NOT II BELIKESOMEONE - Tragic Orchestra [2006]

There are quite a few metalcore bands in Japan. The success of State Craft and western bands like Converge have made it a staple in the Japanese music diet. The problem is with the quality of these bands. More often than not, they are sad copies of better bands, and are quickly forgotten. I think one of the main reasons is that most focus so much on what could be called crowd participation. I'm talking about a focus on how people will interact with the music, often putting too much of a focus on breakdowns or heavy parts. This might be fun in the moment, but the lasting appeal of that type of band is nonexistent. The best bands balance originality and familiarity to make something that is fun to listen to, but also deep enough to stand the test of time.

I'd like to present NOT II BELIKESOMEONE as such a band, balancing crowd-pleasing rhythmic parts with original riffing and beautiful parts. Their goal from the beginning was always to make something new, which is always a good place to start. This is their first actual EP after a demo in 2003, and they have that perfect balance of originality and familiarity. They build off a base of State Craft and Hopesfall, but add other parts that could come from Envy or Snapcase (I'm reaching here). They really do have their own sound.

You get 4 songs and one instrumental here. If you like this, I do still have copies in my distro, which you can buy. Otherwise, it's sold out everywhere else I looked. Enjoy!

BUY HERE!

NOT II BELIKESOMEONE - Tragic Orchestra

1. Broken Tact

2. The Mirror Shaped of Knowledge

3. Beneath the Sky that Seems to Come Falling at the Moment

4. Puzzle of Hope

5. Irreplaceable

[Youtube] Down II Earth @ Kyoto Whoopee's 11/09/2002

These guys were some of my good friends from Kyoto while I was studying in Japan during 2002. At the time, there was only three (guitar, vocals, drums) but they had two guys from Lasting For Answer helping them out. After I'd returned to the States, they found enough members and changed their name to NOT II BELIKESOMEONE. I helped Masa (or Taf), the singer with his English grammar for the lyrics. He had grown up in England because of his dad's work, so his pronunciation was pretty amazing. They are still together, releasing an EP in 2006 (which I'll be posting tomorrow), a demo in 2003 and another in 2010. Hopefully they're working on more songs.

I always really loved their sound. It is a hybrid of classic Japanese metalcore and other more melodic and diverse bands. They fit kind of firmly between State Craft and Naiad. Hajime, who writes the songs, is really gifted and includes tons of fun and interesting parts. I'm usually not into vocals, but Masa has an impressive range. From guttural, goregrind pig squeals to smooth singing, he does it all.

Check the show out and check out the EP tomorrow!