lynch. The Shadow Impulse Tour Final at Akasaka BLITZ

Akasaka BLITZ seemed rather small that day, as the venue was packed with fans not only in the first floor but part of the second floor as well, filling the whole venue. The Shadow Impulse tour, which started off in July, had every venue packed with fans, many of them sold out, showing that lynch. is not just an ordinary rock band.

The stage dimmed, and without the usual opening SE, the piano intro for LAST NITE, the first song from their recent album SHADOWS, started. The members were already standing by, and with the scrim hung in front of them they had started their live. LAST NITE, a relatively melodious song featuring support bassist Junji’s impressive bass, had the fans waving their hands as the stage lights flashed to the music. As the scrim came off, the next song, MARROW started instantly with lights lined up on the ceiling of the stage flashing brightly, and all of the sudden smoke effects from both sides of the stage fired up, heating the audience at once. Drummer Asanao’s fast drums and vocalist Hazuki’s growls fueled the mass further, responding by pumping their fists in the air. Hazuki then screamed, “Can’t hear you!” The following 59 was a heavy song where the audience responded enthusiastically with shouts and storming head banging.

“Tokyo! We are lynch.! Welcome to The Shadow Impulse tour final! Are you guys ready?!” As Hazuki made this brief MC, the fans pumped their fists up for the fast paced STARZ, and for the next song, the universe, fans intensively punched the air and jumped with Hazuki’s shouts. A relatively quiet song, Melt came after, surprisingly with Hazuki becoming psychotic as he moved his whole body crazily at the start of the song. Guitarist Reo’s smooth chorus reverberated throughout the venue very well in this song. With red and purple lights glowing, lizard, seductive but heavy, was sung with Hazuki’s breathy voice. At the main part of the song, smoke effects shot out making the stage more atmospherically erotic. Following was I DON’T KNOW WHERE I AM, a song with only English lyrics, which Hazuki sang quietly without moving from the mic stand.

The stage was lit with red and blue lights for MAZE, the third song in SHADOWS. It was a somewhat mysterious and heavy song with profound bass and guitar solo. During the song, Hazuki sang amorously, sometimes touching the mike stand seductively. In the next song, his movements changed as he whispered out the first phrase of AMBIVALENT IDEAL, and he started to enthusiastically fuel the audience. A sea of head banging could be seen as the blistering red lights lit the venue and smoke effects shot out.

Hazuki then shouted, “Guys ready! SHADOWZ!” The next song, SHADOWZ, started with heavy guitar as the audience pumped their fists. As Hazuki sang, guitarist Reo and Yusuke followed with singing the chorus. Hazuki then introduced Reo, who had come to the front for his solo during the interlude. The heaviness didn't calm down, as the set continued with EVILLY, a much heavier song also from the new album. Fans head bang all the way through with Reo and Yusuke singing the chorus rather aggressively. Even Hazuki would shout , “Get crazier!” as the venue exploded with head banging en masse.

I’m sick, b’cuz lov u started with Asanao’s storming drum and Reo’s heavy guitars. Lights flashed intensely, and midway through the song, Reo and Yusuke came to the front of the stage urging the mass to move more. The atmosphere of the whole venue became even crazier as smoke shot up with green lights flashing intensely with the alien tune. The fans pumped their fists and jumped to the music. Hazuki was glaring out at the heated up mass and shouted, “Go crazier!! You guys can do better! C’mon give us shouts!" He stirred the crowds up, going to both corners during THE BLASTED BACKBONE. In unknown lost a beauty, fans clapped their hands and Hazuki shouted, the crowd jumped. Yusuke and Junji came to the front playing aggressively.

A loud but melodious number, ADORE started as Hazuki MCed, “Let us hear your shouts! Give us the best shouts you guys got! ADORE!” Crazed shouts could be heard from the audience and the head banging started right away. At the main melody of the song, the audience sang a phrase, and a delighted Hazuki thanked them. CULTIC MY EXECUTION, the final song, had special effects where flame shot up on the stage. Hazuki, with mike stand in front, sang the phrases as if chanting them, and sometimes it sounded like he was giving a speech. With the glowing red lights and the shooting flame, the atmosphere was engulfed in lynch.’s distinct dark world which left the venue speechless till the end and as Yusuke's distorted guitar echoed through the venue, and the members left the stage.

In response to the encore calls from the audience, the members came out once again. Grinning, Hazuki shouted, “Thanks! We are very happy and would like to answer you! Here we go!” An illusion started with the electronic piano intro and the fans clapped to the melody. Reo’s melodious solo was soothing to the ears. Moving on, one of their catchier songs, roaring in the dark, had the audience waving their hands in the air, sometimes changing to fists. Once again, fans sang a phrase of the main melody, sharing the moment with the members. The rather strong and popular number, a grateful shit, had the mass pumping their fists up once again, as Reo and Yusuke came to the front, heating them up.

The members showed up for a second encore. Hazuki, wearing the tour T-shirt, started with a MC. “On this tour we performed in fifteen places, and today we set the crown. We released the album SHADOWS in July, and though this tour was for the release of SHADOWS, to us the album was still in the production progress and today we are finally able to finish it. And I think it will be a good one.” Applause from the audience echoed throughout the venue. Hazuki continued the MC with some announcements. “We are planning on doing another one-man tour this year, this time in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka each two days! Please come!!" There was a roar of applause and shouts from the excited crowd, warmed up enough for the next encore song, vernie. Hazuki shouted, “This is not a place to cool down but a battle field! Get crazy!” The audience heavily pumped their fists as Hazuki shouted even more aggressively at the crowd. Then the heavy dazzle was followed by discord number, which had the whole venue head banging.

The last song of the day was pulse, where the members formed a circle around the drum playing the hard storming number, and the audience too became more crazy, head banging even more. As the song had ended, Hazuki screamed, "Thank YOU!”

At the end, still basking in the afterglow, Reo and Yusuke took off their T-shirt and threw them at the delighted audience, then left the stage. Asanao waved good bye, leaving Hazuki. He came to the center of the stage and said, “We DEFINITELY will NOT forget this day! Thank You!” He then bowed and left the stage for good.



Set list:

LAST NITE
MARROW
59.

STARZ
the universe
melt
lizard

I DON’T KNOW WHERE I AM
MAZE
AMBIVALENT IDEAL
SHADOWZ

EVILLY
I’m sick, b’cuz luv u.
alien tune
THE BLASTED BACKBONE
unknown lost a beauty
ADORE

CULTIC MY EXECUTION

En.1
an illusion
roaring in the dark
a grateful shit

En.2
vernie
dazzle
discord number
pulse