Featured Archives

Review: JROCK NEWS jockeys over BAND-MAID’s EP “Unleash”

29 September 2022

Japan's extraordinary hard-rock headliners BAND-MAID let loose the next chapter in their musical conquest with the eight-track EP Unleash, available worldwide since September 21. Coming in under 30 minutes, the...

Interview: SCANDAL reflects on touring challenges and looking forward

G Andrew White and Nori

19 September 2022

Interview, Tour and event

On July 15, SCANDAL made the fourth stop on their North America WORLD TOUR 2022 "MIRROR" in Atlanta, Georgia. JROCK NEWS was in the crowd. This tour, previously planned for 2020 but delayed by the COVID-19 p...

Interview: How touring abroad changed ACME’s worldview completely

Erica

20 August 2022

Interview, Tour and event

On July 18, visual metalcore quartet ACME played their first-ever concert in New York. ACME commanded a packed dancefloor, assaulting them with crisp, high-treble drums, chugging basslines, and melodic guita...

Interview with sources: Spanning the spectrum from classical to rock

Erica

13 August 2022

Interview

Neoclassical trio "sources" is unlike any other band in the Jrock scene right now. The instrumental band fuses classical music with genres spanning the spectrum from rock to pop. Now, newly signed to JPU Record...

Interview with blank paper: an enigmatic sensation from the future

Erica and Peertje

1 August 2022

Interview

Little is known about the enigmatic rock band blank paper, who will perform at Otakuthon in Montreal on August 5. All the general public knows is that it appears to not be human. A glance at blank paper's ba...

Interview: NEMOPHILA before kicking ass at Whisky a Go Go part 3

G Andrew White

24 July 2022

Interview, Tour and event

Before NEMOPHILA took the stage at Whisky a Go Go on July 1, we had a sit-down chat with them. In person, their candidness and sweet personalities were charming and disarming. So, we had to find out how these i...

JROCK NEWS merch shop now open

edoh+

18 July 2022

Featured

Let's face it. Only now that we have to go back outside, do we realize how truly ancient our wardrobe has become during the past two years? For some who had to move back home with family, then you've probabl...

Report: NEMOPHILA kicks ass at Whisky a Go Go part 2

G Andrew White

13 July 2022

Featured, Review, Tour and event

On July 1 NEMOPHILA, in their first international performance, stepped onto the stage of the world-famous venue Whisky a Go Go. Confidently, they stood before a sold-out house with fans hypnotized and stunned i...

Interview with SUGIZO: “All humans should have a sense of love and harmony”

edoh+

6 July 2022

Interview

Hot on the heels of the recent release of SHAG's new album THE PROTEST JAM and Rebellmusik music video, we've been presented an opportunity to pick the brains of the mastermind behind the thoughtful album. I...

Review: Earthists’ album “Have a Good Cult” displays beautiful side of metalcore

NBT

4 July 2022

Review

The metalcore band "Earthists." has delivered quite an interesting work this time, to say the least. The latest entry is the album "Have a Good Cult" which was fully released on June 22. Binding together melodi...

Interview with NEMOPHILA: “We are here to kick your ass!” part 1

G Andrew White

1 July 2022

Interview, Tour and event

Making their first debut in America, NEMOPHILA prepares to perform a sold-out show at the world-famous Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood, CA. As a crowd gathers on the Sunset Strip, there is much anticipation for thi...

Interview with HAKUEI and HIZUMI: Hardships as vocalists

Dorian, Rin, Peertje and afaenia

1 July 2022

Interview

This interview was originally published by “club Zy.” in Japanese. JROCK NEWS is partnering with club Zy. and Vijuttoke with the aim to popularize Japanese visual kei globally. Learn more about our partnership ...

Review: DIR EN GREY forges brazen album “PHALARIS”

Nori

30 June 2022

Releases, Review

DIR EN GREY’s 11th studio album PHALARIS bares the richest culmination of metal from the Osaka quintet’s quarter-century career. Contrasting the battering ram blitzing throughout its predecessor The Insulated W...

Review: Is DIR EN GREY’s album “PHALARIS” the next step for an ever-changing band?

Mazohyst_Kyo

24 June 2022

Review

This is so familiar. But why? The second the intro to DIR EN GREY's latest album PHALARIS kicks in, I feel like I am being ripped back into a better time. For the first time in a while, I can honestly say th...