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「1」

Rock critics and fans sometimes use the term “face melting” to describe particularly incendiary guitar solos. While that term may have gone out of style, it perfectly describes the entirety of heavy metal trio Asterism’s recent concert at SOB’s in New York City. Asterism was explosive and mesmerizing. The free concert was one of those special nights that can occur in great metropolises such as New York City. The intimacy of the venue, the enthusiasm of the audience, and, most importantly, the hypnotic performances by guitarist Hal-Ca, bassist Miyu and drummer Mio were a perfect recipe for a truly memorable performance.

Asterism’s recordings are impressive works. But the best home speaker system in the world can’t capture the blazing ferocity of Asterism live. Nor can a recording or video capture the truly impressive fretwork that Hal-Ca displays in every song. Whether she’s double-tapping the length of the fretboard, playing scintillating solos or simply pounding out power chords, Hal-Ca has a surprisingly personal style. This style is best described as unabated aggression. To be able to watch her fingers flying up and down the fretboard from a few feet away is a truly special experience.

「2」

Instrumental songs are often constructed similarly to songs with lyrics – verse sections, choruses, solos, bridges, and codas. But the key to creating memorable instrumentals is the ability to vary those sections so that they are not noticeable at all. The very best practitioners of the art of instrumental hard rock – Rie a.k.a. Suzaku, Narumi, Nita Strauss, D_Drive – know how to throw in enough monkey wrenches into a song so that the listener never knows what is coming next.

「3」

The ability to surprise the listener is something that Asterism excels at in its own compositions. The opening song “STARS,” from the band’s recent self-released album GUERNICA-A, is a perfect example. The song has an ear-catching, but blazing, chorus. But the song has many twists and turns on its way there. Every time Hal-Ca hits the chorus, she takes it up another notch. Then she steps out of it with transition sections and bridges. The arrangement matters as well, such as when the rest of the band drops out before returning.

The second song, “Gunfire,” also from GUERNICA-A, is completely different in feel from “STARS.” The vibe becomes menacing and harsh. It is a jarring transition from the uplifting feel of “STARS.” But that is what makes the programming of a rock concert so important.  But even the pre-show playlist was carefully curated. It included artists such as Mardelas (!), Doll$Boxx (!!) and La La Larks (!!!). Wow! Wow!! And Wow!!!

「4」

Asterism reached deep into its history with the third song, “Rising Moon,” from the 2018 EP, The Session, Vol. 2. “Rising Moon is one of the most incendiary songs in the Asterism catalog. It is notable for the drum introduction by Mio, who maintains the thrashing energy throughout the song.

「5」

After “Gunfire,” the band then played two songs from Animeto, its album of instrumental versions of anime themes. 廻廻奇譚 , the first opening theme from the popular new anime Jujitsu Kaisen, is particularly suited to a fierce instrumental re-write. Hal-Ca’s version is far more manic than the original version than the original by Eve.

“Unravel,” the first opening theme from the somewhat older Tokyo Ghoul, is a more subtle, if complex, anime theme. Like Asterism’s own songs, “Unravel” is both compact, but complex. The gentle introduction soon leads into a catharsis. “Asterism is fun,” said one fan before the show started. The addition of several anime theme songs to the program is a perfect example of the truth of that statement.

「6」

Asterism is primarily an instrumental band. Therefore, the first jaw-dropping surprise of the evening was the band’s flawless cover of Slipknot’s “Before I Forget.” Amazingly, Hal-Ca handled Corey Taylor’s vocals without a hint of effort. Look, Corey is an iconic singer with a self-professed 18 inch neck. For Hal-Ca to even make the effort demonstrates  her confidence.

Hal-Ca has a powerful alto voice that would be perfect for traditional JRock as well as heavy metal. The versatility of her voice was particularly evident during the sound check, when she sang several acapella sections.

「7」

After “Before I Forget,” Hal-Ca channeled Ozzie Osborne for a cover of “Crazy Train.” Here is the thing. Many guitarists struggle singing over “cowboy chords.” This is because the vocal line may be completely disconnected from the chord pattern. With a little bit of effort, a guitarist can turn this discipline into second nature. But there is a big difference between playing a complex F Sharp minor blues chord progression and the legendary Randy Rhoad’s complex accompanying figures. The fact that Hal-Ca effortlessly sings while playing these solo lines is truly impressive. Watching her was truly a great concert-going experience.

「8」

Hal-Ca is a surprisingly accomplished frontwoman. Still only 20 years old, Hal-Ca has the confidence of a twenty-year veteran. Prior to the show, during the load-in and sound check, Hal-Ca was calm and unaffected. Just another day at the office. On stage, she is transformed into a metal icon, feeding off the energy of the crowd to deliver a heightened sense of drama. She energizes the crowd with arm-gestures and dazzling smiles. During several brief MC segments, she addressed the crowd in flawless English.

「9」

Bassist Miyu and drummer Mio are also exciting performers with engaging personalities. Miyu had several solo turns center stage when he performed seemingly impossible feats of magic on his 7 String ESP bass. There are times that Miyu almost functions as a second guitarist, playing chords off of Hal-Ca’s leads and also adding his own virtuoso solos.

There were several moments went Mio leapt out of his drum throne to hype up the crowd. Moments like that simply cannot appear on a CD or streaming service. It was worth it to focus on Mio at times in the attempt to appreciate the manic intensity of his drumming.

「10」

The band covered songs from the entirety of its career. It played three songs from its debut full-length album. “BLAZE,” the four-on-the-floor opening song of Ignition was improved by the absence of Bootsy Collins’ intrusive vocal parts. It also played “Light In The Darkness.” Most impressively, the band’s performance of the epic-length “DAWN,” with frequent changes in mood, was dramatic and engrossing.

「11」

Hal-Ca and Asterism craft highly complex, emotionally resonant instrumental works. Hal-Ca is constantly in motion. She jumps around the stage and head-bangs with a frightening intensity, her long hair flying. But despite the aggression of her playing, she never misses a note.

A reasonably well-informed fan of Japanese rock music could easily rattle off the names of at least 10 or 20 truly spectacular guitarists. A true aficionado could add another 20 or 30 virtuosos. And that would just be the women guitarists. That demonstrates how truly great the Japanese rock music scene is.

Nevertheless, there is something special about Hal-Ca. One can point to several contributing factors – her infectious youth, her theatrical stagecraft, her gift for compelling hooks, the flawless precision of her playing. But above all, it is the absolute ferocity of her attack on the fretboard that sets her apart. Hal-Ca is a true demon of the guitar.

「12」

A special thank you goes to Amy (Manami), the band’s management representative. Amy was gracious from the time the band arrived at the venue until long after the show ended. She was engaged throughout the soundcheck, which was extraordinarily detailed and precise. Amy worked closely with the venue’s crew and staff during the soundcheck and setup. She consulted with locals as to the proximity of guitar repair shops when it appeared that Hal-Ca’s guitar might need some last-minute work. Amy managed the merchandise stand and made sure that the crowd knew that there would be a photo opportunity and autograph session after the show. She then took photos for everyone who stayed behind. Amy was truly awesome.

Also, photo opportunities and autograph sessions for Japanese bands usually cost an additional $75-$100 on top of the ticket price. Asterism did their session for free, like the concert itself. For a jet-lagged band to go above and beyond the call of duty like that shows how much they care about their fans. They were apparently back in Japan less than 48 hours after the show in NYC. Asterism are truly a special group of musicians.

Setlist:

1. STARS
2. Gunfire
3. Rising Moon
4. 廻廻奇譚
5. Unravel
6. Before I Forget (Slipknot Cover)
7. Crazy Train (Ozzie Osbourne Cover)
8. LIVE HOUSE
9. BLAZE
10. Fiction
11. Light In The Darkness
12. DAWN
13. Shooting Star
14. METAL

For the Japanese version of this article, please click on “Japanese” at the top of the page.

ページトップの「日本語」をクリックすると、本記事の日本語版を閲覧できます。