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Animetal

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Animetal
OriginJapan
GenresHeavy metal, speed metal, power metal, anison
Years active1996–2006
LabelsVAP
Sony Music Entertainment
Avex
MembersEizo Sakamoto
Masaki
Syu
Past membersShe-Ja
Mie
Websitehttp://www.compozila.co.jp/iron/

Animetal (アニメタル, Animetaru) was a Japanese heavy metal band who specialized in metal covers of theme songs from classic and modern Japanese anime and tokusatsu television series.

They were composed 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 Japanese heavy metal bands to achieve name recognition outside Japan in the 1980s) 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.

As of 2006, the band is currently on indefinite hiatus.[1] Sakamoto has since begun a similar project called Eizo Japan,[2] but in 2013 he announced that he and She-Ja were reforming Animetal as Aisenshi (哀旋士).[3]

Style

Their music can be classified[by whom?] as speed metal and power metal with a very high level of musical virtuosity,[citation needed] especially on the guitarists' (initially She-Ja for the first four albums, then Syu from Animetal Marathon V to the present) and bassist Masaki's parts. Masaki, in particular from Animetal Marathon IV 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.[citation needed] 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,[citation needed] with occasional overdubs and breaks in the action here and there.

Part of the band's nostalgic factor is their incorporation of popular rock-metal instrumentals into some of the songs. For instance, their version of "Choujuu Sentai Liveman" is played to the tune of Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law".

The lyrics are almost entirely in Japanese with occasional lines of "Engrish", which may partly account for why they are virtually unknown outside Japan, except that 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 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 "Eternal Future" (永遠の未来, Towa no Mirai) from the Rurouni Kenshin film.

Personnel

Final lineup

Former/guest members

  • Katsuji – drums (1997–2006)
  • Mie – lead vocals in Animetal Lady (1997–1998, 2002)
  • Kouichi Seiyama – keyboards (1997–1998, 2002)
  • Marty Friedman – lead guitar on one track on Animetal Lady Marathon II (2002)
  • Nov – vocals on "Ai o Torimodose!!" (2001)
  • Mitsuo Takeuchi – vocals on "Galactic Gale Baxinger" (2001)
  • She-Ja – guitar (1997–2001)
  • Yasuhiro Umezawa – drums (1997–1998)
  • Shinki – drums on "Yuuki no Akashi" (1998)
  • Munetaka Higuchi – drums on Animetal Summer and "Sentimetal" (1997)
  • Take-Shit – bass on This is Animetal (1997)

Discography

Albums

Singles

  • "Animetal" (アニメタル, Animetaru)
  • "This Is Animetal"
  • "Tokusatsu de Ikō!" (特撮でいこう！, Let's Go With Tokusatsu!)
  • "Animetal Summer" (アニメタル・サマー, Animetaru Samā)
  • "Sentimetal" (センチメタル, Senchimetaru)
  • "Shukuteki Kenzan!" (宿敵見参！, Meeting the Old Enemy!) from Rurouni Kenshin: Requiem for the Ishin Patriots
  • "The Juppongatana" (The 十本刀, The Ten Swords) from Rurouni Kenshin: Requiem for the Ishin Patriots
  • "Towa no Mirai" (永遠の未来, Eternal Future) ending theme of Rurouni Kenshin: Requiem for the Ishin Patriots
  • "Yūki no Akashi" (勇気の証, Proof of Courage)
  • "THE ANIMETAL ~RE-BIRTH HEROES~"
  • "For The Bravehearts Only!"

Videos

  • Animetalive
  • The Fourth Marathon
  • The Psycho Marathon
  • Songs for Everlasting Future

Animetal Lady

  • "Animetal Lady Sanjō!" (アニメタル・レディー参上！, Animetaru Redī Sanjō!, Animetal Lady Has Arrived!)
  • "Animetal Lady Kenzan!" (アニメタル・レディー見参！, Animetaru Redī Kenzan!, Animetal Lady Has Been Found)
  • Animetal Lady Marathon (アニメタル・レディー・マラソン, Animetaru Redī Marason)
  • Animetal Lady Marathon II (アニメタル・レディー・マラソンⅡ, Animetaru Redī Marason Tsū)

References

  1. ^ Animetal Official Site
  2. ^ Eizo Japan Official Site
  3. ^ "【ピックアップ！】哀旋士…声明文！ - Web Rock Magazine BEEAST". Beeast69.com. 2013-01-18. Retrieved 2013-02-05.
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