Japanese Culture Meets Metal Aesthetics on the Highest Level

Only six months after its previous third studio record, Japanese heavy and power metal quintet Onmyo-za comes around with an excellent extended play that should actually be considered a regular full length effort since it includes eight brand-new songs clocking in at thirty-seven minutes. This stunning release summarizes the band's numerous strengths best and serves as a perfect introduction to the group. It's also another significant step forward for the band whose releases got progressively better in its early years.

Short and concise opener ''Kasha no Wadachi'' translates to ''Wheel Tracks of Kasha'' and starts with a powerful drum solo supported by vibrant bass guitar play before fast rhythm guitar riffs and epic lead guitar sounds kick in. The diversified vocals include elegant female lead vocals, dramatic male lead vocals and powerful backing shouts. This heavy and power metal anthem is absolutely flawless and gets to the point in just three and a half entertaining minutes that make this song an instant classic.

Up next comes ''Dodomeki'' with its energetic power and thrash metal riffs transmitting a menacing and sinister atmosphere. The instrumental introduction includes a vibrant bass guitar solo and plenty of distorted guitar sounds that will make you bang your head and raise your fist. This song transmits an infectious energy paired with skillful female lead vocals that sounds perfectly balanced. You've got it, this is another masterpiece.

Another massive highlight is ''Kamaitachi'' that focuses on grinding power and thrash metal riffs that take no prisoners while the variable female lead vocals sound as perfect as ever and take listeners on an adventures sonic tale about a monster that uses its nails to cut people. As you can read, this song represents the perfect combination of heavy metal aesthethics and Japanese culture.

If you are looking for an epic masterpiece that oozes with atmosphere, then doom metal milestone ''Tsuchigumo Kitan'' or ''Detestable Tale of the Tsuchigumo'' certainly checks all the right boxes. The guitar play is precise and sublime and the combination between gloomy male vocals and theatrical female vocals is flawless and gripping. This song should please to fans of bands like Ningen-Isu that have recently been getting international acclaim and attention for all the right reasons.

If you like something dreamy, melancholic and slow, give closing ballad ''Tsukihime'' or ''Moon Princess'' a fair chance. Acoustic guitars, smooth percussive elements and soft female vocals will enchant you from start to finish on this cinematic ride through six captivating minutes. This excellent record couldn't have ended on a more appropriate note.

As you can read, Onmyo-za reaches perfection on its fourth effort Fuuin Kairan that roughly translates to Seal Circumvention. Every song on here is an instant classic, the material is extremely diversified from folk ballads over doom metal epics to poignant power and thrash metal anthems and the flawless instrumental skills are only matched by the versatile vocals. I rarely give perfect grades to the records I'm reviewing but in this outstanding case, the final result is absolutely justified. Check this release out as soon as you can.

Final Rating: 100%

Timeless Progressive Power Metal Bravado

Japanese metal quintet Onmyo-za has changed and improved with every single record in its early career. After a raw, imaginative and chaotic debut followed a classic doom and heavy metal output which was then followed by this progressive power metal release called Koujin Rasetsu which translates roughly to Radian God Rasetsu.

Things start off on a very promising note with quasi title track ''Rasetsu'' that convinces with a strong atmospheric instrumental opening that sets a cinematic and epic tone before the song is domineered by strong melodic guitar play and enchanting, powerful and variable female vocals. This is easily the band's greatest album opener to date.

The band never lets its guard down and comes along with numerous other highlights. ''Kirameki'' translates to ''Radiance'' and this title is very appropriate. Despite its numerous changes in melody, pace and rhythm, this creative power metal song is kept together by an irresistible chorus you won't be forgetting anytime soon. The melodic guitar play and the harmonious female lead vocals complement each other perfectly and make for an outstanding single candidate that should also be revived for live shows.

''Ushioni Matsuri'' translates to ''Whorshipping of Ushi-oni'' and continues the band's lyrical topics about ancient Asian mythology and religion. This progressive firework of creativity clocks in at seven and a half minutes but feels much shorter due to its fluid transitions and imaginative ideas. This hidden gem opens up more and more with every spin and offers much replay value because there are so many creative songwriting elements to discover.

Another highly interesting element are the two laid-back folk ballads ''Kumikyoku 'Kurotsuka' - Adachigahara'' and ''Kumikyoku 'Kurotsuka' - Kikokushuushuu'' that form a suite in two parts that clocks in at ten minutes. The harmonious acoustic guitar play, smooth percussive elements and soothing female vocals will send shivers down your spine and would do the soundtrack of any historic drama justice. This might as well be seen as the Japanese answer to Blind Guardian's ''The Bard's Song - In the Forest'' and ''The Bard's Song - The Hobbit''. These songs here might not exactly be heavy metal anthems but timeless folk rock ballads that leave a lasting impression.

The band has however kept another surprise for the very end of the album to end it on a more light-hearted note with energetic alternative rock closer ''Orabinahai'' that appropriately translates to ''Shout'' and convinces with multiple vocalists singing their hearts out who are backed up by energetic backing vocals. The gripping guitar riffs, bumbleebee bass guitar sounds and playful drum patterns recall hard rock sounds of the seventies and should work efficiently in concert.

At the end of the day, Onmyo-za's third studio album Koujin Rasetsu is another massive step forward in the early career of the quirky Japanese quintet. This album is a creative shift towards progressive power metal varying from short anthemic rockers over soothing folk ballads to cinematic epics that include more ideas in themselves than genre colleagues include on entire albums. The third time is the charm since Onmyo-za definitely cements its place as one of Japan's most creative contemporary metal bands with this excellent output that has stood the test of time with bravado.

Final Rating: 94%

Ladies and gentlemen!

Focused Balance of Doom, Heavy and Power Metal Influences

Hyakki Ryouran, which translates to Demon Horde Scattered Everywhere, is the second studio album by Japanese heavy metal quintet Onmyo-Za. The band made a significant step forward if compared to the chaotic, disorganized and unbalanced debut album released twelve months earlier.

This album is firmly rooted in heavy metal territory. The sound is domineered by gripping guitar riffs and melodic guitar solos as the two guitar players complement each other perfectly. 

The bass guitar is audible, dynamic, grooving, rhythmic, powerful and has numerous shining moments on this output. 

The drum play is creative, versatile and vivid as there are a lot of hidden details that come to life and grow with every single spin. 

The vocals certainly deserve a lot of attention. Lead singer Kuroneko has an enjoyably grounded yet melodic voice that distinguishes her from so many operatic female vocalists in the genre. Her natural style should certainly appeal to traditional metal fans as well. Male vocals are provided by her husband Matatabi who has a low and dramatic register that recalls popular Japanese singers like Kamijo or Toshi for instance. This approach might take some time to get used to for Western audiences but it complements and contrasts the female vocals very well. While the two vocalists often clashed on the debut record, their chemistry on this sophomore output is much more balanced, natural and organized. Backing vocals are provided by the two guitarists and the drummer as their shouts occasionally add some raw energy to the choruses. Guitarist Maneki even gets to perform some harsh vocals on one occasion that might not be technically impressive but very fitting in the context of the atmospheric tune. 

The instruments and vocals work very well with a raw and unfiltered production that however lets the different instruments and vocals shine and distinguish themselves from one another.

The songwriting has also improved a great deal. The band has reduced its use of folk sounds and experimental sections. This album is firmly rooted in heavy metal territory as the guitars are the domineering aspects of this release. The slower songs flirt with doom metal territories in the key of early Black Sabbath or genre colleagues Ningen-Isu. The faster passages recall thrash metal or even American power metal passages in the key of Savatage or Iced Earth. The songwriting is overall fluid, planned and structured. Even the longest tunes never repeat themselves and entertain from start to finish.

Highlights on this output are speedy, raw and heavy opener ''Shiki o Karumono'' which translates to ''The One Who Hunts Papers'', the variable, sinister and brutal ''Teitomakaitan'' which translates to ''Tale About Emperor's Plan to Overcome Evil'' and playful, epic and creative doom and heavy metal monster ''Ayako'' which translates to ''Strange Child'' and clocks in at nearly ten minutes.

A few songs in the record's first half as well as the experimental closer might need some time to grow but overall, Onmyo-Za's sophomore studio album Hyakki Ryouran entertains with an excellent mixture of doom, heavy and power metal that showcases excellent guitar play, gritty production values, focused songwriting, variable rhythm section and balanced vocals by all five band members. This album should please to any fan of American and European heavy and power metal music of the late eighties and deserves much recognition abroad.

Final Rating: 82%

These Five Japanese Will Get You Out of Breath

This first studio album of the band Onmyo-Za got my attention because of the stylish band photo, the unusual cover artwork and many positive experiences with diversified, stunning and sometimes surreal Japanese metal bands from classic groups such as Loudness or X Japan to modern acts such as Dir En Grey, Gonin-Ish or Sound Horizon.

This rather unknown quintet from Japan has also has much potential right from the start. We have these weird and typically Japanese atmospheres in tracks as ''Omagadoki" which translates to ''Twilight'' and indeed send shivers down the spine. We have tracks with multiple changes of style in rather short length that sound sometimes incoherent and overloaded but never get boring and find their time to grow like the slightly irritating "Fuguruma ni Moyu Koibumi" which translates to ''Loveletter Burning on a Postal Card'' or on the other side the very well constructed album highlight "Onikiri Ninpouchou" which translates to ''Ninja Scroll of Demon Killing'' where the band mixes all of its best influences without losing the listener for the very first time. This track could also be included on a classic album by X Japan but it sounds a little bit straighter and not as symphonic and gets to the point. If the band is able to write this kind of music on the upcoming records, they are definitely on the right lane and should find their place in the circle of great and innovative Japanese metal bands. At this point however, the song is rather isolated and can't quite make up for several weaker tracks. 

Some things definitely don't quite fit together on this record. On one side, you have sweet harmonious symphonies that are definitely too cute for the majority of the metal maniacs out there; even for those who have a romantic side. A track like "Kori no Kusabi" which translates to ''Wedge of Ice'' is not only too cheesy but also way too long to convince. It’s definitely one of the weakest songs on here. This might maybe please to fans of Stream of Passion and Within Temptation. On the other side, you have short tracks with death metal elements as the album closer "Inokouta" which translates to ''Children's Songs of Boar'' that makes me think of the earliest efforts by Amorphis and Therion. The song is definitely a good one but feels completely out of space on this album and gives the whole thing a compilation or filler feeling. 

The band simply doesn't dose its experimentations very well. Some tracks are overwhelmingly emotional, others rather cold and lack passion. Sometimes the guitars dominate and the players prove that they are rather gifted and play some great solos and at some points the keyboards suddenly take the lead and completely change the face of the band sound and often in a rather negative way. The combination of male and female vocals can be a good thing and if we take them and analyze them separately, the voices are definitely strong and charismatic. But when they work together in duets, there is no connection and they simply don't harmonize at all. Both singers sing their thing and don't seem to care about the other and that's a strange concept that simply doesn't work and makes it very hard to approach this record.

As many Japanese bands, this one should focus on its strengths and try to sound more coherent and structured instead of trying out everything at the same time on a short length record. The potential is definitely there but the band needs a better producer and sound engineer that creates a more vivid and yet structured sound instead of an overwhelming melting pot where every instrument, sound effect or vocal effort is recorded at the same volume. This album simply gets you out of breath with all its details and the band needs better transitions, more running time and well catalyzed songwriting. If they adapt these skills, they could still become the next big thing in the metal scene of their country. The tendency is positive but the first result still somewhat disappointing at the end of the day.

Final Rating: 72%