Hanabie. – Raise wa Ijin! (Sony Music)
Monday, 21st August 2023
The Japanese metal and hard rock scene lovingly takes a lot of freedoms and experimentation that tend to leave many metal fans in the West stunned and flabbergasted by, and Hanabie is no execption to this rule – given the anime/v-tuber looking cover art, it in and of itself will be enough to deter a portion of the ‘holier than thou’ metal fanbase from proceeding further. That’s unfortunate, because Raise wa Ijin! (translated: Reborn Superstar!) is one of the most unique albums you’ll find in metal in 2023. Wild and quirkly to a fault, the band’s abrasive version of metalcore (complete with vicious screams and frantic riffing) is elevated by a true sense of fun – something that the merging of eclectic video game-esque sound effects, dance beats, and j-pop intertwine to create.
With this scribe’s first exposure to Hanabie coming off of their beautifully absurd video for “Be the GAL – Early Summer version” (check it below), it’s an excellent gateway to see if you can withstand the shock and awe the band provides. Melding Japan’s gyaru culture (also probably unintentionally but timed nicely with the Barbie movie), the sense of humor is palpable as the bouncy jpop starts the track off only to twist it into a tailspin as frenetic thrash riffs and Yukina’s throaty roars take off into firmly metallic territory (and even a breakdown), outside of some humorously jarring high pitched wails of “tell me more” and “what the fuck.” The chorus wraps both seemingly distant worlds together, culminating in a hyper-melodic and catchy moment that pulls equally from electronic and dance influences as it does from adrenaline-soaked riffs. Such is the seeming motto for the Japanese band – incorporate as many different outside influences from a variety of genres along with the metalcore backbone to make a slurry that feels as inventive as it does abrasive. “Tousou” almost instantly opens with crashing and urgent thrash-tinged riffing and a groovy gallop only to flip on its head into a soaring melodic jpop chorus with crunchy guitarwork laying foundation underneath it. Add in an immense electronic-laced breakdown later and you’ve got all the right ingredients for chaos in the best way.
Something like this could end up feeling too chaotic/jarring and almost artificial in tone (see Babymetal’s early offerings), but Hanabie are surprisingly adept at crafting fluidity into the chaos. Nothing ever seems placed simply to illicit a ‘look how weird we are’ vibe and shoehorned in. That’s truly the band’s strongest feat in an album that you can never know what to expect around the corner. The anchor is always the melding of melody with modern metal abrasion, and that’s the key ingredient. “Warning!!” utilizes a similar concoction, with a electronic beat opening, dance beats, and a spoken word section all positioning for space, and the song still coming out as a blast of energy and fun. Closing number “Today’s Good Day & So Epic” leverages some of the heaviest and urgent thrashing of the entire album, and juxtaposes it with moments that are some of the most saccharine pop-sounding, yet still the song still feels like a cohesive piece that will unquestionably end up in your head if you fail to hit the repeat button and start the album again.
If you are looking for the same ol’ thing when it comes to metal – Hanabie is definitely not for you. But for those seeking something different that pulls from a myriad of sources such as dance, trance, electronic,and jpop yet provides an energetic and unique metal experience, Hanabie are going to give you the most delightful and deranged smile. For the band’s second album, there’s a hunger to it that feels insatiable – Hanabie is an act poised to lay claim to a larger, international stage as word spreads. Music that’s both abrasive and a joy to listen to – that’s quite a feat for any band to accomplish.
