Ryujin
three Japanese male musicians perform on stage of an open air festival
GYZE performing at Turock Open Air on Aug 18, 2018
Left to right: Aruta (bass, vocals), Shuji (drums), Ryoji (guitar/vocals).
Background information
OriginHokkaido, Japan
GenresMelodic death metal
Power metal
Symphonic metal
Folk metal
Years active2009 (2009)–present (present)
Labels(current) Napalm Records, (previous) Victor Entertainment, Universal Music Japan, Virgin Music, Thunderball 667, Coroner Records, Magnum, Evolution Music
Members
  • Ryoji Shinomoto
  • Shuji Shinomoto
  • Aruta Watanabe
  • Shinkai
Websiteryujinband.com

Ryujin (formerly known as GYZE, stylized as RYUJIN) is a metal band originated in Hokkaido, Japan. Coming from the very north of Japan the members of the band label themselves as "Northern Nostalgic Metal band".[1][2]

The metal trio consists of Ryoji Shinomoto (guitar/vocals/composer), Shuji Shinomoto (drums) and Aruta Watanabe (bass/vocals).[3] In early 2019 the band announced a new guitarist, SHINKAI, to be joining the band, while the drummer Shuji temporarily stopped his activities in the band, being substituted by a session drummer Han-nya.

Under the name GYZE, they released four full-length albums and three limited edition EPs.[4] A fifth studio album under their new name RYUJIN was announced on 13 September 2023.[5]

History

In May 2009 in Sapporo, Japan, two brothers—Ryoji and Shuji Shinomoto—formed the first incarnation of GYZE. Initially called Suicide Heaven, after Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami disaster of 2011 the band was renamed to GYZE. [6] Aruta was invited as a session bassist in 2013 and joined the band before their major debut with Victor Entertainment in autumn 2014.[7][8]

In 2012, GYZE advanced through the Metal Battle Japan event for the chance to play at one of the biggest metal festivals in the world, Wacken Open Air.[9]

Their music is characterized by fast-paced drums, easy to sing along lyrical guitar melodies with a bit of folk motifs, technical shredding, extreme growling vocals as well as by different traditional and classical instruments used in their recordings. Additionally, the band has put the recordings of their fans singing the choruses on some songs on the album Northern Hell Song (2017).[10][11]

In 2013, GYZE met Ettore Rigotti, a member of the Italian band Disarmonia Mundi, and started working together on GYZE's first full-format album. In June of that year, GYZE's debut album Fascinating Violence was released worldwide by Coroner Records, an Italian label owned and run by Ettore Rigotti.[12]

Immediately following its release, Fascinating Violence took the number one spot on Amazon's Hard Rock/Heavy Metal charts and held the position for 3 months (July – September 2013), and was a hot topic in Burrn! magazine's foreign record charts in its October 2013 issue.[13][14]

After their first foreign show held in Korea, GYZE made their Japanese debut in September 2014 with JVC (Victor Entertainment).[15][16] At the same time, contracts were signed with Evolution Music (Republic of Korea)[17][18] and Magnum (Taiwan)[19] to launch their Asian debut.

The band also signed a contract with Howling Bull,[20] an extreme band management company in Japan.[21]

In late 2014 they set off on the Final Violence Tour 2014 through Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan to support the Japanese release of Fascinating Violence. The final tour date was held in Tokyo, featuring Disarmonia Mundi's Claudio Ravinale.

In February 2015 the band's second album, Black Bride, also produced by Ettore Rigotti, was released in Japan, with a worldwide release in June 2015, through Coroner Records.

In 2015 GYZE organized Vanishing Heaven Fest, introducing Korean and Taiwanese metal bands to Japanese fans. Later that year, GYZE shared the stage with the American band Unearth.[22]

In May 2015, the band toured Japan for a second time, in support of their second full-format album, Black Bride. In September 2015, the tour continued as Gyze headed to Taiwan to play with DragonForce.[23] GYZE then went to Hong Kong to support Children of Bodom and Carcass during their Asia tour.[24][25]

In October 2015, GYZE opened the second day of Japan's premier metal festival, LOUD PARK at Saitama Super Arena.[26]

2016 started off with GYZE supporting the Japanese tour of the band Soilwork.[27] GYZE then went on the BLACK FOX World Tour, which started in South Korea and continued in Europe, where GYZE participated in two big European metal festivals – Summer Breeze Open Air (Germany) and More // Than // Fest (Slovakia), becoming the first Japanese band ever performing on their stage. Tour finished with GYZE's first solo show in Europe, in Poland.[28]

In June 2016, GYZE joined a unique collaboration project of 100 musicians/bands organized by Akira Yamaoka, creating the soundtrack for a new PS4 Survival Action game Let It Die, developed by Grasshopper Manufacture, and delivered by GungHo Online Entertainment [1][2]

In March – April 2017, GYZE went on tour with the Finnish band Battle Beast and the German band Majesty, playing 36 shows in 15 countries around Europe.[29] While on tour, GYZE release their 3rd full-format album, Northern Hell Song, through Universal Music Japan, Virgin Music.[30]

Supporting the release, the band embarked on a Japanese tour, playing 12 shows in spring and summer,[31] and 15 more shows around Japan in autumn during the Before Winter Comes tour.[32] In 2018 GYZE become the first Japanese band to perform on the 70000 Tons of Metal cruise[33] and the Leyendas del Rock festival.[34]

On June 13 the band released their first official single "The Rising Dragon "龍吟"" (Jpn: ryugin; meaning: singing dragon). The title track is dedicated to the 150th Anniversary of GYZE motherland Hokkaido.[35]

In spring 2019 GYZE announced they would continue their activities with major line-up changes: the band was joined by a second guitarist, Shinkai, and the drummer Shuji temporarily puts his activities in the band on hold due to his health condition, being substituted by a session drummer Han-nya.[36]

In early June, GYZE released a title track from the album Asian Chaos with a music video on it. The 4th album Asian Chaos was released on July 10, 2019, through JVC/Victor Entertainment (Black Sheep Records).

Ryoji Shinomoto recorded vocals for the single and video "Eat Me, Drink Me, Follow Me" by the Russian band Above the Stars, which was released in November 2021.[37]

Name change to RYUJIN

On 31 January 2023, GYZE changed its name to RYUJIN, after the Japanese dragon god, and announced they had signed a worldwide contract with Napalm Records. They also announced that Trivium frontman Matt Heafy had agreed to become their manager and producer.[38] On 13 September, they announced their fifth studio album, also titled RYUJIN, and released the single "Raijin & Fujin" with Heafy providing guest vocals.[5]

Discography

As Gyze

Full-format albums

  • Fascinating Violence

Label: Victor Entertainment (Japan), Coroner Records (World) Item ID number：CR 032 / VICL-64197 Release date: 04/06/2013 (World) 03/09/2014 (Japan, Republic of Korea, Taiwan)

NameTrack length
1. Desire04:37
2. Desperately03:28
3. Fascinating Violence06:03
4. Regain04:09
5. Trash My Enemy04:35
6. A Dynasty03:54
7. Final Revenge05:17
8. Trigger of the Anger05:11
9. Day of the Funeral05:05
10. Midnight Darkness03:58
11. The Black Era01:26
Future Terror (Exclusive Bonus Track for JAPAN)04:38
Last Insanity (Exclusive Bonus Track for JAPAN)03:59
  • Black Bride

Label：Victor Entertainment (Japan), Coroner Records (World) Item ID number：VICL-64303 / CR 037 Release date： February 25, 2015 (JAPAN Edition) 09/06/2015 (Coroner Records Edition)

NameTrack length
1. Black Bride04:59
2. In Grief05:20
3. Honesty05:05
4. Insane Brain05:54
5. Black Shadow05:19
6. Winter Breath03:50
7. Twilight04:31
8. Satanic Loop05:39
9. Nanohana (菜の花)05:27
10. Julius05:45
11. Asuhenohikari (明日への光)04:03
Gnosis (Exclusive Bonus Track For JAPAN)04:11
Surface Tears (Exclusive Coroner Records Bonus Track)04:21
  • Northern Hell Song

Label：Virgin music (UNIVERSAL Music Japan) Item ID number：UICN-1089 Release date：March 29, 2017

NameTrack length
1. Pirates of Upas05:13
2. Horkew04:27
3. Dead Bone Blue05:10
4. Black Shumari03:21
5. Perryi Rain Dragon04:25
6. Mayoi02:43
7. The Bloodthirsty Prince03:46
8. Kamuy04:14
9. Brown Trout05:53
10. Frozen Dictator05:25
11. Northern Hell Song06:18
12. Snow~Upas ~02:45
Bonus Track: Moonlight Sonata06:35
  • Asian Chaos

Label: Victor Entertainment, Black Sheep Records (Japan) [39] Item ID number：VICL-65212 Release date: 10/07/2019 (Japan)

NameTrack length
1. Far Eastern Land03:12
2. Asian Chaos06:36
3. Eastern Spirits05:50
4. King Kamuy00:38
5. Dragon Calling05:01
6. Camellia04:00
7. Japanese Elegy05:28
8. The Rising Dragon ft. Marc Hudson from DragonForce04:05
9. White Territories04:01
10. 1945 Hiroshima05:16
Forever Love (Exclusive Bonus Track for JAPAN)
Vivaldi Winter (Exclusive Bonus Track for JAPAN)
Asian Chaos (Far Eastern Mix) (Exclusive Bonus Track for JAPAN)06:31

Unofficial EP

  • 「...future ages」(2010, SUICIDE HEAVEN)
  • 「Without Hesitation」(2011)
  • 「...future ages [Memorial Edition]」 (2014)

Official EP

  • The Rising Dragon「龍吟」(2018)

As Ryujin

Full-format albums

  • Ryujin

Label: Napalm Records Release date: 12 January 2024

NameTrack length
1. Hajimari
2. Gekokujo
3. Dragon, Fly Free
4. Raijin & Fujin (feat. Matthew K. Heafy)6:09
5. The Rainbow Song (feat. Matthew K. Heafy)
6. Kunnecup (feat. Mukai Wataru)
7. Scream of the Dragon
8. Gekirin
9. Saigo No Hoshi
10. Ryujin
11. Guren No Yumiya
12. Saigo No Hoshi (feat. Matthew K. Heafy) (Single Edit)

References

  1. ↑ "GYZE official Facebook page profile". Facebook.
  2. ↑ "GYZE official Twitter account". Facebook.
  3. ↑ "GYZE official website, biography". gyze.jp. Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  4. ↑ "GYZE official website, discography". gyze.jp.
  5. 1 2 Editorial Team (September 13, 2023). "Japanese "Samurai Metal" Band RYUJIN Announces New Self-Titled Album & New Music Video for First Single 'Raijin & Fujin' Featuring MATTHEW HEAFY From TRIVIUM". Sonic Perspectives. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  6. ↑ "GYZE Ryoji interview". 激ロック (Gekirock) webzine. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  7. ↑ "GYZE official twitter post before the debut (old account)".
  8. ↑ "GYZE interview to Jame World". Retrieved December 7, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Metal Battle official website". 2012.
  10. ↑ "GYZE official website, fans chorus recording announcement". Archived from the original on December 30, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  11. ↑ "GYZE official website, song with fans chorus release announcement". Archived from the original on January 9, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Coroner Records official website, collaboration announcement".
  13. ↑ "Burrn! Magazine Japan". October 2013.
  14. ↑ "Oricon News, statistics on Fascinating Violence". Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  15. ↑ "JVC/Victor Entertainment website, GYZE profile".
  16. ↑ "HMV article".
  17. ↑ "Evolution Music official Facebook, GYZE debut/Fascinating Violence release announcement". Facebook. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Evolution Music official website, Fascinating Violence".
  19. ↑ "Magnum (Taiwan) official website, GYZE profile". Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Howling Bull Inc. official website, GYZE profile".
  21. ↑ "JVC/Victor Entertainment website, GYZE "Black Bride"".
  22. ↑ "激ロック (Gekirock) webzine, UNEARTH Japan tour announcement".
  23. ↑ "GYZE official website, DragonForce support tour announcement". Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  24. ↑ "GYZE official website, Children of Bodom support tour announcement". Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  25. ↑ "GYZE official website, Asia tour announcement". Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  26. ↑ "LoudPark festival official website, LoudPark 15 timetable".
  27. ↑ "SMASH Japan, Soilwork Japan tour 2016 official information".
  28. ↑ "GYZE official website, Black Fox Tour announcement". Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  29. ↑ "Nuclear Blast Germany, Battle Beast European tour announcement".
  30. ↑ "Universal Music Japan, GYZE Northern Hell Song".
  31. ↑ "GYZE official website, Japan tour 2017 announcement". Archived from the original on October 15, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  32. ↑ "GYZE official website, Before Winter Comes tour announcement". Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  33. ↑ "GYZE official website, 70000 Tons of Metal performance announcement". Archived from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  34. ↑ "Leyendas del Rock festival official website".
  35. ↑ "GYZE 1st single release announcement". Archived from the original on April 5, 2018. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  36. ↑ "Asian Chaos".
  37. ↑ Above The Stars - Share Video For New Song, Feat. Ryoji Shinomoto Of Gyze
  38. ↑ Kennelty, Greg (January 31, 2023). "Japanese Samurai Metal Band RYUJIN (Formerly GYZE) Signs To Napalm Records". Metal Injection. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  39. ↑ "エラー | ビクターエンタテインメント".
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