Another new contender from Japan with their own unique take on the metal genre, which they describe as ‘symphonic metalcore,’ is that of Fathomless Skywalker. Formed in 2017, they began releasing music the following year with their first EP, World End. From that point, they began a string of single releases that led us up to their debut album, recently released by JPU Records (ORDER HERE). In regards to the slow build up to the album, vocalist Chihiro states, “Fathomless Skywalker is the very first band I’ve ever been in, so I was pretty inexperienced. Our leader, Takuma, who writes songs with me, was also working in this genre for the first time. That’s part of why it took us a while to shape the band into what it is today.”
She adds, “My singing style has changed over time, and I think the overall sound of our music has evolved a lot too.” Guitarist Takuma interjects, “That’s right. The biggest turning point was when we started working with Hiro from STUDIO PRISONER for recording in 2020. That really transformed the band. He taught us a lot about music, how a band should be, and what it means to be an artist. It really opened our eyes.” After that pivotal moment for the band, drummer Tetsu joined the band, and the band became their current 3-piece line-up. Another piece that slowed them down initially was COVID-19. “It happened to be right in the middle of the pandemic, so we couldn’t move forward as freely as we wanted. Instead, we steadily released singles over time,” Takuma notes. “And now, we’ve finally completed our first full-length album, Anthems of the Resilient.”
Their time working with Hiro from STUDIO PRISONER was not only transformative for the band itself, but it also gave rise to another big opportunity, working with Freddy from Japanese melodic death metal band Serenity in Murder on their cinematic orchestrations after HIro introduced them. “We’ve been working with Freddy on orchestral arrangements since our 2021 single “Endless Flame.” I still vividly remember the shock and excitement I felt when I first heard one of our songs with his arrangement. I was so hyped I couldn’t sleep,” laughs Chihiro. Takuma is quick to recognize the important piece he has added to Fathomless Skywalker. “Freddy is such an essential part of our sound that I’d say he’s practically a member of Fathomless Skywalker. He expands our musical world far beyond what we can express on our own, turning it into something truly amazing.”
In building up their sound over the years, they came up with the previously noted description of ‘symphonic metalcore.’ It’s a unique but fitting description of what the band is trying to go for, circa 2025 with Anthems of the Resilient and into the future. In terms of their origins, Chihiro says, “Originally, I studied classical vocal music and wanted to start a band like Nightwish. That’s when I invited Takuma, who was active in the punk and metalcore scene at the time, to start this project with me.” Takuma then elaborates on how the symphonic label didn’t feel like it was enough for the band’s sound. “In the beginning, our sound leaned heavily toward symphonic metal. But since my roots are in metalcore, I naturally started incorporating heavier riffs and using more growls. As the sound evolved, I wanted to distinguish ourselves from traditional symphonic metal—so we began describing our style as ‘symphonic metalcore.’”
Choose a song on Anthems of the Resilient, start listening, and you are bound to pick up on the spirit of adventure that lays at the core of Fathomless Skywalker’s sound. Chihiro emphasizes this feeling. “Each of our songs is composed with a different theme. Every track represents its own unique world. So listeners are essentially going on an adventure through many different realms.” She adds, “I also hope that, starting from the worlds we create, listeners will let their imagination take over and journey even further into new, personal worlds—expanding the universe infinitely.” Takuma is quick to chime in, “By the way, we also love real-life adventures! We often go camping, river rafting, or take boats to explore remote islands. And of course, we love drinking with friends too! Getting a little tipsy feels like going on an adventure into another world!” On that note, drummer Tetsu joins him, “My soul went off on an adventure a while ago… and it hasn’t come back yet.”
It’s a feeling that they hope also resonates with their listeners. Chihiro describes the theme of the album as, “Fight Songs for Warriors from Various Worlds.’ “It’s a work that I hope will reach and resonate with all those who are fighting in their own lives. Justice looks different to everyone. So does the right answer. What truly matters is the journey of seeking your own answers—thinking, struggling, and moving forward through it all. I believe that’s where the meaning lies.” Tetsu goes one step further in her hopes, stating, “You can listen to the sound and clear your mind, or dive into the lyrics and get lost in your thoughts. Since this is our very first album, I hope you’ll take it as a kind of business card that introduces the character of Fathomless Skywalker—a delicate yet bold mix of everything we are!”
It’s one thing to have the audible sound of adventure, but for a small and upcoming metal act, it’s another thing to be able to capture that feeling in other media as well. The band’s music videos, even from the beginning, have had no trouble in capturing that grand scope. Chihiro is appreciative that their efforts aren’t going unnoticed. “The main theme of our band’s activities is ‘world-building.’ Rather than just performing in our music videos, we aim to create a cinematic experience so that listeners can enjoy the music on a deeper level.” Takuma cites the influence of metal act Ice Nine Kills on their approach to videos. “[They] create songs based on American horror movies, with each music video feeling like a short film. That had a big influence on us.”
Given that Anthems of the Resilient has songs that take influence from movies such as The Crow, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Hunger Games, they already seem to be in agreement about one series that they hope to include in the future, Resident Evil (known as Biohazard in Japan). Chihiro describes it as a “shared dream” of Fathomless Skywalker to be able to write a song and create a music video based on the series. “We’re huge fans of the Resident Evil series, and whenever a new game drops, we all gather at Takuma’s place for a game marathon weekend,” she says, smiling and laughing. Tetsu adds, “When we play Resident Evil, we raise a glass while admiring the game’s environments. It always sparks inspiration. We’re fully prepared—both mentally and emotionally—for Resident Evil 9.”
Takuma goes even further with their admiration for the series. “The Resident Evil series is basically a way of life for us.During the pandemic, we invited our close friends over and spent an entire month replaying all of the games together at my house.” He also circles back to the influence of Ice Nine Kills on this subject. “When [they] released a song and video inspired by Resident Evil, we were absolutely blown away! If we want to make something that incredible, we’ve got to get bigger and secure that production budget,” he jests.
The band’s aspirations are global in tone, and they are doing whatever they can to get their name out there, even outside the borders of Japan. One aspect of that comes from their use of mostly English lyrics, something that is more of a rarity in musical acts in the country. “We use a lot of English lyrics partly because we’ve always wanted to reach international audiences,” Chihiro explains. “Both Takuma and I have always listened to mostly overseas artists, so writing in English just came naturally. I’ll keep studying English more and more so that people around the world can enjoy our music!”
Chihiro’s high hopes for spreading the music of Fathomless Skywalker comes at a time when more Western fans are looking towards Japan as a burgeoning leader in heavy music. “I’m really happy to see more and more Japanese metal bands gaining recognition overseas! Metal is still a minority genre in Japan, but I believe metal and anime songs share a lot in common.” In fact, she sees the future of Japanese metal as having a similar presence to that of one of the country’s biggest global commodities, anime. “Just like anime, I hope metal can also become one of Japan’s proud cultural exports.”
Given their global desires, it makes sense that they all also agree on an international act as a dream tour for Fathomless Skywalker. That band being the Dutch act Epica, who have left a big impression on all three members. “I’ll never forget seeing Epica live with the three of us. They were so happy and cool on stage,” says Tetsu. “I want to keep pushing forward so we can one day tour with a band like that!” Chihiro describes a tour with either Epica or Nightwish as, ‘a dream come true,’ as they have always been her inspirations, and “I’ll keep working hard to make it happen,” as one of her personal goals. Takuma reminisces about the first show that they three of them saw together, and yes, it was Epica. “[We] went to see [them] together, so it would be incredible if we got to tour with them someday!” He also returns to Ice Nine Kills once more as potential tour mates. “I’d love to geek out over horror movies with them!”
Having released their first album already in 2025, their eyes now look towards the future. Chihiro would like to challenge herself as the band continues ahead. “Up until now, most of our songs have been mainly in English, but going forward, I’d like to challenge myself with Japanese lyrics as well. Compared to the past, Japanese culture is much more accepted and understood overseas, so I hope we can continue spreading the beauty of our country through our music.” She also wants to work on her vocals, to bring the band to the next level. “To broaden our range of expression, I’m working on mastering chest voice singing. I think it would be amazing to increase Takuma’s vocal parts as backing vocals as well—it would really enhance our band’s potential.”
Takuma looks to some personal advancements as well in aiding the band. “This album mostly portrays ‘warriors of light,’ so in the future, I’d love to include some dark and brutal tracks with a vibe of ‘warriors of darkness.’ To achieve that, I need to improve my aggressive growls to contrast with Chihiro’s clean vocals, and also refine my guitar tones and riff writing.” Tetsu looks ahead more broadly. “To cross the line that admiration alone can’t, we’re focusing on the “reason why it’s us” doing this—to raise the purity and uniqueness of Fathomless Skywalker even further.”
To wrap things up, we discuss the band’s plans for the remainder of this year. All three members are quick to offer an invite to anyone, globally, who wishes to catch the band in the live setting. Takuma leads off, “We play live shows often, so if you live in Japan or are visiting, please come see us and experience our world in person!” Chihiro adds that they are already working on new material, and are aiming for a tentative summer release, and urges fans to keep their eyes on the band’s future activities. Lastly, Tetsu concludes, “We’re also looking for opportunities to visit everyone overseas! Gotta save up for the travel expenses too! To all of you around the world we’ve yet to meet — we can’t wait to see you!”