Lovebites vocalist asami cannot help but dance when she is performing. It might seem obvious that a lead singer would have a dancer’s moves, but in reality, that is far from the case. asami is one of the rare singers whose every movement is exquisitely fluent, from the graceful movements of her arms to the sensuous shimmies of her hips, which, like the legendary hips of Colombian singer/songwriter Shakira, don’t lie.

The best example of asami’s inherent elegance is the performance Awake Again: Live From Abyss, a live stream from September 10, 2020, which is available on DVD. In the confined space of a rehearsal studio, asami displays moves as refined as those of an Argentinian tango dancer and as expressive as a ballerina choreographed by Pina Bausch.

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But the true greatness of asami is not in her movements, but in her voice.

asami’s voice is a classic mezzo-soprano. She doesn’t have the top notes of a soprano, but she can easily drop down to the lower range of an alto when necessary. asami could sing whatever she wants – opera, pop, jazz, rhythm and blues, you name it. When her metal days are done, she can choose her genre.

Her voice is particularly suited for jazz. It is easy to imagine her singing classic Sarah Vaughan jazz standards such as “Solitude” or “Vanity.” This is not just because asami has the right voice, but because she has the uncanny ability to evoke the sensation of heartbreak. The Lovebites song “Edge Of The World” is an example of her using the modulations of her voice to express emotions of regret, ruefulness and longing. That ability would be perfect for the forementioned Sarah Vaughan songs, or “You’re My Thrill,” or “Stella By Starlight” as performed by Ella Fitzgerald.

asami also has a precise control over her instrument. Many metal singers have an unfortunate tendency to overuse vibrato as a means of communicating emotion. In the world of opera, there is a fine line between a controlled vibrato and a vocal “wobble” that is a worrisome indicator that the singer has lost control of his or her voice. asami never falls into the vibrato trap, even when she is extending notes beyond what is expected or comfortable.

Listen to her final note of “The Apocalypse” from the DVD Battle In The East. After over four minutes of unabated metal thrashing, she is able to maintain a purity of tone for over ten seconds on the highest note of the song. And she accomplishes this feat on song after song on performance after performance.

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asami uses the singer’s chest voice for the most part because, as a heavy metal vocalist, that is where her power is generated. Her chest voice has gained strength over time. It is disorienting to listen to the somewhat tentative asami on “The Lovebites EP,” the band’s first release, after having become accustomed to the band’s later works, when asami has the full-throated roar of a freight train rushing through the dark of night.

Her physical stamina also seems to have grown over time. During the initial emcee break of Battle In The East, the band’s first live release, asami is almost gasping for breath as she addresses the crowd. That subtle weakness never reappears in later live releases.

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But asami also has a gorgeous head voice. When she does use her head voice, she reveals a beautiful, clear tone. An example is in the bridge section in “The Rising,” when she sings “…almost like we’ve been left by ourselves/I’m alone, you’re alone, somewhere in the world.”

Another example of asami’s head voice is the introduction to “Empty Daydream” on Daughters Of The Dawn. This introduction is not on the studio version, which starts off with the heavy main riff. On the live version, guitarist miyako plays a gentle, then fiery, piano introduction. asami does some gorgeous wordless vocalizing, then sings some of the words from the chorus, “just let me go away, just let me go my way, so I can…”

On Daughters, her eyes are filled with emotion as she sings this phrase. But she does not finish the phrase with the expected lyrics “go on.” Instead, the main riff kicks in. This is not only great arranging, but is also one of the moments that the listener realizes that asami has such a beautiful voice that she could sing any song in almost any genre she chooses.

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A Lovebites concert is in some respects similar to a highly choreographed performance by the Tokyo Ballet. In other ways, a Lovebites performance is a three-ring circus. And because every circus requires a talented, focused and riveting ringleader, asami fills that role in Lovebites. And she fills that role to perfection.

Like a circus ringmaster, asami revels in hyping up the audience. Her shout of “Go!” at the beginning of the main riff of “Hammer of Wrath” on Crusaders Standing At Wacken is as perfect a beginning to a concert that one can imagine. By the time of the 2020 live DVD Five Of A Kind, that “Go!” had mutated into a nonverbal “Raaawr.” The best way to describe asami’s voice in that moment is the snarl of a cornered lion. Of course, it is also thrilling to hear that raw emotion expressed in such a feral manner.

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Interestingly, in live performance, asami is the only band member who has trouble keeping up with the brutally fast tempos of most Lovebites songs. But that is not a criticism. asami’s command of the English language – and all of Lovebites songs are sung in English – is impeccable. But the tempos are so relentlessly supercharged that asami is often compelled to clip the syllables short.

This does not distract from the quality of the performance, as she is a constantly active and engaged frontwoman. If anything, the fact that she short-cuts the lyrics adds to the excitement of the performances. She also has the charming habit of occasionally turning one-syllable words into two- or three-syllable words, as when she sings “bite the du-ust” and “ghost of a cha-a-ance” in “Don’t Bite the Dust” (Five Of A Kind). asami has undoubtedly never been to Alabama, but if she were ever to visit the home of the Crimson Tide (as expressed in the Steely Dan lyric “they got a name for the winners of the world…they call Alabama the Crimson Tide” from the classic song “Deacon Blues”), she could pick up the prototypical Southern twang pretty quickly.

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asami is also relentlessly physical. When the instrumental break begins in “The Crusade,” from Daughters, asami begins violently punching the sky with her fist. As midori begins playing her solo, asami then casually walks over to miyako and rests her elbow on miyako’s shoulder, giving her a quick grin. This elicits a genuinely affectionate smile from the normally stoic miyako. It is a small moment, but a nice one. It is always gratifying when the band members seem to truly like each other.

The live DVDs are filled with entertaining moments like that brief bonding between asami and miyako. At one point in “Scream For Me” from Daughters Of The Dawn, asami and midori are doing the classic back-to-back rock star pose. As they part, their feet somehow get tangled up, and midori trips. This elicits a brief laugh from asami, and her vocals briefly go off course as she continues singing. It is nice that the producers of the DVDs let fans see these human moments.

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asami seems to genuinely love being on stage in front of an audience. She is constantly encouraging fans to sing with the band. She often throws in wordless ad-libs that accentuate the overall level of excitement of a Lovebites performance. A full inventory of these moments would be far too long, but here are a few:

• The onrushing locomotive “yeaaaahhhhh” at the beginning of “Addicted” on Daughters of the Dawn.
• The “whoooo!” before the guitar solos on “Don’t Bite The Dust” from Daughters of the Dawn
• The octave leap on “Shadowmaker” on Live From Wacken.
• The “thank you’s” during the choruses of “M.D.O.” on Invitation To The Theater.

This list could go on and on. But even her somewhat gentle “thank you for coming tonight” at the beginning of “Don’t Bite The Dust” on Five Of A Kind is indicative of her ability to engage with the audience.

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asami is not only a gifted singer and compelling performer, but also a talented lyricist. Lyrics from English and American heavy metal bands can be comically bad, so hearing competent lyrics from a Japanese heavy metal band that chooses to sing in English is truly impressive. The English of asami is not always perfect, but she nevertheless has a gift for compelling images, as in “Addicted:”

The city lights and the neon signs
Are always so delusional
They lure me like a Venus fly
Deranging me into its trap.

The English language lyrics that asami has written for drummer haruna’s sublime, sophisticated and spectacular “Bravehearted” are an example of asami’s ability to remain bloody but unbowed in the face of disappointment:

Don’t turn your back, no don’t make it pretend
Fight through the pain until you’ve reached the end
Though dark and bloody, have no worries
There will be redemption
Finally when the skies rise over you
Triumph will be in your heart shining through
Forever guiding the way into the light.

asami can also deliver the message of a woman who is sick and tired of an unsatisfactory lover, as in the aptly titled “Warning Shot:”

Hey, I see you’re still fooling around, won’t you wake up？
Can’t believe you still think that someone’s gonna help you
Making excuses, it’s useless so shut your big mouth, yeah
None of that bluffing will help you no matter where you go

Jealous but scared, you’re far from prepared
You better think twice darling
Why would I be sorry for you, you’re lame and untrue
It’s time you accept who you are so you can go.

The derision that asami heaps upon this, well, idiot, is scathing. It may not quite reach the level of scorn that Miku Kobato and Saiki of BAND-MAID can deliver, but it is close.

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The studio releases of Lovebites are all worthy works of art. But Lovebites is a band that truly must be experienced live, even if it is only on Blu-ray, DVD or CD. And the primary reason for this is the performance of asami. asami brings another level of intensity and engagement to every single song, even though the basic structures of the songs don’t differ much from the original recorded versions.

The live rehearsal studio DVD of Awake Again is, again, a great example of asami’s core integrity as an artist. There is no audience other than her bandmates and the camera operators. Nevertheless, asami delivers a power-packed performance. During instrumental breaks, she has the mien of a prize fighter, waiting for a return to the ring. She scrunches her shoulders, takes deep breaths, and often marvels at her bandmates’ virtuosity, while waiting to jump back into the fray. And when she is back in the ring, there is no holding back as she attacks the song.

In conclusion, the purity of asami’s vocal tone, her visceral excitement – and grace – in performance, and her straightforward, but subtle, ability as a lyricist are what make her a truly special artist. It is impossible to rank the many great women singers in Japanese rock and metal. But there is no doubt that asami belongs in the small pantheon of the very greatest of them all.

NOTE:

Of all the amazing rock and metal bands in Japan, Lovebites seems to be the one most worthy of repeated listening. Each listening reveals yet another detail worthy of wonder, while never taking away from the overall experience. Future articles will look at other aspects of Lovebites, including the contributions of haruna, miho, miyako and midori, who are all exceptional artists in their own right.

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