(My favorite CD by Envy.)
Anyone who is into harder music has at some point been exposed to the hardcore genre. Often consisting of chaotic beats and non stop screaming, with a final touch usually being a breakdown sporadically placed within the song, hardcore was a short-lived scene in the U.S. that kind of died out after five or so years. (I know there are still some bands around and certain cities still support the scene, but let’s face it, it’s not as big as it was in the early 2000s.) I’d go into some of the reasons for this, but I feel that most of the bands have simply evolved and strayed away from this form of music, adding a new sound to their style (take my favorite band Between the Buried and Me as an example).
Lately I’ve found myself listening to a Japanese band that is known as Envy. Although they tend to lean more to the screamo side at certain points, they were able to put me in a nostalgic state the other day, making me reminisce on past experiences at hardcore shores.
The band has been around for almost two decades now and has left its mark while continuing to influence the heavier Asian music scene. Although a lot of people draw a line between forms of metal and hardcore, I think that this band is worth giving a shout out to for being an oddity that has somehow managed to stay alive in a country that is hardly known for its heavier music. Not to bring stereotypes into play, but when people hear certain countries such as Germany they immediately think of metal or techno because that is what we are conditioned to think of when we hear about a certain sign because its attributed to them, but not so much Japan. (Sorry for the rant). All I am saying is that I love where Envy comes from and how they are capable of being influenced by other bands while still having a sound that distinguishes themselves from the many other hardcore bands that sound exactly the same.
The band is comprised of a five member line up that consists of Tetsuya Fukagawa (vocals), the two guitarists, Masahiro Tobita and Nobukata Kawai, Manabu Nakagawa (bass guitar), and lastly, the drummer, Dairoku Seki.
Envy – Chain Wandering Deeply
Albums:
From Here To Eternity
All the Footprints You’ve Ever Left and the Fear Expecting Ahead
A Dead Sinking Story
Compiled Fragments 1997-2003
Insomniac Doze
Recitation
OffIcial Sites:
Myspace
OffIcial Website
Envy on:
Last FM
Pure Volume
