ANIMETAL
From Wiki.theppn
Animetal (アニメタル) is a Japanese novelty heavy metal band who specialize in metal covers of the theme songs of classic and modern Japanese anime and tokusatsu television series.
They are comprised of several luminaries of the Japanese metal scene, most notably vocalist Eizo Sakamoto, who has been involved off and on with Anthem (one of the first heavy metal bands to achieve name recognition outside of Japan in the 1980s alongside Loudness) as well as participating in various other projects including the pop-rock group Nerima, the JAM Project, and a successful solo career where he also plays lead guitar as well as vocals.
Their music can be classified as high-energy melodic thrash metal, power and speed metal with a very high level of musical virtuosity, especially on the guitarists'(initially Shi-Ja for the first four albums, then Syu from Animetal Marathon V to the present) and bassist's (band constant Masaki) part. Masaki in particular from Animetal Marathon IV on onward has shown an intensely active and aggressive approach to his instrument with fluid soloing, manic slapping and popping, energetic fills, and crashing chords for punctuation. The albums are structured as nearly seamless barrages of short songs woven into well-structured medleys that sound as though the band simply enters the studio and lays down virtually the entire album from start to finish in one go, with occasional overdubs and breaks in the action here and there.
The lyrics are almost entirely in Japanese with occasional lines of "Engrish", which may partly account for why they are virtually unknown outside of Japan, aside from the fact they admittedly are playing to a very small niche market. For a short time, they incorporated Pink Lady vocalist Mie into the band, hence the name change to "Animetal Lady", and recorded two albums with her distinctive and melodic vocals that are much more commercially accessible (almost what one would call pop-metal) than the rest of the Animetal discography.
While they're known more for their covers, the band has a few original songs including the ballad Towa no Mirai from the Rurouni Kenshin soundtrack.
Contents |
Members
Current Members
- Vocals: Eizo Sakamoto
- Guitar: Syu
- Bass: Masaki
Former Members
Discography
Albums
- [1997.03.23] Animetal Marathon (アニメタル・マラソン)
- [1998.02.21] Animetal Marathon II ~Tokusatsu Hen~ (アニメタル・マラソンⅡ ~特撮編~; Animetal Marathon II: Tokusatsu Collection)
- [1998.xx.xx] This is Japanimetal Marathon (Asia-only release)
- [1998.05.21] Animetal no Best (アニメタルのベスト; Best of Animetal)
- [1998.10.21] Animetal Marathon III ~Tsuburaya Productions Hen~ (アニメタル・マラソンⅢ ~円谷プロ編~; Animetal Marathon III: Tsuburaya Productions Collection)
- [1999.10.01] Complete First Live
- [1999.10.01] Complete Last Live
- [2001.09.12] Animetal Marathon IV (アニメタル・マラソンⅣ)
- [2003.06.25] Animetal Marathon V (アニメタル・マラソンⅤ)
- [2004.09.22] Animetal Marathon VI (アニメタル・マラソンⅥ)
- [2005.10.21] Animetal Marathon VII ~Tatakae! Metal Hero~ (アニメタル・マラソンⅦ ~戦え!メタル・ヒーロー~; Animetal Marathon VII: Fight! Metal Hero)
- [2006.08.02] Decade of Bravehearts
Singles
- [1996.10.23] Animetal (アニメタル)
- [1997.02.01] This Is ANIMETAL
- [1997.05.21] Tokusatsu de Ikou! (特撮でいこう!; Let's Go With Tokusatsu!)
- [1997.07.21] Animetal Summer (アニメタル・サマー)
- [1997.09.21] Sentimetal (センチメタル)
- [1997.xx.xx] Shukuteki Kenzan! (宿敵見参!; Meeting the Old Enemy) from the Rurouni Kenshin: Requiem for the Ishin Shishi Motion Picture
- [1997.xx.xx] The Juppon Gatana (The 十本刀; The Ten Swords) from the Rurouni Kenshin: Requiem for the Ishin Shishi Motion Picture
- [1997.11.21] Towa no Mirai (永遠の未来; Eternal Future) ending theme for the Rurouni Kenshin: Requiem for the Ishin Shishi Motion Picture
- [1998.02.21] Yuuki no Akashi (勇気の証; Proof of Courage)
- [2004.06.23] THE ANIMETAL ~RE-BIRTH HEROES~
- [2006.02.xx] For The Bravehearts Only!
Animetal Lady
- [1997.05.21] Animetal Lady Sanjou! (アニメタル・レディー参上!; Animetal Lady has Arrived!)
- [1997.08.21] Animetal Lady Kenzan! (アニメタル・レディー見参!; Animetal Lady has been Found!)
- [1998.02.21] Animetal Lady Marathon (アニメタル・レディー・マラソン)
- [2002.04.10] Animetal Lady Marathon II (アニメタル・レディー・マラソンⅡ)
Video & DVD
- [1997.05.21] Animetalive (VHS; DVD Released on 2005.11.23)
- [2002.11.29] The Fourth Marathon
- [2004.06.23] The Psycho Marathon
- [2006.12.21] Songs for Everlasting Future

