Face the Music gathers Burning Rain’s bluesy pull, classic hard-rock riff weight and melodic vocal focus into a balanced, mature statement.
Japan Metal & Hard Rock Albums of the 2010s
Browse 69 metal and hard rock albums connected to the Japan scene in the 2010s, with detailed artist and album pages.
Albums
Into the Purgatory is Galneryus’s twelfth studio album and a strong restatement of the band’s core after its fifteenth anniversary.
Hollywood Cowboys brings Quiet Riot’s positive, hook-driven hard-rock instinct into a present-day band setting.
Renaissance Men is The Wildhearts’ studio return after a long gap, packing punk impulse, power-pop melody and heavy guitar into compact, high-density songs.
Fourteen gently draws on the warmth and touch of melancholy that Last Autumn’s Dream do so well in Scandinavian melodic rock.
Secret Treasures is a useful way to hear LAST AUTUMN'S DREAM from a different angle within the 2018 catalogue.
Clockwork Immortality expands the speed-metal and power-metal strengths Lovebites showed on their debut into a larger scale.
Armor of Light finds Riot V making the Riot legacy of speed metal, twin guitars and melody even more secure after the loss of Mark Reale.
Unlimited Diffusion expands Aldious’ ornate twin guitars, speed and clear vocal character into a more colorful melodic-metal setting.
For the Demented centers Annihilator on thrash-metal sharpness while layering Jeff Waters’ intricate guitar work and uneasy melody around it.
Ultimate Sacrifice concentrates Galneryus’ fast guitar, flowing keyboards and expansive vocal style into power metal with high tension.
United by HAREM SCAREM: track list, Spotify player, music videos and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.
Awakening from Abyss introduces Lovebites with a remarkably complete union of speed, precise twin guitars, soaring vocals and large melodic payoff.
Wall of Sound places Marty Friedman’s individual melodic sense and emotion-speaking guitar tone at the front of an instrumental record.
Defying Gravity brings Mr. Big’s virtuosity and singable melody together with striking ease.
Road Rage puts Quiet Riot’s familiar strengths in the foreground: direct riffs, bouncing beats and choruses built to be sung back.
The Sin and the Sentence integrates Trivium’s thrash sharpness, metalcore aggression and melodic chorus work at a high level of tension.
Urban Night naturally joins Cyntia’s urban pop instinct to the sharp guitar edge of heavy metal.
Forward in Reverse is Dizzy Mizz Lizzy’s studio return after a long gap, joining intricate guitar phrases, heavy riffs and melodic instinct at high density.
Magma keeps Gojira’s massive riffs and unusual rhythmic identity while moving into quieter, more inward-looking territory.
In Disguise is a covers record in which Last Autumn’s Dream recast songs from different eras through their own melodic-rock touch.
Tabula Rasa uses clear keyboards, smooth vocals and lyrical guitar to draw out the best qualities of Scandinavian AOR and melodic rock.
Radiant A turns Aldious’s speed, vivid twin-guitar work and soaring vocal melody into a stronger sense of forward motion.
Suicide Society pushes Annihilator’s sharp thrash picking and memorable songcraft at the same time.
Captivity & Devourment frames Armageddon’s melodic-death urgency with sharp riffs and fluent guitar melody.
Stormcrow combines Cain’s Offering’s clear vocals, shining keyboards and guitar lines that sing alongside the melody.
Woman gathers Cyntia’s bright, extended vocals, technical guitar work and sparkling keyboards into accessible melody.
Under the Force of Courage builds Galneryus’s fast twin guitars, precise rhythm and soaring high vocals into a large-scale drama.
Again & Again is a useful way to hear LAST AUTUMN'S DREAM from a different angle within the 2015 catalogue.
Paintings uses Last Autumn’s Dream’s warm vocals, smooth keyboards and lyrical guitar to draw the comfort of Scandinavian melodic rock.
Toto XIV uses Toto’s refined ensemble work, rich chord sense and dependable melody to portray mature rock and AOR at their best.
Silence in the Snow places Trivium’s sharp heavy-metal riffs beside strong, fully sung clean vocals.
Dazed and Delight combines Aldious’s fluent twin guitars, clear melody and fast-moving rhythm.
Limit Break combines Cyntia’s sparkling keyboards, soaring vocals and sharp twin guitars into melodic metal with real speed.
Vetelgyus mobilizes Galneryus’s virtuosic guitar and keyboards, soaring high vocals and precise rhythm work.
Empire of the Undead delivers Gamma Ray’s power metal with fast riffs, clear melodies and a cosmic sense of scale.
Thirteen gathers Harem Scarem’s refined melodies, detailed choruses and hard-edged guitar riffs with impressive control.
Level Eleven carefully builds the clarity, melancholy and flowing choruses associated with Scandinavian melodic rock.
Inferno crosses Marty Friedman’s cutting guitar phrases, metal aggression and Eastern-flavored melodic instinct.
...The Stories We Could Tell lets Mr. Big show its technical ability while keeping songcraft and accessibility at the center.
Unleash the Fire carries Riot’s history forward with renewed energy and a full commitment to traditional metal.
District Zero joins Aldious’s fluent twin guitars, bright melodies and headlong rhythm in a particularly focused form.
Feast is built around Annihilator’s cutting riffs, tense rhythm work and technical guitar playing.
Epic Obsession joins thick guitar riffs, bluesy lead work and powerful vocals to deliver classic melodic hard rock with real heat.
Lady Made combines sparkling keyboards, fluent twin guitars and soaring vocals to put melodic metal’s brightness in full view.
Mood Swings II revisits familiar material through the voice, production weight and arrangement sense of its recording period.
Vengeance Falls packs Trivium’s sharp riffs, tight rhythm and memorable clean choruses into a focused, compact form.
Endless World is Cyntia’s debut, combining bright twin guitars, fast rhythm and soaring female vocals.
Angel of Salvation brings together Galneryus’s high-speed guitar and keyboards, powerful high-register vocals and a grand approach that includes extended compositions.
L'Enfant Sauvage uses low, rolling riffs, precise rhythm and guitar textures with an unusual sense of space to create metal that is both massive and reflective.
El Dorado Hotel layers Lana Lane’s clear vocals, keyboard-born fantasy colors and dramatic guitar work.
Ten Tangerine Tales uses soft-edged vocals, rich keyboards and polished guitar to portray the warmth of Scandinavian melodic rock with care.
Reinventions is Wigelius’s debut, built from fresh vocals, shining keyboards and melodic guitar to portray the brightness and polish of Scandinavian AOR.
Determination joins Aldious’ bright twin guitars, speed-driven rhythm and soaring vocals into melodic metal with real lift.
Atmosphere layers Bad Habit’s soft-edged vocals, full choruses and glossy keyboards into the warmth associated with Scandinavian AOR.