Second to None
Osaka death metal lifers grinding through apocalyptic themes since the late '90s Japanese underground.
About
Second to None is an Osaka death metal band that has been operating in Japan's underground since at least 1997, when they recorded their debut album "Prophet" at Free People studio in Osaka. The lineup â vocalist Taku Koshiro, guitarists Hiroyoshi Shoji and Hiroyoshi Kaneuchi, bassist Masanori Yoshikawa, and drummer Soo Nishiyama â has remained remarkably stable across decades of activity, a rarity in the churn of underground death metal. Their discography is deliberate rather than prolific. After "Prophet" (1997), they followed with "Marana Tha" (2003), then the full-length "BÄb-IlÅ«" (2016) on Radical East. Compilation appearances across the late '90s and early 2000s â including cuts on "Nothing But A Hardway" (1998), "Answer To The Call" (2000) featuring a Nausea cover, and "U.S. - Japan Hardcore Memories" (2001) â trace their connections to both the Japanese hardcore and international extreme music scenes. Lyrically, they deal in apocalypse, spirituality, domination, and nihilism. The music is no-frills death metal rooted in the '90s template â heavy, grinding, uncompromising. They never chased trends or courted major coverage, but they kept showing up. In a scene obsessed with novelty, that persistence is its own statement.
Recent Shows
- Sat, Mar 14, 2026AntiknockOnward to Golgotha 25Details