Review: Asunojokei – Island

Style: Blackgaze (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Alcest, Deafheaven, Ghost Bath, Kardashev, Rolo Tomassi
Review by: Zach
Country: Japan
Release date: 17 August, 2022

As an ignorant ‘Merican who only knows the Queen’s English, there is something incredible to me about music in another language, especially one I can’t understand. The music and soundtracks of Yuki Kajiura and Susumu Hirasawa are awe-inspiring because they aren’t in any real language at all. The two have created their own language, a combination of Japanese, Arabic, Russian, and countless others to create something like I’ve never seen done before. And yet they never have any trouble conveying emotion in their compositions.

In fact, most of their compositions are dripping with emotion, all in accordance with the composer’s plan. I can easily tell when a song is melancholic (see ‘Sis Puella Magica’) or when a song is meant to sound like I should be rushing into battle as fast as I can (see ‘Aria,’ not Dessiderium). Yes, the instruments have a lot to do with that, too, but the timbre and tone in someone’s voice, even while singing in a made-up language, does a lot more than people realize. Though, unlike Kajiura and Hirasawa, Asunojokei don’t write in a made up language, just one I can’t understand. 

What sets blackgaze apart from most black metal-related music is its lyrical themes. Much to the detriment of the trve kvlt, they’re a bit more vulnerable than your run-of-the-mill “I’m in a forest and I hate religion”. I had to consult Metallum for the translations as I don’t speak a lick of Japanese, but I decided to give the album a few blind listens before I did that. I’m glad I did, because the instrumentation drives this album more than any blackgaze record I’ve heard this year.

I’d never listened to Asunojokei before this album, and to be perfectly honest with you, the cover art originally grabbed me. I thought it was reminiscent of what I would think an anime-styled Alcest album cover would look like, and as such, went in expecting Alcest. Instead, I was caught completely off guard.  Wait, no wall of sound? No dreamy, big chords being the entire song? Riffs!?

Sure, the dreamlike instrumentation is present, and that’s what forced me to listen to this blindly in the first place. I wanted to piece together what the music was trying to say without having the English translation that the band so kindly gave us to assist. And, like the music of Moonsorrow, despite not understanding a word of what the vocalist was saying, this album took me on a journey. Vocalist Nuno’s screams and shouts moved me at multiple points during the album. ‘Chimera’ was the immediate standout upon first listen with a surprisingly upbeat riff driving the song’s chorus before dipping into a straight up black metal riff.

But it was ‘Diva Under the Blue Sky’ that quickly became my favorite song of the album, and probably a SOTY contender. On my initial listens, I kept humming the main lead while doing chores around my apartment, but something irked me. It sounded surprisingly…happy? No, that can’t be right. This album still has black as part of the subgenre name, there’s only melancholy and trem picking here! As I sat down for my umpteenth listen, I began tearing up as I read the English translation. “But now I don’t feel any fear or pain…I’m breathing easily near plenty of people”. “I am never alone”. Even as I sit here typing this with the album playing in the background, I can’t help but get a little emotional from this song even without the lyrics in front of me.

I think that’s Asunojokei’s strength, an area where a lot of other -gaze stuff falls flat for me. This is truly emotional music written with heart and soul. Not corny lyricism about thoughts of death and dying. Island has the ebb and flow of life in it, happiness flowing to darkness in that never-ending cycle. The lyricism, combined with the upbeat and melancholic instrumentation, make Asunojokei stand out.

I’m a big believer that music transcends all boundaries, more so than any other piece of media. You need subtitles to appreciate a foreign movie or a translation to appreciate a book. With music like this, the emotional intent is clear and present. It’s thick enough to get lost in, even if you don’t speak a word of Japanese, like me. Even without a translation readily available, I think I would’ve pieced Island together just fine. This album takes you by the hand, shows you that life is worth living after all, and dunks you headfirst into some pummeling riffs. This is still black metal after all.

Recommended tracks: Chimera, Diva Under the Blue Sky, The Sweet Smile of Vortex
You may also like: Breaths, Heaven in Her Arms
Final verdict: 8.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Label: Independent

Asunojokei is:
– Takuya Seki (bass)
– Seiya Saito (drums)
– Kei Toriki (guitars)
– Daiki Nuno (vocals)