Animetal was a Japanese heavy metal band who specialized in metal covers of theme songs from classic and modern Japanese anime and tokusatsu television series.
Anthem is a Japanese heavy metal band that was formed during the early 1980s in Tokyo. They are among the many heavy metal bands founded in Japan during that time and are considered to be one of the most successful and influential, alongside Loudness and Earthshaker.
Animetal Marathon VII: Fight! The Metal Heroes is the seventh full-length album by Japanese novelty heavy metal band Animetal, released through VAP on October 21, 2005. The album consists of a non-stop marathon of metal covers of various tokusatsu themes: the first three songs are from the newest Super Sentai series at the time of the album's recording, tracks 5-34 are tokusatsu ending themes, and tracks 35-41 are opening themes of solo tokusatsu and Metal Hero Series titles. The last track, "Jump in the Fire!", is a marathon of anime songs adapted from manga published in Weekly Shōnen Jump. Animetal Marathon VII was also the band's final marathon album.
Eizo Sakamoto is a Japanese musician, singer and songwriter who was born in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture. He is most famous for being the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Anthem. In the 1990s he started up the band Animetal which performed heavy metal covers of anime and tokusatsu opening and closing themes. He also was involved with the Anison band JAM Project before reuniting with Anthem. Sakamoto then began a new project called Eizo Japan which is similar to Animetal: more heavy metal covers of theme songs post-disbanding, along with original material.
Animetal Marathon II: Tokusatsu Collection is the second album by Japanese novelty heavy metal band Animetal, released through Sony Records on February 21, 1998. The album consists of a non-stop marathon of metal covers of theme songs of tokusatsu series from the 1970s and 1980s. A karaoke version of this album was also released.
Animetal Marathon V is the fifth full-length album by Japanese novelty heavy metal band Animetal, released through VAP on June 25, 2003. The album consists of a non-stop marathon of metal covers: tracks cover anime themes from the 1960s to the 1990s, while tracks 18-34 cover tokusatsu themes also from that same era, including Super Sentai and Kamen Rider titles, and tracks 35-39 are covers of themes from Tatsunoko's Time Bokan series. Prior to the release of this album, guitarist She-Ja left the band. He was replaced by Syu, who has worked with metal bands Galneryus and Aushvitz.
Decade of Bravehearts is the eighth and final studio album by Japanese novelty heavy metal band Animetal, released through VAP on August 2, 2006. Commemorating the band's 10th anniversary, the album features full length covers of various anime and tokusatsu songs that they have covered on their other albums, plus their covers of the themes from the 2002 Super Sentai series Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger and the 2003 anime series Godannar. Also included in the album is a bonus DVD.
Shota Shimizu is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician from Yao, Osaka, Japan, who debuted in 2008. On June 1, 2008, Shimizu performed at Central Park in New York City, USA, during the annual Japan Day Festival. Shota Shimizu went to a local Christian school in Osaka where he learned how to sing gospel music. He became captivated with soul music, which is how his music career started. He was inspired by Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye, and Ray Charles.
KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates is the third studio album by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN and was released in Japan on June 4, 2008 by J-One Records. The album was issued in two editions; the limited edition came with four bonus tracks, a DVD with an extended version of the music video for their 2008 single "Don't U Ever Stop" and a short film chronicling the making of the video.
Heavy Metal Anthem is the eighth studio album by the Japanese heavy metal band Anthem, released on April 21, 2000. It was their first album since their disbandment in 1992. Most of the former members play on the album, but the original vocalist, Eizo Sakamoto, did not return until the next album, and was a joint collaboration between the band and English singer Graham Bonnet. All of the songs are Anthem's older releases, which have been rerecorded and sung in English by Bonnet. Bassist and principal songwriter Naoto Shibata recreated the songs with Bonnet's voice in mind, including the English lyrics.
Overload is tenth studio album by the Japanese heavy metal band Anthem, released on October 9, 2002. The album has been considered by most critics to be much more aggressive than their previous album, Seven Hills. This direction of blending both new and old styles into their own musical style became the force for their future releases. It debuted at No. 40 on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart.
Eternal Warrior is the eleventh studio album by the Japanese heavy metal band Anthem, released on July 21, 2004. The band released this album after 2 years of intensive touring and planning. Like their previous studio album Overload, this album follows the same aggressive direction. It debuted at No. 42 on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart.
Immortal is the twelfth studio album by the Japanese heavy metal band Anthem, released on August 30, 2006. In Europe, the album was sold together with the Anthem 20th Anniversary Tour 2005 bonus DVD; this DVD included several videos of the band rehearsing some of the songs that were included in the album: "Immortal Bind", "Insomnia", "Mob Groove", and "Road to Nowhere". This bonus DVD is known as "Core". It debuted at No. 41 on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart.
Black Empire is the thirteenth studio album by the Japanese heavy metal band Anthem, released on October 29, 2008. It debuted at No. 42 on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart.
Animetal Lady Marathon is the first album by Animetal unit Animetal Lady, featuring Mie of Pink Lady as the vocalist in place of Eizo Sakamoto. Released through Sony Records on February 21, 1998, the album consists of a non-stop marathon of metal covers of shōjo anime theme songs, children's anime theme songs, and other anime theme songs sung by women. A karaoke version of the album was also released on March 21, 1998.
Live' Melt Down is the third live album released by the Japanese heavy metal band Anthem and recorded during their "Overload Live" tour of 2003.
Complete First Live is the first of two double live albums by Japanese novelty heavy metal band Animetal. Released by Sony Records on October 1, 1999, it was recorded at the band's debut concert at the Shibuya Club Quattro on March 23, 1997. An edited version of the concert was previously released direct-to-video as Animetalive in 1997.
Aisenshi is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in 2013 by Eizo Sakamoto and She-Ja.
And Then... The Legend of Animetal is a compilation album by Japanese novelty heavy metal band Animetal, released through GT Music on October 12, 2011, to commemorate the band's 15th anniversary. The two-disc album includes the band's singles, plus medleys mixed from their previous studio albums.
Heartstrings is the debut studio album by Japanese novelty heavy metal band Aisenshi, released through Metallic Core on June 5, 2013. Released as the spiritual successor to lead vocalist Eizo Sakamoto's previous band Animetal, the album features metal covers of various anime theme songs.
