When it comes to Japanese rock and metal, there are countless bands that offer strong material even for those that don’t understand the language. It can be hard to find some of it outside of those artists who have secured distribution from international labels, as Japan’s music industry tends to favor the CD and doesn’t always offer their material on the usual streaming platforms. As a result, I’ve tended to find underground metal that found its way onto Bandcamp and rock that was used for various anime intro and outros over the years, so it was exciting to find a name that sounded vaguely familiar pop up in my inbox. Yokohama based 9mm Parabellum Bullet has been around since 2004 and pull in some of the rougher edges of genres like post hardcore and alternative metal alongside their soaring melodic/alternative rock foundation, and chances are good that those who follow anime may have come across them thanks to their contributions to the 2016/2017 Berserk adaptations. Now on their ninth full-length, the appropriately named Tightrope, the band seems to have focused on the basics of their core sound and walk a fine line between high-energy aggressive riffs and soaring melodies.
At ten songs and just under thirty-five minutes in length, Tightrope emphasizes fast and punchy hooks that succeed thanks to their brevity. Rather than letting ideas drag out, 9mm Parabellum Bullet quickly establishes rougher edged guitar leads or sweeping melodies that catch your attention and stick with you for the few minutes they last before going onto the next idea. Tracks rarely feel like they last for longer than they need to, and that avoids some of the filler or repetitive ideas that can come from Japanese bands of this type. Opener “Hourglass” makes it clear that the post hardcore and metal influences from their earlier days haven’t faded, as softer guitar melodies build up to a wall of sound that culminates in sweep picking and frantic drumming that are heavier than one might initially be anticipating. From there you get everything from danceable alternative rock hooks to much more technical and precise post hardcore where the guitars and drums seem to go wild. Even with the way 9mm Parabellum Bullet moves constantly between melodic and heavy, everything flows together seamlessly and it never feels like the group is heading off in a direction that doesn’t suit them. Admittedly the individual elements that make up Tightrope are at the core of what this band has been doing their whole career, but the way they hop so seamlessly between them in the course of a single song without losing momentum elevates the album over some of their past discography. Songs like “All We Need is Summer Day” and “Tear” have been stuck in my head for days thanks to their sweeping, gigantic hooks, but there really isn’t a bad one in the bunch.
Based on the preview tracks that were available prior to receiving the full album, I went into Tightrope expecting singing that was a bit airier but still had some weight behind it when needed. So, it was a bit surprising to hear some breaks into full-on screaming at the end of “Hourglass”, making it clear that the band hasn’t fully left behind their heavier roots. There isn’t too much screaming beyond that, but it still makes an immediate first impression, and the vocals are able to offer up a lot of diversity when it comes to the cleaner ranges. Sometimes you get very powerful and direct singing, while other moments lighten up in a poppier direction that brings in more of that alternative rock sound. It’s a good mix that allows the vocals to maintain the same momentum as the instrumentation, and together the two make Tightrope sound genuinely huge with every note and verse washing over the listener.
I went into Tightrope expecting some high energy rock that would offer some catchy songs alongside some fluff, but the album managed to exceed those expectations. The emphasis on high energy songwriting that doesn’t slow down no matter whether the band is offering up some heavier shredding or softer sing-along melodies makes a big difference, and the compactness of the album makes it feel like 9mm Parabellum Bullet really focused on only including their absolute best this time around. It doesn’t reinvent their sound or try something radical, but they sound more energized and focused than many others that are nine albums in. Tightrope is available from Sazanga Records/Nippon Columbia.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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