Japanese ‘Samurai metal’ band Ryujin have been going for over a decade now, self-releasing four studio albums before now. They signed to Napalm Records a little while back and are set to release their debut, self-titled album with them next week. Produced by the one and only Matthew K Heafy, it is set to be a huge release for the start of the year. I’m not too familiar with the band so am excited to dive in and see what they’re about!
After a brief intro track, heavy thrash/death metal riff opens ‘Gekokujo’. It’s lighting fast, the guitars and drummer working insanely hard right from the get go. And the added extra horns and strings make the whole song sound massive, giving it an instant epic feel. The samurai feeling is very much there right from the get-go. The screams are almost extreme metal in nature, reminding me a little of Dani Filth at times. It fits over the top of the instrumentation rather perfectly, though! We also get plenty of insanely good lead guitar in the middle, not at all making me jealous of my mediocre playing. The strings and riffing in the bridge almost have a folky edge to them too, giving off power/Viking metal vibes. It’s kinda Lovebites-y in the best ways. A fantastic way to open an album!
‘Dragon, Fly Free’ opens on the same balls-to-the-wall, wonderful chaotic energy as the previous track. Honestly, with the vocals and all of the combined symphonic elements going on, it may very well class as extreme metal. However, this track not only has some great, catchy choir-like ‘woh’s in the pre, but has a clean vocalled chorus. It’s amazing! The cleans are so powerful, despite being lost in the mix a tad, and are surprisingly catchy. The bridge riff is VERY metalcore in the best way. And of course we get another kick-ass solo. This was incredible, and easily makes our playlist. What a fantastic song!
Next up are a selection of tracks that I’ve been waiting to make the obvious comparison for until now. There are four tracks on this album that feature guest slots from album producer and all-round modern metal legend Matthew K Heafy. Of course, it’s a match made in heaven, given Ryugin ‘s similarities to Trivium. He’s on the tracks a lot and, honestly, it’s a perfect fit.
I do, however, find it interesting that the tracks Heafy is on are maybe the lightest songs he’s done in a while. Heck, ‘The Rainbow Song’ is essentially a power metal ballad. Not that I’m complaining, it’s awesome! And he still get some screams in on ‘Guren No Yumiya’ and ‘Raijin and Fujin’. I feel bad grouping these multiple tracks together. However, Ryujin and Heafy reach such an interesting blend and sound that they sound incredibly cohesive to each other. He almost just feels like another member of the band, and I really hope we get more of this collaboration in the future! Special shoutout to album closer ‘Saigo No Hoshi’, Matt’s vocals are insane over the slower verses, and it’s honestly a beautiful, epic conclusion.
Heading back a bit, there is another collab on this album. Musical mastermind Wataru Mukai lends his talents for ‘Kunnecup’. It again has that heavy, intricate power metal feel to it, and almost blends some X Japan into it all too. The screams in the back of the chorus are a nice touch, keeping it heavy amid the stadium-filling catchiness. The guitaring in the middle is honestly mindblowing, a technical masterclass being equal parts ‘Devil Went Down to Georgia’ and ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’. The talent of the entire band is off the charts. It’s another really great track!
‘Scream of the Dragon’ brings the album welcomly back to the heaviness. As much as I love the Heafy and Mukai tracks, it had been a while since we’d had a balls-to-the-wall, crushing track filled with quick riffs and screams. And yet it still has a huge, uplifting, cleaner chorus that the band have become so known for. Surprisingly it slows down into the solo, a nice touch and adds more feel and emotion to it. It was very ‘The Four Horsemen’. And of course it builds up perfectly heading into the final chorus of the song. What an amazing track, and another to leap onto our playlist!
‘Gekirin’ is the closest thing to typical extreme metal on the album. It’s very Dimu Borgira in the best ways. The cleaner, almost pirate-y chorus was awesome, too. Then we reach the final, epic song on the album, the title track. Sitting at close to eight minutes, surprisingly it goes pretty all out throughout. Some insanely technical playing reminds me of some of the more interesting djent like Anima Tempo, and it has possibly the best chorus on the whole album! The soloing is epic and fantastic, and honestly it feels like something that should be in a movie. It gave me chills. Another insanely good song, and another that I just have to put on our playlist!
Overall: Holy crap, what an album! Every track on it is insane. It’s put together perfectly too, spreading out the heavier and more epic tracks to keep the album interesting throughout. I never once got bored and it felt like it was over far too fast. I can’t believe this is the first time I’m properly hearing them, but it certainly won’t be the last. They have a huge new fan in me!
The Score: 9/10