One of the best parts of going to see a metal concert is that often, the headlining band is the only one I know, and there will be one or several opening bands which are new to me. They are usually local and play many of the same clubs together. Each band almost always has at least one song in their lineup that can make me nod my head or tap my foot. Sometimes a band grabs my attention when I least expect it. When that happens; I am reminded again why I love metal.
I was most recently delighted by a band called FAKE ISLAND, whom I saw in Shibuya. They produce a metalcore sound via two vocalists; YuuriBjoux who pours out clean and rock vocals and Erica who provides the throat-ripping growls. These two float the lyrics on a river of riffs from Matsumoto’s guitar, and are kept in time by HARIBOW on bass and Reiji behind the kit. FAKE ISLAND doesn’t feel like a “Female Fronted” band, where gender is a focus, but rather just great group of friends who like to play awesome metal music.
FAKE ISLAND hails from Tokyo and have only been performing together since early 2017, but their chemistry is obvious. In their short time together as a band, they have already laid down an EP with the same name as their band and have created and released two music videos. They play well as a collective, the two vocal styles work together well enough not only to sing different parts of songs, but to occasionally sing together for a unique sound. Rhythms from Reiji and HARIBOW are never boring, and often switch up their times to remind the audience it is okay to stop banging their heads and look up at the stage sometimes. Much of the time, the guitar is also building the rhythm of the music with hammering riffs, but will sometimes change up the tone to a give the band more of a classic rock sound…with death vocals.
According to the Reiji, the band takes its name from the lies we live in. The TV, the news media, and politicians all create a comfortable nest of false promises into which we nestle until we can no longer see the truth. This condition of their island home gives the band all the fuel they need to create their raging songs.
If you find yourself in the greater Tokyo area on a Friday or Saturday night and are looking for something really entertaining, look up FAKE ISLAND’s website; they will be playing somewhere. If you aren’t in Japan, then be patient. It probably won’t be too long until they make it to Europe. If you want to know how much I enjoyed seeing them, just know that at the end of my trip, I cancelled plans to go to another concert to come back and get rocked by them again. It was absolutely worth it.
FAKE ISLAND’s EP can be found on Spotify and is available in the US and Europe. If you would like a preview, you can find their two music videos on YouTube, or go to their website.
