Shingeki is a Japanese alt-idol group that formed back in 2017. Featuring no less than 6 vocalists: 3 clean singers, a rapper, a screamer, and a shouter, and 7 “manipulators” it’s a massive conglomeration. As it could be expected from just the vocal contributions alone, Shingeki has a unique sound, something they have striven for since their beginnings – with their own biography stating they wanted to sound different than other idols, bands, and DJs. RAGNARØCK2 is their second full-length album, and following RAGNARØCK before it in 2020, compiles the group’s singles into one release, making it a more friendly access point to newcomers.
Shingeki is nothing if not heavy. While some may not be as hip to the massive doses of rap, EDM, electronics, and even jazz that they add to their unique version of metalcore, there’s no denying how visceral the group can sound when they want to. “World Breaker” contains some devastating breakdowns and screams (augmented by electronics at times) that all but shake the ground, and the ability to stop on a dime, switch to a more hip hop moment and swing into more jpop flavored segments almost gives them a nod or two to Broken by the Scream in their transitions. “Bad Cake” takes some punk attitude, blastbeats, trip and hip hop, and swirls it into a chaotic and aggressive blender that’s as hook-y as it is heavy. “Shinsoukyoku:Inferno” delivers some of the most corrosive metallic content to be found, even elegantly ramping up to a catchy clean vocal chorus before returning to drum battery and caustic screams. A later melodic break only showcases a more striking diversity before diving into an electronically-driven breakdown.
The electronically laced “Noctiluca” serves as a more melodic number, even if it laces some sections with background screams and offers some guitar and keyboard melodies that wouldn’t sound out of place on a melodeath record. The basement jazz intro to “Shinsoukyoku:AbsoluteZero” brings some sonic vengeance later, but the shifts between these sections and the pummeling riffs and screams serve as a delight to see how things can move unpredictably ahead. While the unpredictability might pull some in, it’s not a distraction either – hearing how the group mergers the high number of different vocals and instruments into something that feels more than the sum of it’s varied parts.
Shingeki will likely not be a group for everyone. The sheer volume of different influences and sounds that they put into a single track is impressive and borders on the edge of controlled chaos. But for those seeking something that does venture outside of the norm in many ways, RAGNARØCK2 is an excellent place to discover this thrilling act.