Blog

Deep Dives on Live Music in Japan

Band profiles, venue guides, scene reports, and practical advice from 15 years inside Japan's metal, punk, and hardcore underground.

All Posts1990sacousticambientantiknockband-profileband-recommendationsbandsbeatdownbeginnersblack-metalburning-spiritscrossovercrust-punkd-beatdeath-metaldoom-metaldroneelectronicemoetiquetteexperimentalfastcorefolk-punkgenre-guidegrindcoreguideguildhardcorehardcore-punkhow-tojapan-punkjapanese-metalkaala-musickantolegendarylive-housemelodic-hardcorenoiseplatform-historypost-hardcorepowerviolencepromotionpunkscene-historyscene-navigationshinjukushow-guidesludge-metalthrash-metalticketstokyo-hardcoretokyo-metaltokyo-punktokyo-showstokyo-undergroundtouring-bandstravelunderground-originsvenue-guidevenues
Oct 14, 2026By Matt Ketchum

Tokyo's Heavy Underground in November 2026: Death Fests, Noise and Black Metal

Koiwa Death Fest vol.99, Asakusa Death Fest, Death Metal Attack, Brainbombs with Merzbow, DEAFKIDS with Melt-Banana, Wiegedood, Oathbreaker and BIG BRAVE: the heaviest shows on Tokyo live-house calendars from late October through November 2026.

tokyo-showsdeath-metalblack-metalnoisegrindcoreshow-guidetokyo-metal
Apr 27, 2026By Matt Ketchum

Japanese Black Metal: From Sigh to the New Underground

Japan has one of the most distinctive black metal traditions in the world — technical, avant-garde, and built by bands who committed fully and went their own way. A guide from the first wave through the current underground.

black-metalgenre-guidejapanese-metalband-recommendations
Abigail: Tokyo Black Thrash Maniacs
Mar 30, 2026By Matt Ketchum

Abigail: Tokyo Black Thrash Maniacs

Abigail emerged in 1992 as Tokyo's most evil black thrash metal band. Yasuyuki Suzuki's prolific extreme metal project with 100+ releases and street metal chaos.

band-profileblack-metalthrash-metaltokyo-metal