confessional are mainly acoustic driven and melodic. If you ask me this whole emo thing just doesn't cut it. LOL

Sorry it's just I also listen to what is generally referred to as "emo" but I just see it as a different form of punk lets say. LOL

My Chemical Romance probably the most typically referred emo band but the guys in it aren't even emo and hell Gerard Way, lead singer of MCR, even said that emo is a pile of shit. I just don't like emo people. "Emo" music is my topic of debate but I'll save that for another thread some other time.

Anyways back to the topic in question, what bands have you liked so far out of the ones stated in this thread?

Seraphim is like a japanese version of Nightwish. There pretty good, awesome guitar work, and drum work.

japanese? NOPE, they are a TAIWANESE symphonic metal band, and yes, they are awesome. You can find their albums both in mandarin and english, but I�d go with the original mandarin versions, the singer (female) just sounds more natural that way (no shit :P ).

so TopCow, in case you havent found their albums yet you can find a couple of them here (http://dmriojas.wordpress.com/c-pop/albums/m-w/). I recommend starting off with their 2004 album. The only reason I didnt recommend them before if because you were asking for japanese bands, and heavy metal band at that... but like you, I am somewhat tired of all these subgenres, its just a pain in the ass to organize my music library "acurrately" with tags like shock rock, gothic rock, progressive metal and so on.

Well, actually, I have only checked out Oto-Oni, as I have been pressed for a bit of time. I really liked what I heard. Next up I'm gonna try Seraphim next, using the links Catreroth provided. I love listening to new music (at least, what might be new to me), it's like driving down a road you've never been on before.

Naikaku.

Malice Mizer, i have heard a few songs and they sound like heavy metal, maybe not much like Metallica (more Thrash Metal), but i think is the sound you're looking for

Here's a Japanese grindcore band covering Battery by Metallica, just for the hell of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDTrqIuo--4

You probably won't like the vocals

You're right...I didn't like the vocals at all. But the rest of the band did a decent job covering though.

I've tried out so many Japanese metal bands, hoping to find something I liked. I'm so into Jpop, but I'm also into symphonic metal (if that makes any sense at all) and I've hardly found ANY that I liked. Moi dix Mois is okay, though. Sorry, I don't have any of their songs. =/

I noticed someone said something about Girugamesh.. not sure if you got a chance to listen to them yet, but if you didn't I have a cover they did:

Girugamesh - Glamorous Sky
http://www.sendspace.com/file/86cm3j

If you haven't checked it out already, I would second the Blood Stain Child recommendation. :D Pretty decent metal, actually!

japanese? NOPE, they are a TAIWANESE symphonic metal band, and yes, they are awesome. You can find their albums both in mandarin and english, but I�d go with the original mandarin versions, the singer (female) just sounds more natural that way (no shit :P ).

so TopCow, in case you havent found their albums yet you can find a couple of them here (http://dmriojas.wordpress.com/c-pop/albums/m-w/). I recommend starting off with their 2004 album. The only reason I didnt recommend them before if because you were asking for japanese bands, and heavy metal band at that... but like you, I am somewhat tired of all these subgenres, its just a pain in the ass to organize my music library "acurrately" with tags like shock rock, gothic rock, progressive metal and so on.

Yes you are correct, they are taiwanese, sorry for that mistake. Taiwan does have very different bands than japan. Taiwan has more symphonic stuff. yes, it is a pain in the ass to keep them organized haha!

They were already mentioned but I just want to reiterate, X-Japan are a great Japanese heavy metal band! They have their softer sides as well with many ballads but mostly they are good old-fashioned craziness! Best song is Art of Life but it is a half hour long so if you want to check them out I recommend Weekend, Kurenai, Dahlia and Blue Blood as good examples of their heavy side. If you're interested Crucify my Love and Tears are ballads with at least some English lyrics, they mostly sing in Japanese though!

Malice Mizer and Moi dix Mois are more gothic-style with piano and violins used very often but they're really good so well worth a listen!

Versailles are awesome, what people would call power metal but ya check out their costumes esp Hizaki!

Blood is kinda industrial but very entertaining and I think that's enough to be going on with so I'm gonna shut up now :P

Check out the band called D, they have some good stuff..the vocals can be a little weird at times(high) but the band is pretty damn good.