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With the birth of KENJI and the acceleration of a brand that infuses modern Asian culture with a British twist, the Western fascination with Japanese pop culture shows no signs of slowing down. Kawaii has always been around in some form and continues to be a go-to point for teens and young adults. And Japanese history and mythology will soon be back in the spotlight when Hiroyuki Sanada steals every scene that he graces in the much-hyped FX TV mini-series ‘Shogun’ set to launch next month on Disney+. Still, it is the mystery, honour, and romanticism surrounding the legendary (and feared) Japanese Samurai warriors that the arts usually turn to for inspiration. The samurai lived (and died) by a strict moral code, and in doing so, provided centuries’ worth of stories and inspiration for filmmakers and musicians alike. And it’s these same centuries of stories (along with Japanese mythology) that Japanese metal outfit GYZE band-leader/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Ryoji Shinomoto turned to for the reimaging of his hugely experienced band.
Not to be confused with K-Pop starlet Ryujin, RYUJIN (all caps) takes their name from a dragon god of the sea in Japanese mythology, and if you ever have a spare few minutes it is a fantastic rabbit hole to fall down in the name of research. This self-titled album is the trio’s – completed by Shuji Shinomoto (drums/vocals), and Aruta Watanabe (bass/vocals) – debut for Napalm Records and much like German folk metallers Feuerschwanz when they signed to Napalm, is a huge step up in quality from what GYZE created before going worldwide with the respected Austrian label. Bigger, better, more cinematic. If GYZE = DVD, then RYUJIN = 4K UHD.
With Trivium’s Matt Heafy at the production helm, as well as lending his vocals here and there, a lot is going on amongst the 12 tracks. The album opens with a short instrumental piece, ‘Hajimari’ that combines traditional Japanese instruments with the sound of a battle in the background, which is rather apt considering all hell breaks loose when ‘Gekokujo’ quickly follows on and gets the album off and running at breakneck speed. The drums and bass are relentless as they work as one, and there is even time for a bit of a Thin Lizzy-like Celtic jig before the harsh, screamo vocals from Ryoji land. Once the early stages blow the cobwebs away, you might pick up a bit of a Maiden influence on the galloping, melodic segments, and in turn, some Gary Moore influences, but it is the astonishing guitar work from Ryoji that sticks out the most.
This is a guitar-heavy album that at times dips a toe in Dragonforce waters and has many highlights, one early one would be ‘Dragon, Fly Free’, which is all about the melodies and the hooks; written with audience participation in mind, as is the great-fun ‘Kunnecup’. The 8-minute title track does however take the honour of standout moment on the album. So much going on that it will make your head spin. At times the changes in pace and style give the track a feel of an old-fashioned musical suite, with the vocal-free 3 or 4 minutes mid to end section being all about the staggering standard of playing from all. A fan of ‘Queen II’? Then you might just dig the insane ambition of this one.
Heafy’s vocals first appear on the pairing of ‘Raijin and Fujin’ and ‘The Rainbow Song’; the former being a glorious power metal romp, six minutes of Shuji Shinomoto killing it behind his kit, while at its fastest, the song threatens to run off the rails. The outro with more traditional Japanese instruments is perfect. The latter, ‘The Rainbow Song’, is according to Ryoji a “…fusion of Japanese ’90s anime songs and power metal…” and the result is a catchy-as-hell few minutes that would make the most cynical of cynics smile. Anime fans will recognise ‘Guren No Yumiya’ as the opening theme of the popular anime series ‘Attack On Titan’ and like most anime shows, this is larger-than-life and full of character (especially during the spoken word segments).
The album ends with Heafy at the helm on an English-language version of ‘Saigo No Hoshi’, a ballad that appears earlier with Ryoji handling the vocal duties. With cellist Mukai Wataru of the Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra appearing, the arrangements are stunning, and unlike some symphonic metal tracks where the arrangements are at risk of overpowering everything else, here, they compliment the vocals perfectly. Gun-to-head time, it’s the Japanese-language version that just edges out Heafy’s version.
GYZE is dead, long live Samurai metal’s newest heroes RYUJIN.
Available now via Napalm Records.
Review – Dave
RYUJIN online.
