# Animetal

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Japanese heavy metal band

Animetal アニメタル Origin Japan Genres Heavy metal speed metal power metal anison thrash metal Years active 1996–2006 Labels Sony Music Japan Cutting Edge VAP Past members Eizo Sakamoto Masaki Syu She-Ja Mie Website Official website at Sony Music Japan

**Animetal** ([Japanese](/source/Japanese_language): アニメタル, [Hepburn](/source/Hepburn_romanization): *Animetaru*) was a Japanese [heavy metal](/source/Heavy_metal_music) band who specialized in metal covers of theme songs from classic and modern Japanese [anime](/source/Anime) and [tokusatsu](/source/Tokusatsu) television series.

They were composed of several luminaries of the [Japanese metal](/source/Japanese_metal) scene, most notably vocalist [Eizo Sakamoto](/source/Eizo_Sakamoto), who has been involved off and on with [Anthem](/source/Anthem_(band)) as well as participating in various other projects including the pop rock group Nerima, the [JAM Project](/source/JAM_Project), and a successful solo career where he also plays lead guitar as well as vocals.

As of 2006, the band is currently on indefinite hiatus.[1] Sakamoto has since begun a similar project called Eizo Japan,[2] but in 2013 he announced that he and She-Ja were reforming Animetal as [Aisenshi](/source/Aisenshi) (哀旋士).[3]

## Style

Their music is [speed metal](/source/Speed_metal) and [power metal](/source/Power_metal), especially on the guitarists' (initially She-Ja for the first four albums, then [Syu](/source/Syu) from *Animetal Marathon V* to the present) and bassist Masaki's parts. Masaki, in particular from *Animetal Marathon IV* onward, has shown an intensely active and aggressive approach to his instrument with fluid soloing, manic slapping and popping, energetic fills, and crashing chords for punctuation.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

Part of the band's nostalgic factor is their incorporation of popular rock-metal instrumentals into some of the songs. For instance, their version of "[Choujuu Sentai Liveman](/source/Choujuu_Sentai_Liveman)" is played to the tune of [Judas Priest](/source/Judas_Priest)'s "[Breaking the Law](/source/Breaking_the_Law)".

The lyrics are almost entirely in Japanese with occasional lines of "[Engrish](/source/Engrish)", which may partly account for why they are virtually unknown outside Japan, except that they are admittedly playing to a very small niche market. For a short time, they incorporated [Pink Lady](/source/Pink_Lady_(duo)) member [Mie](/source/Mie_(singer)) into the band, hence the name change to "Animetal Lady", and recorded two albums with her distinctive and melodic vocals that are much more commercially accessible than the rest of the Animetal discography.

While they're known more for their covers, the band has a few original songs, including the ballad "Eternal Future" (永遠の未来, *Towa no Mirai*) from the [*Rurouni Kenshin* film](/source/Rurouni_Kenshin#Film).

## Animetal USA

Main article: [Animetal USA](/source/Animetal_USA)

In 2011, **Animetal USA** (アニメタルUSA) was formed as a tribute to Sakamoto's band, performing English-language metal covers of popular anime and tokusatsu themes. The band consisted of lead vocalist [Michael Vescera](/source/Michael_Vescera), guitarist [Chris Impellitteri](/source/Chris_Impellitteri), bassist [Rudy Sarzo](/source/Rudy_Sarzo), and drummer [Scott Travis](/source/Scott_Travis). They released their [self-titled debut album](/source/Animetal_USA) on October 12.[4] A year later, Travis left the band to focus on touring with [Judas Priest](/source/Judas_Priest); he was replaced by [Jon Dette](/source/Jon_Dette) before the band released their second album *[Animetal USA W](/source/Animetal_USA_W)* on June 6.[5]

## Animetal the Second

Animetal the Second 二代目アニメタル Origin Japan Genres Heavy metal anison Years active 2015–present Label Gr8! Records Members Queen.M Website Official website at Sony Music Japan

A project titled **Animetal the Second** (二代目アニメタル, *Nidaime Animetaru*), centered around anonymous female vocalist Queen.M, was started in 2015 to continue the Animetal tradition.[6] Its self-titled [debut album](/source/Animetal_the_Second) was released on March 25 by [Gr8! Records](/source/Gr8!_Records) and features musicians such as [Akira Takasaki](/source/Akira_Takasaki) and Masayoshi Yamashita of [Loudness](/source/Loudness_(band)), [Warren DeMartini](/source/Warren_DeMartini), and [George Lynch](/source/George_Lynch_(musician)).[6][7] It was followed up in April 2016 with *[Blizzard of Animetal the Second](/source/Blizzard_of_Animetal_the_Second)*, which features [Scotti Hill](/source/Scotti_Hill), [Paul Gilbert](/source/Paul_Gilbert), [Richie Kotzen](/source/Richie_Kotzen), [Luke Takamura](/source/Luke_Takamura), and [Saki](/source/Saki_(musician)).[8] Animetal the Second made an appearance at [Ozzfest Japan 2015](/source/Ozzfest#2015).[9]

## Personnel

Final lineup Eizo Sakamoto – vocals (1996–2006) Syu – guitar (2003–2006) Masaki – bass (1997–2006) Former members Katsuji – drums (1997–2006) Mie – lead vocals in Animetal Lady (1997–1998, 2002) Kouichi Seiyama – keyboards (1997–1998, 2002) She-Ja – guitar (1997–2002) Yasuhiro Umezawa – drums (1997–1998) Guest members Yasufumi Shinozuka – guitar on "Animetal" (1996) Yō Okamura – bass on "Animetal" (1996) Devil Miyamoto – drum programming on "Animetal" (1996) Take-Shit – bass on "This is Animetal" (1997) Munetaka Higuchi – drums on "Animetal Summer" and "Sentimetal" (1997) Rei Atsumi – keyboards on "Animetal Lady Kenzan!" (1997) and Animetal Lady Marathon (1998) Hiroyuki Namba – keyboards on "Towa no Mirai" (1997) Shinki – drums on Animetal Lady Marathon and "Yuuki no Akashi" (1998) Nov – vocals on "Ai o Torimodose!!" (2001) Mitsuo Takeuchi – vocals on "Galactic Gale Baxinger" (2001) Marty Friedman – lead guitar on one track on Animetal Lady Marathon II (2002)

### Timeline

## Discography

Main article: [Animetal discography](/source/Animetal_discography)

- *[Animetal Marathon](/source/Animetal_Marathon)* (1997)

- *[Animetal Marathon II](/source/Animetal_Marathon_II)* (1998)

- *[Animetal Lady Marathon](/source/Animetal_Lady_Marathon)* (1998)

- *[Animetal Marathon III](/source/Animetal_Marathon_III)* (1998)

- *[Animetal Marathon IV](/source/Animetal_Marathon_IV)* (2001)

- *[Animetal Lady Marathon II](/source/Animetal_Lady_Marathon_II)* (2002)

- *[Animetal Marathon V](/source/Animetal_Marathon_V)* (2003)

- *[Animetal Marathon VI](/source/Animetal_Marathon_VI)* (2004)

- *[Animetal Marathon VII](/source/Animetal_Marathon_VII)* (2005)

- *[Decade of Bravehearts](/source/Decade_of_Bravehearts)* (2006)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Animetal Official Site"](https://web.archive.org/web/20081025032859/http://www.compozila.co.jp/iron/). Archived from [the original](http://www.compozila.co.jp/iron/) on October 25, 2008. Retrieved September 20, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Eizo Japan Official Site"](http://www.eizojapan.com/). Retrieved September 20, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["【ピックアップ！】哀旋士…声明文！ - Web Rock Magazine BEEAST"](http://www.beeast69.com/news/rockinfo/54539). Beeast69.com. January 18, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["USメタル界精鋭が新バンド「アニメタルUSA」結成"](https://natalie.mu/music/news/56040). *[Natalie.mu](/source/Natalie_(website))*. September 5, 2011. Retrieved September 23, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["アニメタルUSA、セカンドアルバム『アニメタルUSA W』は6月6日発売"](http://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000078444). *BARKS.jp*. April 3, 2012. Retrieved September 23, 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-start_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-start_6-1) ["二代目アニメタル、歌うのは謎の女性Queen.M"](https://natalie.mu/music/news/137738). *[Music Natalie](/source/Music_Natalie)* (in Japanese). February 4, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["二代目アニメタルとLOUDNESS高崎＆山下「アクエリオン」カバー"](https://natalie.mu/music/news/138542). *[Music Natalie](/source/Music_Natalie)* (in Japanese). February 14, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["ANIMETAL THE SECOND、新アルバムに二井原実作詞のオリジナル曲"](https://natalie.mu/music/news/182268). *[Music Natalie](/source/Music_Natalie)* (in Japanese). April 4, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["OZZFEST JAPAN 2015のANIMETAL THE SECOND"](http://www.marshallblog.jp/2016/02/ozzfest-japan-2-ad8c.html). [Marshall Amplification](/source/Marshall_Amplification). February 4, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2021.

## External links

- [Official website](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/Animetal/) (in Japanese)

- [Official website](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/AnimetalLady/) (Animetal Lady) (in Japanese)

- [Official website](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/animetalthesecond/) (Animetal the Second) (in Japanese)

- [Animetal](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/08874e35-f5de-4864-88aa-cdc4248a7138) discography at [MusicBrainz](/source/MusicBrainz)

- [Animetal](https://www.discogs.com/artist/3994805-Animetal) discography at [Discogs](/source/Discogs)

v t e Animetal Animetal / Animetal Lady (1996–2006): Eizo Sakamoto Syu Masaki She-Ja Mie Yasuhiro Umezawa Animetal USA (2011–present): Michael Vescera Chris Impellitteri Rudy Sarzo Jon Dette Scott Travis Aisenshi (2013): Eizo Sakamoto She-Ja Hiro Katsuji Animetal the Second (2015–present): Queen.M Albums Animetal Animetal Marathon Animetal Marathon II Animetal Marathon III Animetal Marathon IV Animetal Marathon V Animetal Marathon VI Animetal Marathon VII Decade of Bravehearts Animetal Lady Animetal Lady Marathon Animetal Lady Marathon II Animetal USA Animetal USA Animetal USA W Aisenshi Heartstrings Animetal the Second Animetal the Second Blizzard of Animetal the Second Live albums Complete First Live Complete Last Live The Animetal: Re-Birth Heroes Compilations Best of Animetal And Then... The Legend of Animetal International releases This Is Japanimetal Marathon Videos Animetalive Singles "Give Lee Give Lee Rock Lee" Related articles Discography Marty Friedman Munetaka Higuchi Anthem Galneryus Pink Lady JAM Project D-Metal Stars

Authority control databases International VIAF National France BnF data Artists MusicBrainz

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Animetal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animetal) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animetal?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.