HANABIE – Otome kaikaku

All-female metalcore band HANABIE was formed in 2015, but their debut mini-album was released three years later, in 2018. Kaika Sengen offered nice heavy music, perhaps because it was produced by Gaku Taura, CRYSTAL LAKE’s drummer. The band took another important step in their career in January 2021 by releasing their first full-length album, Otome kaikaku. Taura once again joined them as the producer, but was HANABIE able to handle the full-length format?

Truth be told, this is a tricky question. On one hand, the overall sound of the release is great. This is good modern metalcore with a lot of crazy breakdowns by skilled musicians. On the other hand, the first three tracks leave the impression that the band is playing heavy music solely to play heavy music. These opening songs are certainly aggressive, but due to the lack of structure and memorable moments, they just blend with each other into one long track.

Nevertheless, dropping Otome kaikaku at the beginning would've been a huge mistake. Starting from the fourth track, the demonic and catchy side of HANABIE finally prevails. Watashitachi no 7 kakan sensou constantly changes the mood, first dragging the listener through vicious verses, filled with screaming and heavy riffs, before switching to ice-cold choruses, where clear vocals take the lead. This is followed by the devilishly addictive Reiwa matching Jidai. It will stick in your mind from the very first listen. It mixes rapping with powerful metalcore parts and a simple but hummable motif, which makes it dangerously explosive.

Reiwa matching Jidai

Both Invisible wall and Gaamatou are fast and bloodthirsty (well, as bloodthirsty as a song about candy can be). Moreover, they're filled with neck-snapping breakdowns and aggressive sound. These four songs show how HANABIE can write crazy tracks, with destructive power equal to a nuclear explosion. L.C.G, which occasionally sounds like something by BABYMETAL, and Genkai numa life can’t compete. Luckily, Want to TIE-UP is another killer. Piercing the listener with emotional vocals and adrenaline-packed verses, it finishes the album on a high note.

Gaamatou

After enough playthroughs, it's hard to shake the feeling that Otome kaikaku would have made an even better mini-album. HANABIE has some serious energy and the necessary skills to convert their ideas into addictive, powerful tracks. However, as a full-length album, Otome kaikaku has its downsides, especially with the overly similar tracks at the beginning. Nevertheless, it's easy to imagine at least half of its songs finding their way into listeners' everyday playlists.