I find it very easy to fall in love with new music. One could say I’m slightly addicted to finding original voices, bands and artists that make our independent circuit exciting and fresh. Few months ago, we discovered Re:O, a Japanese-British quartet, based in London and we were smitten by their single “Ronin”. They are now back with yet another terrific song that mixes Japanese rock with modern British heavy metal tradition. The new track is titled “The Haunted” and guaranteed, it will leave a lasting impression on you.
“The Haunted” single cover by Colin Van Dogen
Official bio: “The Haunted” is the 6th single released by Re:O. This song takes the new high energy metal direction Re:O has set and explores their darker side with dark ambient symphonic melodies coupled with haunting vocals and pulsing riffs to create a haunting and oppressive mood that captivates the listener. The lyrics tell a story in the first person explaining how isolated you feel and how toxic this condition is, exploring themes of self hatred, self harm and wanting nothing more than to feel safe, loved and to belong.
Japanese culture is hugely influential, and very respected throughout the world. It inspired countless works of art, films, TV series, video games, comics, technology, robotics and even medicine. Japanese music, especially rock and metal, have masses of fans in every corner of the globe. It’s wonderful to see that Japanese artists themselves are becoming more and more open, experimental and comfortable living and creating abroad. This unexpected cultural and musical exchange resulted in the creation of Re:O – a band that combines Japanese dramatic aesthetic with British coolnessness with fantastic results. Their style balances between J-rock, anime, dark wave, British heavy metal, electronica, ambient, psy trance, industrial music and Asian pop. I know, some readers wince at any mention of pop, but let’s not forget that the popular music is varied and often ambitious. You just don’t hear good pop very often on the national charts.
Pop influenced metal music is nothing new. Iron Maiden toyed with pop arrangements in the 80’s with great results. Pop and glam rock gave us big hair metal (aka poodle metal), a highly entertaining subgenre that in turn influenced bands such as RATT, WASP, Mötley Crüe, Poison, or more recently, The Darkness. I’m a firm believer that pop elements (either arrangements or in the form of clear vocal expression) in metal add a great deal of radio friendliness to a track and increase the song’s chances of being played on the national radio stations. This may not be a recipe for success for everyone but it seems to be working for Re:O as “The Haunted” was played on the BBC Introducing in Oxfordshire and Bedfordshire. Well done!
“The Haunted”stands at 3 minutes and 25 seconds. I really like that Re:O correctly classifies their musical output without any need for corrections. There is nothing worse than receiving a PR note that describes the song in one way and then you are hearing the track and you can’t agree with anything you just read. Couple of weeks ago, we were sent a song promising us an avant-garde post punk/garage experience and when we listened to it, it turned out to be a very lazy, lads band Oasis rip-off. Hats off to Re:O for being honest and trying to describe their sound in a sensible manner, especially if their genre-bending style is not easy to sum up.
“The Haunted” delivers every word from the band’s PR note: you will find the symphonic elements, dark wave/ambient melody, clear vocals and pulsing beat inspired by industrial dance or EDM. I have to single out Rio Suyama’s vocals for special praise. She is an amazing singer, very well trained, with clear and melodic timbre, yet she truly shines on “The Haunted”. Rio is moving flawlessly between high and low notes, she creates a tight, claustrophobic atmosphere that goes great with the heavy, uncompromising music. The lyrics describing being watched by some cold presence, longing to be loved or appreciated, while surrounded by darkness, really make your hair stand out in the end. I’m not sure why the band decided to release the song so late (13th of November) as it would have been perfect for Halloween, title included!
“The Haunted” was written by the entire band as Rio, James Wright (bassist), James “Jay” Stevens (drums) and Jon Roberts (guitars) all get credit for the music with Suyama and Wright receiving credit for the lyrics as well. The song was mixed and mastered by Simon Jackson. You can see the official atmospheric lyrics video created and edited by J Studios .
“The Haunted” is a great number for those who like the dark(er) side of metal, female vocals and industrial techno beat banging mercilessly in the background. As much as I truly enjoy this song, I have a feeling that “The Haunted” would sound much better if sung in Japanese instead of English. Maybe the band will decide to release a fully Japanese version too, that would make me very, very happy.
RE:O online:
https://www.facebook.com/reothebandofficial
https://www.instagram.com/reotheband/
https://reomusic3.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/user-532691948
https://www.twitch.tv/reo_o_jp
https://x.com/re_oofficial
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsicWava4-eRqVvrHOEOeMg
https://ko-fi.com/reotheband
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rLfw0m94PhKR4pnbomrqB?si=xE0iSSyxQ9udwJwDBytIVA&nd=1&dlsi=4983dfe252f741b8
Our interview with the band:
https://vanadianavenue.co.uk/2024/07/25/indieterria-meets-reo/
Rita Dabrowicz
Indieterria 