Animetal (アニメタル, Animetaru?) is a Japanese novelty heavy metal band who specialize in metal covers of the theme songs of classic and modern Japanese anime and tokusatsu television series.
They are comprised of several luminaries of the Japanese metal scene, most notably vocalist Eizo Sakamoto, who has been involved off and on with Anthem (one of the first heavy metal bands to achieve name recognition outside of Japan in the 1980s alongside Loudness)as well as participating in various other projects including the pop-rock group Nerima, the JAM Project, and a successful solo career where he also plays lead guitar as well as vocals.
Their music can be classified as high-energy melodic speed metal with a very high level of musical virtuosity, especially on the guitarists'(initially Shi-Ja for the first four albums, then Syu from Animetal Marathon V to the present) and bassist's (band constant Masaki) part. Masaki in particular from Animetal Marathon IV on 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. The albums are structured as nearly seamless barrages of short songs woven into well-structured medleys that sound as though the band simply enters the studio and lays down virtually the entire album from start to finish in one go, with occasional overdubs and breaks in the action here and there.
The lyrics are almost entirely in Japanese with occasional lines of "Engrish", which may partly account for why they are virtually unknown outside of Japan, aside from the fact they admittedly are playing to a very small niche market. For a short time, they incorporated Pink Lady vocalist Mie 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 (almost what one would call pop-metal) 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 Towa no Mirai from the Rurouni Kenshin soundtrack.
| 1. | Satsuriko no Juuika | 02:06 |
|
| 2. | Pegasus Fantasy | 01:30 |
|
| 3. | Toushi Gordian | 01:22 |
|
| 4. | Choujin Sentai Baradakku | 01:24 |
|
| 5. | Try Attack! | 01:12 |
|
| 6. | Starhingar no Uta | 01:05 |
|
| 7. | Roller Hero Mutekingu | 01:14 |
|
| 8. | Midnight Submarine | 01:34 |
|
| 9. | Yume no Funanori | 01:02 |
|
| 10. | Kinnikuman Go Fight! | 01:03 |
|
| 11. | Hoonoo no Kinnikuman | 01:21 |
|
| 12. | Tough Boy | 01:41 |
|
| 13. | Yoroshiku Turning | 01:10 |
|
| 14. | Moete Hero | 01:14 |
|
| 15. | Touch | 01:43 |
|
| 16. | The Chanbara | 01:10 |
|
| 17. | Lupin III Theme | 01:12 |
|
| 18. | Battle Fever J | 01:10 |
|
| 19. | Ah, Denshi Sentai Denji-Man | 01:02 |
|
| 20. | Taiyou Sentai Sanbarukan | 01:43 |
|
| 21. | Daisentai Googuru V | 01:14 |
|
| 22. | Chou Denshi Bio-Man | 01:03 |
|
| 23. | Choujuu Sentai Live-Man | 01:16 |
|
| 24. | Red Balon | 01:16 |
|
| 25. | Mach Balon | 01:35 |
|
| 26. | Otokono Misao-Seishun | 00:49 |
|
| 27. | Ganbalon '77 | 01:13 |
|
| 28. | Ikuzo! BD7 | 01:46 |
|
| 29. | Fight! Dragon | 00:57 |
|
| 30. | Kakero Ban-Kid | 01:13 |
|
| 31. | Ryuusei Ningen Zone | 01:00 |
|
| 32. | Kamen Rider Super 1 | 01:16 |
|
| 33. | Kamen Rider Black | 01:25 |
|
| 34. | Kamen Rider Black RX | 01:30 |
|
| 35. | Gyakuten Ippatsu-Man | 00:59 |
|
| 36. | Yattodeta-Man no Uta | 01:29 |
|
| 37. | Otusuke-Man no Uta | 01:04 |
|
| 38. | Zenda-Man no Uta | 01:15 |
|
| 39. | Yattaa-Man no Uta | 01:25 |
|
| 40. | Zankoku na Tenshi no Teeze | 02:19 |
|
| 41. | Tomorrow Never Dies | 03:20 |
|
