The Crown on stage in Tokyo. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

By Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

2018 gave us some fab rock music. There were too many great concerts, artists and records to mention them all. But here’s Roppongi Rocks shot at mentioning some of the music that stood out as exceptional during the year.

Ace Frehley on stage at Billboard Live in Tokyo. Photo: Masanori Naruse

Gig of the Year: Legendary KISS guitarist Ace Frehley did a flawless set at Billboard Live in Roppongi. It was such a great experience to see him back on top of his game. Other exceptional gigs in Tokyo included Venom Inc, Machine Head, Death Angel, At The Gates and Marty Friedman.

Song of the Year: The Crown‘s “In the Name of Death”. Brilliant, brutal and yet catchy death metal. Other favourite tracks included “Rain” by Loudness, “Take Away My Soul” by Uriah Heep, “Tattooed on My Brain” by Nazareth and “To Drink from the Night Itself” by At The Gates.

The Crown on stage in Tokyo. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

Extreme Metal Album of the Year: Sweden’s The Crown back in fine form with furious new album “Cobra Speed Venom”. They also backed it up with a great Japan tour. Other favourites included “TerrorVision” by Aborted, “To Drink From The Night Itself” by At The Gates and Watain’s “Trident Wolf Eclipse”.

Heavy Metal Album of the Year: When it comes to heavy metal, Finland and its top bands are always contenders. Top of the heap was Amorphis whose new album “Queen of Time” is based on the by now well-established Amorphis sound which combines heavy metal with great melodies, heavy guitar riffing with dreamy keyboard soundscapes and clean singing with growling. Other favourites included Nervosa’s “Downfall of Mankind”, Riot V’s “Armor of Light” and Loudness’ “Rise To Glory” as well as Thundermother who bounced back with an exquisite self-titled new album.

Melodic Metal Album of the Year: Sweden’s modern melodic metal band Amaranthe returned with “Helix” and proved that they once again could top their previous albums. Fast-paced and catchy modern metal bursting with energy and with some great new twists.

Classic Rock Album of the Year: Swedish groove masters Electric Boys are now all grown up and play a more mature, classic-sounding rock on fab new album “The Ghost Ward Diaries”. Other favourites included Graham Bonnet Band’s “Meanwhile, Back In The Garage” and The Night Flight Orchestra’s “Sometimes The World Ain’t Enough”.

Live Album of the Year: “Anywhere Loud” by Sweden’s Imperial State Electric is a fab live album in the old tradition. It doesn’t hurt that parts of it were recorded in Tokyo with Fred Estby at the soundboard. Other strong contenders included “Live at the Apollo” by Yes featuring Jon Anderson – Trevor Rabin – Rick Wakeman, Alcatrazz’s “Live in Japan 1984”, Overkill’s “Live in Overhausen”, Anthrax’s “Kings Among Scotland”, John Corabi’s “Live 94 (One Night In Nashville)” and, of course, Marty Friedman’s “One Bad M.F. Live”.

Tony Dolan in Tokyo in August 2018. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

Big Love Award: Tony Dolan! The legendary British metal man (Venom Inc, M-Pire of Evil, Venom, Atomkraft) visited his Japanese fans three times during the year – first with Venom Inc and then twice on his own. He is a terrific artist and one of the nicest blokes in metal. He always takes time to personally meet and connect with his fans.

Video of the Year: Ghost released “Rats”, a terrific video (think Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” meets “Lick It Up” by KISS) for a splendid song.

Randy Black of Destruction on stage in Tokyo. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

Energy Injection of the Year: Canadian drummer Randy Black (Primal Fear, Annihilator, W.A.S.P.) who gave German thrash veterans Destruction a new life when he joined the band.

Newcomers of the Year: Some of our favourites among the newcomers were Electric Feel Good (rural Swedish rockers playing blues-rock like it’s nobody’s business), Detraktor (hard-hitting and groovy German crossover thrash metal), Carchosa (one-man thrash/death metal band from Sweden), Japan’s Hell Freezes Over who finally released their terrific debut EP and Nightstage whose debut album is full of classic-sounding American rock.

Congrats to the winners and apologies for all the great music from 2018 that we’ve forgotten to mention here. Now on to 2019! Cheers!

Slash in Tokyo in 2015. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

By Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

Legendary Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash will return to play in Japan in January, this time together with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators.

It’s been four years since Slash last played Japan as a solo artist. Since then he has rejoined Guns N’ Roses and their multi-year world tour has kept Slash busy. But a few months ago, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators released a new album, “Living the Dream”.

Here are a couple of excerpts from Roppongi Rocks’ recent album review: “Here he gets to do what he wants to do without too much pressure or too high expectations. Because of this, we get quality rock’n’roll by a terrific band of rock brothers who play well together, seemingly without too much drama. / As is the case with many of the world’s truly great guitarists, Slash never goes too far. Sure, he shows off his guitar-playing skills, but he makes sure he is part of the songs. His guitar never overstays its welcome. It never overshadows the songs. ‘Living the Dream’ offers us straightforward and catchy rock’n’roll built around Slash’s guitar and Myles Kennedy’s characteristic voice. / The album ‘Living the Dream’ is great fun. This is a band playing melodic rock’n’roll, music that they love and have produced without overthinking things. That laidback, casual feeling is what makes this rock album a good one.” 

The Conspirators has a world-class line-up that is the same as the band that toured Japan in 2015 – in addition to Slash there is vocalist Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge), bassist Todd Kerns (Bob Kulick, Hookers & Blow, Sin City Sinners), drummer Brent Fitz (Union, Vince Neil, Alice Cooper, Bruce Kulick) and guitarist Frank Sidoris (The Cab).

Slash’s Japan tour will include a show in Osaka on 15^th January and one at Shinkiba Studio Coast in Tokyo on 17^th January. Get your tickets via Creativeman here: www.creativeman.co.jp/event/slash19/.

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Tony Dolan in Tokyo in August 2018. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

By Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks 

In February, British metal legend Tony “The Demolition Man” Dolan toured Japan with Venom Inc. In August he was back to do a bass clinic and jam session with some of his Japanese metal musician friends. Now he’s back for a third time this year to perform a couple of shows billed as “Tony Dolan Super Sessions” in Tokyo on 16^th December and Yokohama on 18^th December. 

Tony Dolan, Sinjilow, Mirai Kawashima and Akira Tominaga on stage in Tokyo in August 2018. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

In a few days’ time, one of our favourite men in metal, Tony Dolan, will be back in Japan for a third time in 2018. Having first made a name for himself in the NWOBHM scene in the 1980s with Atomkraft, Dolan then fronted Venom before he and Venom founder Mantas formed M-Pire of Evil and, more recently, Venom Inc. Venom Inc keeps doing well. On the back of their fantastic 2017 debut album, “Avé”, they have toured the world and built up a great show combining Venom classics with newer Venom Inc material. Mantas suffered a near-fatal heart attack earlier this year, but within months he was back on stage. Nothing will stop these metal warriors.

Tony Dolan with his bass. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

The Tony Dolan Super Sessions in Japan are focused on classic Venom material with some other heavy metal classics thrown into the mix. “The music is such a classic, legendary thing. The legacy is so rich. People just want to hear the music, they don’t want politics,” Dolan tells Roppongi Rocks. It also evident that many old Venom fans like the newer material played by Venom Inc. At signing sessions, old Venom fans now often turn up with Venom Inc’s “Avé” album to be signed. “I am glad that they feel it actually has a place with the rest of the collection,” says Dolan with a big smile on his face. Venom back in the day was known not just for its music, but also its visual image with black leather, studs, skulls, fire and much more. “It’s beyond that now. We could do it in our slippers. But if you take all that away, is it still amazing? Just the music. What do you need? That’s what I love about it. I want to have everything else, but if I don’t, I’m secure in the fact that the music speaks for itself!” says Dolan.

At the two Super Sessions – Tokyo on Sunday 16^th December and Yokohama on Tuesday 18^th December – Tony Dolan will once again be joined by many of his Japanese metal musician friends on stage. The sessions will include guests such guitarist Rie aka Suzaku as well as members from bands such as Sigh, Survive, United, Alice In Hell, Apologist, Sabbat, Sabbrabells, Abigail, Hell Freezes Over, Head Phones President, Wild Flag and more. It will no doubt once again be loads of fun in the name of proper metal. Welcome to hell!

Get your tickets here!

Roppongi Rocks’ Stefan Nilsson and Tony Dolan in Tokyo in August 2018.

Masa Ito and Michael Schenker filming Masa Ito’s Rock TV. Photo: Mikio Ariga

By Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

On Sunday 28^th January, Masa Ito’s Rock TV filmed its 200^th show in front of an audience in Shibuya with German guitar legend Michael Schenker as a special guest. Roppongi Rocks was of course there.

Masa Ito is the most famous rock music journalist in Japan. Here in Japan he is even more famous than some of the artists he interviews. He has been instrumental in introducing many foreign artists to the Japanese market since the early 1980s. He has worked in print and radio and in recent years, in addition to his radio show Power Rock Today on bayfm, one of his main outlets has been the Masa Ito’s Rock TV show which he launched in 2014.

Special guest for the 200^th show was none other than Michael Schenker who was in Tokyo to promote his new Michael Schenker Fest album “Resurrection” (being released in Japan via Ward Records and internationally via Nuclear Blast).

Masa Ito interviewed Schenker in front an enthusiastic audience of lucky fans. Schenker talked about the new album “Resurrection” which features three legendary former MSG vocalists – Graham Bonnet, Gary Barden and Robin McAuley – as well as Doogie White from Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock. It also features old MSG musicians Ted McKenna, Chris Glen and Steve Mann. As several of the band’s members are based in Scotland, Schenker said that he has been rehearsing in Scotland. Schenker drives himself up there with a pit stop in Manchester along the way.

Michael Schenker filming Masa Ito’s Rock TV in Tokyo. Photo: Mikio Ariga

Schenker is very pleased how the new album came together and having four different singers was not a problem as it sort of fell naturally who sings what on the different tracks. He also discussed how Metallica’s Kirk Hammett ended up as a guest on the album. While Schenker says that he doesn’t listen to music as he focuses on “self expression”, he said he had heard Metallica’s “The Unforgiven” while shopping clothes in Paris and liked Hammett’s guitar playing. Michael Schenker, who regularly tours in Japan, said that the new tour will kick off in North America in March and that he didn’t yet know when the next Japan gigs will be (it’s only three months since he last performed in Japan).

To the audience’s delight he did mention that he named his current band Michael Schenker Fest with a view of having guests (”No guest, no fest!”). In addition to the legendary names already in the band, he said that Klaus Meine of Scorpions and Phil Mogg of UFO would be great to have as guests sometime during the new world tour.

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Graham Bonnet on stage in Tokyo in October 2017. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

By Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

2017 was, as expected, another year filled with terrific rock music. We can’t mention all the good stuff here, but here are some of our favourites from the past year.

Wolf Hoffmann of Accept on stage at Nakano Sun Plaza. Photo: Mikio Ariga

Gigs of the Year

Megadeth and Accept. Two gigs stood above the also-rans in 2017: Megadeth at Zepp Tokyo in May and Accept at Nakano Sun Plaza in September. Two veteran bands that are now perhaps better than ever before. They showed the kids how heavy metal is done. Part of the reason for them finishing on top is that they still create great new music and, unlike many of their peers, are no nostalgia acts.

Roppongi Rocks’ Stefan Nilsson and Dirk Verbeuren of Megadeth backstage in Tokyo.

Extreme Metal Album of the Year

Venom Inc. “Avé”. In Venom Inc. founding Venom members Jeff “Mantas” Dunn on guitar and Anthony “Abaddon” Bray on drums have again teamed up with vocalist and bassist Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan (who fronted Venom during the 1989-92 period). What a great trio of heaviness that has created a comeback album that beats all expectations. 

Runners up: Belphegor “Totenritual”, Cradle of Filth “Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay”

Heavy Metal Album of the Year

Accept “The Rise of Chaos”. A veteran band that is better now than they ever were in the 1980s.

Runners up: Ice Age “Breaking the Ice”, Iced Earth “Incorruptible”

Melodic Metal Album of the Year

CyHra “Letters To Myself”. Former Amaranthe and In Flames members returned in a new band with a terrific debut album.

Classic Rock Album of the Year

The Night Flight Orchestra “Amber Galactic”. Soilwork and Arch Enemy members got together to play some catchy classic rock fun.

Runners up: Horisont “About Time”, Troubled Horse “Revolution on Repeat”

The Dead Daisies on stage in Tokyo. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

Live Album of the Year

The Dead Daisies “Live & Louder”. A terrific live album that captures a great live band exactly the way they are on stage.

Paul Shortino in his hotel room in Tokyo in June 2017. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

Big Love Award

Paul Shortino. A man with a big voice but an even bigger heart. He loves his fans, he loves performing his music and he loves life. In the 80s he toured Japan with Quiet Riot and in 2017 he returned to Tokyo to perform songs from his back catalogue with Quiet Riot, King Kobra, Rough Cutt and much more. Wonderful guy. The music industry could do with more people like Shortino.

Video of the Year

Marty Friedman “Whiteworm”. A terrific instrumental song with a beautiful video combining Japanese art house-style drama with shots of the guitar wizard with his guitar and amps.

Alcatrazz in Tokyo in March 2017. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

Reunion of the Year

Alcatrazz. Gary Shea and Jimmy Waldo reunited with Graham Bonnet for some special Japan dates playing Alcatrazz classics. Neither Yngwie Malmsteen nor Steve Vai were part of the reunion, but it sure was a treat for the Japanese fans. During the year, Graham Bonnet, by the way, managed to perform in Japan with Graham Bonnet Band, Alcatrazz and Michael Schenker Fest.

Conrado Pesinato and Graham Bonnet on stage in Tokyo in March 2017. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

Energy Injection of the Year

Conrado Pesinato filled the shoes of Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai when Alcatrazz reunited in Japan. Fab guitarist who has also played in Graham Bonnet Band. Keep an eye on this fine guitarist.

Old James. Photo: Tammy Raybould

Newcomers of the Year

Ursinne arrived on the scene with a splendidly fierce and beautifully inaccessible death metal album. With legendary Bolt Thrower vocalist Dave Ingram, Jonny Pettersson (Henry Kane, Wombbath, Just Before Dawn, Ashcloud) and Sonia Nusselder (Ecocide, Shade of Hatred, Sepiroth). 

Old James: The fabulous Canadian musician Brian Stephenson (Annihilator, Skull Fist) is back with his own trio and a jam-tastic debut album. Love it.

Zornheym: Swedish symphonic extreme metal band Zornheym, led by former Dark Funeral guitarist Zorn, debuted with an album full of drama.

The Lurking Fear is a new band and its debut album “Out of the Voiceless Grave” is a brutal album without any compromises. It’s an assault on your senses by a bunch of Swedish extreme metal veterans: Tomas Lindberg, Jonas Stålhammar, Fredrik Wallenberg, Andreas Axelson  and Adrian Erlandsson.

Congrats to the winners and apologies for all the great music from 2017 that we’ve forgot to mention here. Now on to 2018! Cheers!

Simone Simons and Mark Jansen on stage with Epica in Tokyo. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

By Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

Dutch symphonic metal band Epica will return to Tokyo for a one-off Tokyo show in January.

It took Dutch symphonic metal band Epica some 15 years before they made their first ever gigs in Japan in April 2017. “The Japan Principle Tour” was a huge success and already in January they will be back for a special one-off show in Tokyo.

Simone Simons of Epica on stage in Tokyo. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

Prior to that, on 20^th December, Epica will release a special EP, “Epica vs Attack on Titan songs”, via Ward Records. The new EP which will feature covers of the soundtrack to Hajime Isayama’s popular Japanese anime series “Attack on Titan”. Roppongi Rocks has listened to the EP and can gladly report that Epica has put a distinctive Epica twist to the anime soundtrack.

Coen Janssen and Simone Simons of Epica on stage in Tokyo in April 2017. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

Epica were warmly welcomed by their Japanese fans when they toured Japan for the first time. The tour was also a smooth one for the band. “I’ve never been so relaxed on a tour in a country like here. Strictly on time, everything is well organised. It’s sometimes different in other countries,” said Epica’s founder Mark Jansen in an interview with Roppongi Rocks during the last Japan tour.

As a follow-up to the first successful Japan tour, on Thursday 18^th January Epica will play at Tsutaya O-East in Tokyo with Japanese violinist Ayasa as opening act.

Get your tickets here: https://wardrecords.com/special/EPICAtop.php

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Cherry Sickbeat of NervoChaos on stage in Tokyo in May 2017. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

By Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

NervoChaos guitarist Cherry Sickbeat has died following a short battle with cancer.

Cherry Sickbeat stood out in a punk rock and extreme metal world dominated by men. She would often let her guitar do the talking.

She first made a name for herself as a vocalist and guitarist in the band Hellsakura. In the past couple of years of her life, her main job was as guitarist in the extreme metal band NervoChaos. She played on the band’s most recent album, the fabulous “Nyctophilia”, and she toured relentlessly around the world with the band during 2015-17.

Cherry “Sickbeat” Taketani was born in 1970 in Brazil. She was a Brazilian national of Japanese descent, her Japanese grandparents having emigrated from Japan to Brazil. She was a multi-instrumentalist, most famous for her guitar work, but she was also an accomplished vocalist, drummer and shamisen player.

Cherry, we salute you. Thank you for the music and the mayhem. RIP.

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Gene Simmons in Tokyo in Oct 2016. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

By Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

Legendary KISS co-founder Gene Simmons is about to release the ultimate collector’s item for the serious KISS collectors out there: “The Vault”.

KISS legend Gene Simmons is always coming up with new ways of marketing himself. With “The Vault”, a massive US$2,000 limited edition box filled with music and memorabilia, he takes it a step further by hand-delivering the boxes to his fans.

Among many goodies (a Gene Simmons action figure!), “The Vault” includes no fewer than 150 never-released-before songs written and performed by Simmons. Among the many interesting recordings are one where Simmons is demoing KISS songs in the 70s with Eddie Van Halen and Alex Van Halen.

Simmons will bring “The Vault” to you in person. He will travel the world in 2018 with “The Vault Experience”. Confirmed Japan dates for the “The Vault Experience” are 7th and 8th April 2018. It is unclear if this is to coincide with a KISS tour or not. As previously announced, Simmons will perform with his Gene Simmons Band in Japan in October 2017.

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By Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

Festival preview: On 22^nd and 23^rd September, Ward Records are putting on a mini festival with a difference. We get some really great and unique extreme bands performing over two days at a club in Shibuya, Tokyo.

German duo Mantar will finally play in Japan! The duo has developed a loyal following and are now ready to meet their Japanese fans. Mantar is a raw and sinister drums-and-guitar duo with no bassist in sight. Somehow they still manage to sound heavier than most other bands. Heavy extreme music with a punk attitude, Mantar is damp and chaotic mayhem. Their music is a melting pot of various extreme metal genres. They formed in 2013 and released their debut album, “Death by Burning”, in 2014. They have since released “Ode to the Flame” in 2016 and the EP “The Spell” in 2017. In addition to their studio work, they have been a hard-touring band and in the process they have developed a distinct signature sound that stands out from the crowd.

Sigh’s Dr. Mikannibal on stage in Tokyo in 2015. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

Cult Japanese band Sigh was one of the early black metal bands in Japan. They have since evolved into an avant-garde extreme metal band. They established a reputation for greatness, weirdness and fabulous entertainment and made a name for themselves when they in the early 1990s signed a record deal with the late Euronymous of Mayhem and his label Deathlike Silence Records. They debuted in 1993 with “Scorn Defeat”. Sigh has toured internationally and here in Japan they have opened for bands such as Watain and Mayhem.

For the first evening of Chaos Assault, the two headliners will be joined by Boris (a jam-tastic Japanese genre-bending noise rock/heavy psych trio). On the second day, Mantar and Sigh will perform together with Doom (progressive fusion metal) and Church of Misery (Japanese doom/psych/stoner rock).

This is a rather promising mini festival with a fab mix of unique heavy artists far removed from the mainstream. Come and join the weird and the wonderful at this celebration of uniqueness.

Get your tickets here: https://wardrecords.com/special/CHAOSASSAULT.php

Loudness on stage in Tokyo on 30th Dec 2015. Photo: Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

By Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

Our favourite Japanese heavy metal band Loudness, currently on tour in Europe, will release their new studio album in January.

The follow-up to 2014’s terrific “The Sun Will Rise Again” will be called “Rise to Glory” and will be released on 26th January 2018 via Ward Records in Japan and earMUSIC internationally.

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