HANABIE. have been rapidly gaining popularity since the release of their debut album three years ago. In 2024, they played the Download Festival and toured
North America, Europe and Australia, so it seems that Japan is already too small for the band’s energetic music. Despite their busy live schedule, HANABIE. have kept working on new music as well. They released a new EP, Bucchigiri Tokyo,
on December 4th.
For those already familiar with the band’s music, there isn’t anything particularly new here. That's not a bad thing, to be honest. HANABIE. continue to do what they do best: angry, fierce and unpredictable metalcore tracks.
Heavy breakdowns sit alongside fast rapping and electronic elements pop out here and there, so trying to guess where each song will go next second is almost impossible. And, of course, their signature mix of vocalist Yukina's powerful screams and
guitarist Matsuri's high-pitched voice always sounds great.
All of this makes the vivid EP a dangerous metalcore hurricane. Right from the first track, Bucchigiri Tokyo, HANABIE. loudly declare their intention to destroy
everything in sight. One might think it impossible to match such an aggressive song, however, the release throws one angry track after another. Metamorphose and OTAKU Lovely Densetsu are a perfect fit for mosh and circle pits at concerts,
while GAMBLER often plays with the tempo in an interesting way. Ito Okashi My Type's catchy opening guitar riff leads to the most musically interesting song on the EP. Meanwhile, the closing track Bonus Guilty Time, a piece of pure
EDM, manages to feel both completely out of place and a perfect fit at the same time. It most likely won’t be for everyone, but it's an interesting way to finish such a furious EP.
Bucchigiri Tokyo once again shows HANABIE.’s ability
to write spectacularly aggressive music, as well as their significant growth as musicians over the past few years. Each track on the EP has its own personality and distinctive sound, and while there are a lot of different elements in the songs, they don’t
turn them into a chaotic blend of random sounds. Overall, it's one of the band's most balanced releases thus far. It lacks any obvious weak points like their previous two full-length albums and invites the listener to join a fun metalcore party.
Links to download and stream Bucchigiri Tokyo on various music platforms are available here.
