Traditionally, when one thinks of Japanese rock music, they think of a bunch of dudes singing as low as they can a la Gackt or Luna Sea. In this entry, we’ll explore four different albums from artists with female singers.

It’s getting warmer, and there’s nothing you want to do more than geek out inside with some amazing rock music that will get you in the mood for school to be over. This week, we have  new (in the states) releases from Inugami Circus-dan, wistaria, Taia, and 101a. Each artist’s album has a diverse offering of sound and texture. As long as you’re into rock music and don’t mind it being in a language you can’t understand, I’m sure you’ll find something you can enjoy!

Inugami Circus Dan has been around for quite a while, and I can remember enjoying their sounds since the early 2000s. They’ve come a long way, and they’ve changed a lot.

I suppose the easiest way to describe them is through comparison. I’m sure most people are familiar with the Insane Clown Posse. Well, Inugami Circus Dan is not at all similar to them save a few superficial attributes like obsession with the morbid, clown paint, and dark lyrical content. The biggest difference is that Inugami Circus Dan is amazing, and they take themselves seriously. You won’t hear deep lyrical ponderings about magnets in this album.

Their new album is called “Setakamui,” and it’s a departure from the familiar.

In this album, they seem to be taking more cues from metal ballads. There’s the solos, the power chords, and all of the things that are meant to make something sound heavy. It really rocks. It’s miles away from the older songs, which were far more traditional in their layout. To that end, none of the tracks sound like they could be a ‘single’.

Kyouko’s singing hasn’t changed much. She still sings as if she were a cameo in a 70s Japanese horror film. It’s much more advanced than the enka style, but still has tinges of traditional Japanese vibrato.

The new album from Wistaria “deep” is a peculiar case. It reminds me quite a bit of other Visual Kei acts that have a female singer.

If you’re wanting something more aggressive, I would check this out. Her voice is a bit higher pitched, like in most female-fronted Visual Kei acts that I listen to, and is supported by growling backup singers to give it that ‘darker’ sort of edge. Definitely recommended for fans of Exist+Trace.

Granted, this mini-album doesn’t do anything I’ve never seen before it’s probably the safest bet for anyone who’s already a fan of Japanese rock. It doesn’t step outside the box, but sometimes that can hit the spot.

This band is definitely not the Japanese version of Nightwish, but their the next best thing. It might seem like I’m trying to take the easy way out, but Taia reminds me of a mix between Evanescence and Nightwish.

Their most recent release, “Through Your Tears” will most likely appeal to those fans. The group meets somewhere in between. Taia is not as heavy, but also not nearly as soft as the aforementioned groups. Some of the songs such as “Another Aspect” have much more shredding than either group.

I enjoy Taia for several reasons. I can’t understand the words, so it makes Seika’s lyrics sound all the more beautiful. Gothic metal has a special place in my heart. I need something that can set up a dark atmosphere, but that is also heavy and epic. This album meets all those requirements.

I never thought I’d be putting 101a in the ‘rock’ category. Traditionally, 101a have been very downtempo and very relaxing. The new album from 101a is called “LETHE” and it’s anything BUT downtempo. While the vocalist still maintains the ethereal persona for the majority of the singing, their new stuff definitely has an edge.

This is something like a cross between shoegaze, post-rock, and your standard J-rock affair. In one track you’ll be getting sleepy, and then in the next you’ll be rocking out. Most albums that try to do this end up confusing the listener, but this bi-polar attitude 101a carries actually seems to work.