Lovebites are a heavy metal band from Japan featuring an all-female line-up. Founded in 2016, the band have released four albums to date – ‘Awakening From Abyss’ (2017), ‘Clockwork Immortality’ (2018), ‘Electric Pentagram’ (2019), and ‘Judgement Day’, released in 2023.
One of the most well known heavy metal bands ever to emerge from Japan is Loudness, led by guitar virtuoso Akira Takasaki, who has battered the world with melodic heavy metal for over forty years! And among the many metal bands who have followed the path forged by Loudness are Lovebites – an all-female outfit from Tokyo. Their brand of fast-paced heavy metal took the world by storm six years ago – and now the band are gonna set the world on fire with their latest release ‘Judgment Day’. A blistering ten-song metal assault, Lovebites are in feisty mood, delivering heavy metal as it should be delivered – unlike fellow countrywomen Babymetal, a ridiculous for fun, false metal band featuring singers who deliver a blend of pop come extreme metal, with choreographed dance moves, a backing band (if you can call them that) made up mainly of session musicians, and a vocal screech that can easily be mistaken for Alvin & The Chipmunks! But let’s face it, Babymetal are like Marmite – “you either love ’em or hate ’em”. And methinks you can see what I think of Babyshit, err, ahem, Babymetal! Lovebites are different in so many ways and so much better, too – playing true metal for the die hard metalhead! And for me, Lovebites are the premiere metal band out of Japan at the moment, although Loudness is still performing and releasing new material. But without further ado, let’s get into the new album from Lovebites…
…an album that opens with a huge fucking bang! ‘We Are The Resurrection’ – the band returning from a short hiatus with a new bass player – is a thundering statement of intent, full of electrifying pace and energy with an absolutely heavenly guitar sound. The speed and headbang ability of ‘We Are The Resurrection’ is simply off the charts – Lovebites opening their fourth album in glorious style, the fabulous “foot on the monitor” feel of traditional metal rising high into the air. The title song ‘Judgement Day’, picks up where ‘We Are The Resurrection’ left off – galloping at speed with some superb guitar work! And the head bang ability just doubled in enormity, ‘Judgement Day’ (the song) an unrelenting stampede of fast-paced and highly melodious heavy metal. And judging from the video for ‘Judgement Day’ (the song), the band have fun too! Fun’s important – it makes life more enjoyable. Just as the heavy metal oozing from Lovebites does, bringing smiles a mile wide to the faces of every listener, fan and follower worldwide.
So how do you follow such an incredible opening double! By making it an incredible opening triple – the album stormed on with the speedster ‘The Spirit Lives On’. And an incredibly melodic stance too! The band, not letting go of their melodious intent in favour of speed, are battering the senses with exciting, exhilarating, and simply breathtaking metal. In fact, if the album is like this to the end, I can see it being a very strong contender for the Album Of The Year award. Metalheads and mosh pits are gonna be buzzing endlessly – Lovebites delivering the goods with sizzling aplomb. And with no chance for a breather, the album moves on with an even stronger melodic stance than just seen, or rather heard – ‘Wicked Witch’ a thundering gallop of old school flavoured heavy metal. Highly infectious and immensely head bang-able, ‘Wicked Witch’ maintains the phenomenal intensity the band began the album with. Even stronger, actually!
And OMG! Every song heard so far has become a new favourite, with the mighty ‘Stand And Deliver (Shoot ‘Em Down)’, becoming the next! The energy level has risen higher than ever, the head bang ability doubled, and the sing-a-long chorus is simply wonderful. The band have created a crowd pleasing anthem that’ll be sung in unison by every single concert goer – so please, please, please, Lovebites – play this one live! I, and I’m sure everyone else, are begging you! Now come on, everyone, “stand and deliver”. And fucking hell! Is there no stopping the Lovebites roller coaster? Apparently not – the album is still gathering momentum and speed just like the Fujiyama roller coaster, courtesy of ‘Victim Of Time’. The pace, the power, the head bang ability, all at sky high levels – Lovebites is a tour de force in the arena of heavy metal.
And as the album progresses, I just need to check my heart rate, for the band has increased it to new highs with a blazing performance – and the blaze is far from over! The band adds fuel to the fire with the immensely melodic ‘My Orion’, and an infectious level that’s just gone through the fucking roof! Think of great bands such as Iron Maiden, Accept, Grim Reaper, Halloween, and (of course) Loudness – and you’ll have some idea of the Lovebites sound!. I say some ideas – but you need to listen for yourself to truly experience the immense impact of the band’s sound. It’s ginormous! And featuring a melodic sound that’ll attract hard rockers to the bands soundscape, ‘Lost In The Garden’ is a hard rocking march of heavy metal. With a heady foot on the monitor feel and an Iron Maiden style gallop, ‘Lost In The Garden’ is an infectious romp of melodious mastery.
Now – if you thought the opening double was sensational – wait ’til you hear the closing double! The album’s final hurrah features two of the heaviest, fastest, and most head bang-able songs on offer – the first, ‘Dissonance’, comes flying at you with all the aggression and pace of thrash! Yes – thrash! Lovebites place one foot over the border to bring a thrashy blend of heavy metal to the fore. And what a blend – the urgency and intent were incredible, the band storming on with a heaviness not heard up to this point. And the thrashier nature of the band’s music is not over yet – ‘Judgement Day’ (the album) is coming to a barnstorming close with the speed-infused ‘Soldier Stands Solitarily’. And a final chance for every metalhead to wreck their necks with a vigorous bout of head banging – the band steaming ahead faster than the Japanese bullet train! What an absolutely glorious album of all out heavy metal. So, if you really want to know what Japanese heavy metal sounds like, you can delve into history with bands such as Loudness, EZO, or Saber Tiger. Or just listen to the latest album from Lovebites – it’s a stunner!
Overall, a superb album of fast-paced and infectious heavy metal with a hundred percent head-bang ability.
TRACKLIST
We Are The Resurrection
Judgement Day
The Spirit Lives On
Wicked Witch
Stand And Deliver (Shoot ‘Em Down)
Victim Of Time
My Orion
Lost In The Garden
Dissonance
Soldier Stands Solitarily
Lovebites: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: JPU Records
Category: Album
Country: Japan
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire and Metal-Roos.
