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Japan's heavy hitters HANABIE. are back at it again with this late in the year release ‘Bucchigiri Tokyo’. Over the last few years HANABIE. have become an international success, with music videos including ‘我甘党 (WE LOVE SWEETS)' gaining 2 million views, and the music video for 'Pardon Me, I Have To Go Now' amassing over 10 million views across YouTube and TikTok. A number of notable influencers in the scene have reacted to these videos, giving them an even wider audience to the point of them selling out London venue The Underworld and playing Download this year, in what was an extremely well-received second stage set.
Something interesting about the band is that not only does lead vocalist Yukina cover vocal duties, but shares them round with the rest of the band - namely Matsuri (guitar), Hettsu (bass), and Chika (drums). Whilst not such a common sight across most scenes, this is actually quite a common theme in the Japanese metalcore scene! Going into this EP, if you're not fluent in Japanese you're going to struggle to understand most of the lyrics being sung by all four members, but that doesn't take away from the fun that this EP will provide.
The band also lean very heavily into the kawaii culture that is so well-known for its Japanese origin, but don't let their cutesy aesthetics and music videos fool you, these four certainly know how to get down low and have plenty of songs to mosh to, as well as a number of riffs heavy enough to get a crowd swinging.
Digging our way into the beginning of the EP, we first reach title track ‘Bucchigiri Tokyo’, kicking things off with a mix of hard-hitting and melodic vocals that is a real ear-worm with a killer breakdown. Following that is one of two singles, ‘Metamorphose’, and it's one you're sure to nod your head along to, with Chika's rhythmic patterns making for a hypnotic rhythm that'll have even the most unforgiving of necks bobbing in time.
‘OTAKU Lovely Densetsu’ comes next - this song feels a little different to the rest of the EP, as frankly this single could belong in a video game, due in no small part to the array of electronic elements dotted throughout the song. The fourth track ‘GAMBLER’ is the longest track of the six, at three and a half minutes long, and is also the most guitar-heavy of them all, raging into another great breakdown that is certain to bring a smile to your face.
‘Ito Okashi My Type’ has a nice mix of vocals from across the band that will make you want to get spinning round a high-energy moshpit, at the exact same time as singing along to a perfect combination of their regular vocals and some faster rapped lyrics. ‘Bonus Guilty Time’ finishes things off, and whilst it may be the shortest song on the EP, that doesn't stop it from being just as much of a banger as the rest of the EP. This one has a sound that will surely lend itself to Bring Me The Horizon comparisons, and also has vocals by drummer Chika in one of her less regular additions to the vocal side of things.
Overall this is a very enjoyable EP to have at the end of the year. Each song could very easily be the opening for an anime, with some brilliantly wacky riffing and an excellently worked clash of sounds that would sound bizarre almost anywhere else, but works perfectly here. HANABIE. are sure to get bigger and bigger, and we can't wait to see what it is that the band put out next.
‘Bucchigiri Tokyo’ will be released on December 4th via Sony Music.
Words: Lucas Grayson
Photos: HANABIE.