Dear readers!

Another year has gone and a new year has come. The first month of the year has offered an eclectic selection of new music from alternative rock over gothic rock to progressive thrash metal. The ten songs on this playlist offer forty-four minutes of entertainment from countries such as the United States of America, Sweden, Russia, Germany, Finland, England and Canada. Start your first musical discovery of the year by clicking on the following link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Qx4Gzr9ons65fb6himKSS

1. Voivod - Paranormalium

2. Placebo - Try Better Next Time

3. Voodoma - Sandman

4. Sündenrausch - The Lost Ones

5. Cult of Luna - Into the Night

6. Muse - Won't Stand Down

7. Billy Talent - The Wolf

8. Тысяча Вёрст - Время ведьм

9. The Rasmus - Jezebel

10. Sanhedrin - Correction

Another Excellent Compilation for Old and New Fans from Everywhere

Ningen Isu's most recent compilation translates to Ningen Isu Masterpiece Selection 30th Anniversary Best Edition and celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of the band's first extended play. Some people might wonder why the band has decided to issue another compilation five years after the previous one. There are several reasons justifying this output reasonably. 

First of all, the band has already released three entire new studio records in between both compilations. 

Up next, the band has recently been becoming more popular internationally and this compilation serves as a welcome introduction for all the new fans who are willing to spend some well-invested money on an expensive Japanese import version.

Thirdly and lastly, this release also includes one rare track as well as two brand-new tunes that can only be found on this output.

Let's take a closer look at these three songs. Opening tune "Inochi Urimasu" which could roughly be translated to ''Sell Life'' is the main theme song for the television drama series Mishima Yukio Inochi Urimasu. This song is sinister, menacing and fast and exemplifies the band's heavier side perfectly as it opens the compilation with a bang.

The second disc starts with ''Ai no Nirvana'' which means ''Love Nirvana'' and is also among the band's heaviest songs ever. The pace by the bass guitar and the drums is on the thin line between upper mid-temp and full speed while the fierce guitar riffs take no prisoners. Wajima Shinji's melodic lead vocals have a gripping urgency while Suzuki Kenichi's lower register in the slower middle section oozes with atmosphere. This song is an instant classic and one of the best songs Ningen Isu has ever written.

The final new song follows immediately afterwards with ''Akumu no Josho'' which translates to ''Nightmare Introduction". This shorter tune meanders successfully between thrash metal riffs, thunderous heavy metal soundscapes and doom metal reminiscences. The lead vocals are performed by Suzuki Kenichi's whose raw style indeed adds a profound, creepy and cinematic atmosphere to this focused tune. The crazy shouts in the discordant middle section are the cherry atop the cake.

As you can read, this complation doesn't only include twenty-two classics but also three excellent new songs that are among the very best the band has ever released. This means that this compilation isn't only essential for new fans and occasional listeners but even to fans of old date and people who might have purchased one of the previous compilations like myself. Please note that the version of this release on streaming platforms such as Spotify omits several songs that can only be found on the glorious physical version due to copyright issues as far as I'm informed. In addition to this, the booklet here features English translations for all tracks for the first time, CD Japan offers an exclusive thirtieth anniversary logo pick with each purchase and the limited edition even includes a hand towel which makes for a quite surprising gimmick.

Final Rating: 90%

Immortal Vampires Celebrating Eternal Youth

Ningen-Isu's twenty-first record Shin Seinen could be translated as New Youth and it couldn't be chosen more appropriately. Even though the mixture of gloomy doom metal, thunderous heavy metal, creative progressive rock elements, atmospheric psychedelic rock sequences and lyrics inspired by Japanese history, literature and mythology sounds old-fashioned on paper and hasn't changed much throughout the three decades the band has been around now, the way the trio performs its music is still dynamic, fresh and timeless. Thanks to a small but faithful group of long-time international fans, the group's music has now also gotten some well-deserved attention outside its home country. The band is going to play three European concerts as a headliner next spring and the group's most recent compilation also includes English liner notes and translations.

Shin Seinen is an appropriate album to discover the band as it features all the group's charismatic trademarks. Opener ''Preface to the New Youth'' is very dynamic, fluid and groovy and kicks the album off on a strong note.

''Mirror Hell'' is on the more atmospheric side with haunting sound effects and hypnotizing vocals by the guitarist that make this song a perfect candidate for a horror movie soundtrack.

The pounding ''Deity'' honours the band's gloomy doom metal roots with expressive vocals by the bassist. The crazy guitar solo and the dynamic rhythm section also recall progressive and psychedelic rock bands of the seventies.

''The Son of Hell'' starts with a really cool bass solo and evolves towards a dynamic hard rock tune that makes for a perfect soundtrack to drive your motorcycle in the summer.

''Mount Appenine in the Moon'' is this record's most experimental track with reduced musicianship, melodically variable vocals, longing melodies and some sound effects in the percussive department. This song could have been a ballad on a Black Sabbath record from the early seventies. Ningen-Isu should try out such calmer tunes more often because each time the trio goes for this style, it reaches for perfection.

Most bands would chose one of the shorter songs as lead single but Ningen-Isu went with album closer ''Heartless Scat'' that clocks in as longest tune on the album with a length of eight and a half minutes. The song convinces with an epic atmosphere, heavy riffs and numerous great ideas in the songwriting department. There is no doubt that this is one of this album's shining highlights that has the potential to stand the test of time. Other veteran bands can only dream of writing such an excellent tune so late in their careers.

Ningen-Isu might not reinvent itself on Shin Seinen or explore new territories but it's another extremely solid entry into the band's high-quality discography. The album might be missing a truly outstanding highlight but especially the consistent yet diversified opening tunes as well as the more epic and experimental closing third offer entertainment of the greatest kind. Despite a few fillers in the middle section, Ningen-Isu's Shin Seinen is a timeless record that should please to anyone who loves doom, heavy and progressive rock and metal music.

Final Rating: 87%

Internationally Resonating Roars from Aomori Prefecture

Ijigen no Houkou that means A Roar from Another Dimension is the twentieth studio record in thirty years of existence from Japanese progressive metal, heavy metal and doom metal quintet Ningen Isu. While the band has never released a bad or even just an average album, the creative trio has recently been on a streak of excellent to perfect albums where the new output blends in perfectly.

The chemistry among the three band members seems to be getting better with every single output. Every single cymbal and hi-hat sound in the drum work sounds perfectly placed and oozes with groove, playfulness and rhythm. The dominant bass guitar has much swagger and provides infectious rhythms that should be used as auditive medicine for paraplegia. The guitar riffs are as diversified as one can imagine from soulful slow passages over engaging mid-tempo gallops to fast-paced outbursts that will tear your head off. All three band members are once again performing vocals and complement one another perfectly. Guitarist Wajima Shinji has a dramatic, epic and melodious tone that gives the songs a gripping psychedelic and progressive touch. Drummer Nakajima Nobu performs with energy, grit and swagger as he provides vocal vibes reminding of the early years of hard rock and heavy metal in the seventies. Bassist Suzuki Kenichi adds gloomy, low and raw vocals that add doom metal and even gothic metal soundscapes that should sit well with extreme metal fans. These numerous adventurous elements are kept together by a tight groove that also benefits from an organic and timeless production.

The band's twentieth output includes numerous highlights that are worth being pointed out. ''Mononoke Fever'' comes around with joyful harmonica sounds, tight rhythm section and an anthemic chorus as the melodic lead vocals by the guitarist are supported by energizing backing vocals. The high-pitched guitar solo comes as a massive surprise and transports this tight hard rock anthem into progressive metal territories. This song exemplifies that the band is still willing to experiment, innovate and surprise thirty years into its stunning career with this massive highlight.

''Uchuu no Symphony'' on the other side has a slower pace and is perfectly complemented by the bassist's haunting vocal efforts. The technically impressive guitar work and the haunting sound effects evoke a space rock sound that could come straight from the soundtrack of a Japanese science-fiction movie or television series of the sixties. Even a few playful krautrock references can be found throughout this firework of diversity.

''Akuma Kitousho'' offers yet another huge surprise as it opens with acoustic folk sounds that evolve into a thunderous doom metal epic. The mantra-like chants in the middle section paired with distorted space rock guitar sounds make for a most adventurous listening experience. The song concludes on a more chaotic note with a distorted guitar solo that can be considered the highlight of this excellent song.

''Akumu no Tenjouin'' is the drummer's shining moment as his passionate hard rock vocals ooze with energy and lead through a creative song that intertwines mysterious space rock sounds with classic hard rock riffs. The catchy chorus that invites to sing along keeps the adventurous song together through its five and a half highly entertaining minutes.

''Jigoku no Heavy Rider'' is a biker anthem that quickens up the pace and raises the noise as it offers three minutes somewhere on the thin line between punk rock spirit and heavy metal musicianship that at times flirts with speed metal and thrash metal stylistics. This song will tear your head off and won't take any prisoners.

Once again, Ningen Isu offers an album that perfectly combines the band's charismatic trademarks mentioned at the beginning of the review with experimental soundscapes pointed out in the descriptions of the specific songs. If it weren't for the first few slightly less urgent songs, this release would certainly deserve the highest possible rating. As it is now, the closing two thirds are absolutely flawless and might form the best succession of songs on any album by the Japanese veterans. As if the outstanding musicianship, songwriting and vocals on this album weren't enough, the colourful cover artwork references the floats, paintings and sculptures of historic figures from the band's home prefecture Aomori and its hometown Hirosaki. As you can read, Ningen Isu's Ijigen no Houkou truly is an authentic piece of Japanese culture that you should cherish, purchase and spread.

Final Rating: 99%

A Perfect Output with Heart, Power and Soul

Kaidan Soshite Shi to Erosu translates to Ghost Stories: Death and Eroticism and is the nineteenth studio record by Japanese progressive, heavy and doom metal trio Ningen Isu in only twenty-six years. While other bands might slow down as time goes by, this unique Japanese trio is more successful than ever before. The band has often come close to perfection on several studio records such as on the brilliantly diversified conceptual effort Mugen No Juunin, on the gloomy doom metal masterpiece Twentieth Century Funeral Song and on the tight and concise late career highlight Mandoro. This nineteenth studio album is however the first time the band indeed reaches perfection. For twelve years in a row, I have considered Amorphis my favourite band of all time. After having discovered this masterpiece, I would now go as far to say that I have two favourite bands on the same level of perfect creativity, musicianship and passion.

It's not as easy as one might think to describe a perfect album but let me give it a try. First of all, the moody cover artwork sets the tone right from the start.

The timeless production is energetic, organic and tight. The musicianship is absolutely outstanding and shines brightly in this brilliant context. 

The guitar riffs change from slow, melancholic and cinematic sections over varied mid-paced rhythmic patterns that invite to dance along to fast riffs that take no prisoners and make for the band's heaviest record up to this date. 

The bass guitar is audible, dominant and playful at all times as it forms the irresistible backbone of this perfect album. 

The drums and percussions are creative, playful and vivid as they deliver rhythms like a healthy heart bursting with lust for life.

The vocals are as diversified as ever but even more cleverly used than before. Lead vocalist Wajima Shinji's dramatic, melodic and passionate vocals don't only transport the more epic, melodic and progressive tracks perfectly but also blend in more than ever in the group's more aggressive, fast and fierce songs.

Suzuki Kenichi's low vocal register meanders fluidly from haunting storytelling sections over dramatic low performances to guttural grunts sending shivers down the spine. Whenever he performs, the songs would qualify as shining highlights on the soundtracks of any atmospheric horror, mystery or science-fiction movie, series or video game.

Nakajima Nobu's vocals are rarely but very efficiently used. His energetic backing vocals and gang shouts transmit an irresistible rock 'n' roll, hard rock and heavy metal spirit that might come straight from the seventies but that sounds absolutely timeless in the context of these compositions. His lead vocals keep getting better with every output and have a dramatic, longing and passionate tone that should even please fans of blues rock, punk rock and sleaze rock genres.

The songwriting also needs to be pointed out here as it turns out being more ferocious, fluid and focused than ever before. On past records, the band often wrote twelve songs that could reach lengths close to seventy-five minutes. This time around, the twelve songs clock in just below fifty-nine minutes. Every second is filled with creative magic, every movement is perfectly planned and every transition oozes with boundless passion. There isn't one single second of unnecessary length to be found on this output. There are no ballads, cover songs or instrumental interludes to be found as you get one hour of full power.

It's an aimless attempt to point out any highlights as that would lead to describing twelve songs in great detail. Let's just say that this is Ningen Isu's heaviest record thus far and that each track oozes with creativity, grit and hunger that one could usually expect from particularly motivated newcomers. The band members were in their late fourties and early fifties when recording this output but they sound as if they were easily thirty years younger while having the technical skills of seasoned veterans who could teach how to play their instruments at the most renowned universities.

To keep it short, anybody who lives and breathes progressive, heavy and doom metal should own Ningen Isu's Kaidan Soshite Shi to Erosu. The band has released many excellent records that are worth your attention. To go one step further, I have even yet to discover a record by Ningen Isu that isn't worth being purchased. This album here however is absolutely mandatory to be bought, owned and appreciated by anyone loving the aforementioned genres. This album has so much heart, power and soul that it might change your way to experience music. No matter how old you are, how rich you might be or where you come from, this masterpiece here is worth your time, money and appreciation. Give it a try, you won't regret it.

Final Rating: 100%