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Japanese hard-rock band Band-Maid is returning to the limelight after several years away. Band-Maid has kicked off a new era with its newest album, Epic Narratives, released on September 25, 2024, as a triumphant culmination for the band and its fans. The band has also recently wrapped up their latest ZEPP Tour, sending their fans (affectionately known as either “masters” or “princesses”) into a frenzy.
Band-Maid contrasts Japanese pop culture’s neo-gothic frills and anime cuteness with
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powerful and melodic metal. The band is wildly popular in Japan, as proven by the fact that their music videos boast approximately 200 million views.
The band features Miku Kobato on guitar and vocals, Saiki on vocals, Kanami on lead guitar, Misa on bass, and Akane on drums. When it first debuted in 2013, the group introduced a niche subgenre of music called “kawaii metal” to a global audience. Simultaneously, the band’s name and the initial central gimmick were that each member wore a maid costume. That central gimmick has become less of a priority, but Band-Maid is still as authentic and in touch with its roots as ever.
Band-Maid is a rare exception in that each member of the band writes their own songs, composing, orchestrating, and playing their own instruments for its recordings. This has earned them a great deal of respect and acclaim from many, including longtime journalist and artist manager Ryan J. Downey, who said, “Subversive, playful, and powerful, Band-Maid dominates.”
In 2023, the band held their 10th-anniversary tour in Japan, the U.S., and Mexico, including Lollapalooza, culminating at one of Japan’s historic and iconic large-scale concert venues, the Yokohama Arena. This tour pulled them back on stage and in front of a global audience, leading to their 2024 tour. The BAND-MAID TOUR 2024, which began on June 28 in Nagoya, Japan, featured an exciting setlist that thrilled their fans of old singles, tie-in songs, and two new songs from their upcoming album.
After the tour’s final date, Band-Maid announced Epic Narratives, the band’s first full-length record in over three years. The album features 14 tracks, including “Shambles” (which has already been used as the ending theme for the anime Kengan Ashura Season 2), “Bestie” (a song co-written with Michael Einziger of Incubus), “Protect You” (already being used as the ending theme for the TV anime Grendizer U), and a collaboration track “SHOW THEM” with the globally popular Mexican-born sister trio, The Warning.
Epic Narratives contains a contagious yet epic positivity and could be Band-Maid’s most formidable release, encouraging even new listeners to get hold of this album.
In addition to the album, the band performed a special set on August 30, 2024, in the lead-up to its release on September 25, 2024. This special performance acted as a precursor to the band’s ZEPP Tour, which wrapped on November 26 after performing at a sold-out show at ZEPP Nagoya in Aichi, ZEPP Osaka Bayside in Osaka, ZEPP Haneda in Tokyo, and their final sold-out show at the same venue. The tour was first announced in 2020 before being scrapped due to the pandemic.
With Epic Narratives, Band-Maid has brought to life an epic album that is more distinct than ever before. With headlining shows and a 2024 tour behind them, the band is at its creative and artistic peak, preparing to unleash its most ambitious album yet and embark on an equally ambitious tour.
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