Reviews list for Lovebites - Awakening From Abyss (2017)

First thing to note is that I didn't completely hate this. Yeah I know, no one was more surprised than me, but I was swept along by the obvious enthusiasm and energy of the band and kind of went along for the ride. The speedy riffs and shredding solos are pretty entertaining, the riffs to both "Scream for Me" and "Burden of Time" for example stood out as being much heavier than I would have expected. Vocalist Asami is a big plus, sounding both melodic and reasonably powerful, although I am not so keen when she reaches for those really high notes and becomes a bit screechingly ragged, although this seems to be a feature of power metal generally that I just can't get to grips with. It is power metal after all so, of course, it is larger than life and over-the-top with keyboard overlays and some layered backing vocals, but not in a terribly cringey manner, ultimately being more operatic than pantomime. I do think that the album runs out of steam after "Burden of Time" and tracks like "The Apocalypse", "Inspire" and the godawfully balladic "Edge of the World" (the album's nadir for me) sound more like the kind of power metal that I struggle with.

Look, in truth this isn't going to break into my top 500 (or even 1000) metal albums and I am unlikely ever to pass this way again, but while it lasted I found it entertaining enough and I got through the whole thing pretty easily without a single skip and remarkably few cringes. In fact, if it had ended with "Burden of Time" I would have thought even more highly of it. Damning with faint praise then? Yeah, probably, but for me and power metal this was an untypically positive experience with the guitars and vocals being sufficiently impressive to keep me on board and to allow me to forgive the album its other obvious excesses, not least of which is the ear-batteringly, over-compressed mastering that makes it feel like it is being rammed into your ears with a steamhammer - and not in a good way!

The 2010s saw the rise of the modern Japanese all-female rock/metal scene, with bands like Aldious, Band-Maid, and of course, Babymetal. To be honest, those bands haven't really caught my attention enough for me to totally check them out, but will they someday? Possible. Just possible. And perhaps even more possible thanks to one band that shall bring new light to the scene, Lovebites!

Here we have a unique band putting a new twist to the world of Japanese power metal. They can shred faster than light, and vocalist Asami is so widely-ranged, going high and low without being stuck on one side. Do I want more of this band and especially their debut Awakening from Abyss? H*LL F***ING YES!!!

"The Awakening" is the two-minute orchestral intro which was specifically composed to use as the band's entrance music for live shows. The metal instruments don't enter until there's one minute left in the intro. And they don't let down when it segues into "The Hammer of Wrath", sounding thrashy with some oriental elements in the vein of Myrath. The aggression doesn't stop, carrying on into "Warning Shot". Then "Shadowmaker" is a grand example of the band's sound, revamping the 80s/90s heavy/power metal sound with something new and modern. I can definitely hear some Stratovarius in the melody. The rhythm section is in perfect execution via drummer Haruna and bassist Miho, both formerly of Destrose. The guitar duo Midori and Mi-ya perform intense guitarwork. And there's more of the gorgeous vocal dynamics of Asami.

"Scream for Me" is the first 4 songs re-recorded from the band's self-titled demo EP released earlier that year, having more kick-A riffing that's kinda bluesy but at the same time too fast for blues. This upbeat punky vibe works well while staying metal. Miho's bass is stronger and more audible, and holy sh*t, does it slap! The haunting "Liar" was originally written for a metalcore band Mi-Ya was in, A Drop of Joker, before that band broke up. "Burden of Time" may remind some of Motorhead in the riffing. That kind of riffing can really be heard in the choruses that are filled with both beauty and rage. "The Apocalypse" was also re-recorded from the EP, and it gives their power metal sound a thrashy edge, especially in the guitarwork. And g****mn, Asami has such majestic emotion in the chorus. I love that one! While a lot of the album has perfect glory, "Inspire" is kind of a close call for the 5-star rating, sounding a little pop-ish. Luckily, the drums and guitars still have heavy insanity, and the vocals and keys show up at the right times.

"Don't Bite the Dust" is another interesting highlight, as the riffing melody comes off as Iron Maiden gone J-rock. Asami's superb vocals fly over the groovy sounds of Hammond organ alongside the metallic guitar. And with her impressive octave jump after the final chorus, this band has already made a massive start with the original version from the EP. After all that fire and fury, things slow down for the passionate power ballad "Edge of the World". Well, it starts off as a ballad, but as we head deep into the second half, it becomes much less than that. Soon it has more of the speedy power metal of Blind Guardian, with some background keys to top it off. Quite a progressive epic, but it can't beat the final one... The 6-minute finale "Bravehearted" is another fast power metal track. Everything sounds so bombastic and it would make you want more from this band. This fantastic track has more power in this version than in the EP, along with English lyrics. And honestly, Asami sounds quite smooth here. Sometimes the English language works better than the native tongue, for her and some listeners including me. Wonderful ending track!

Y'know, I still can't believe I haven't discovered Lovebites until just earlier this year. Probably because by the time this band started to rise shortly after this album came out, I was moving away from power metal in favor of the heavier modern metal genres. Now if there's someone for me to thank for getting me interested in Lovebites, it would be Beyond the Black with their song "Can You Hear Me?" featuring Asami. Her vocals made me up for her band before I've even seen what they look like. And that's good since people seem to think they're a J-pop band before even hearing their actual music. Those rippin' riffs and melodies should not be missed out on. So go ahead, give them a try!

Favorites: "Shadowmaker", "Scream for Me", "The Apocalypse", "Don't Bite the Dust", "Edge of the World", "Bravehearted"