Nocturnal Bloodlust is a Japanese heavy metal and visual kei band consisting of five members: Hiro (vocals), Daichi (guitar), Masa (bass), Natsu (drums) and Cazqui (7-strings). They will be performing in London as a part of their European tour and are known for their mix of old school visual kei theatricals and their ever evolving and upgraded sounds, which keeps the band relevant even in today’s Japanese music scene.

The band recently released their latest EP “ZeTeS” which is available from iTunes and Spotify, and showcases some of their most powerful songs to date (if you’re looking for multiple eargasms, then Malice against could leave you embarrassed to visit your Otorhinolaryngologist). Showing a sense of theatrical know-how and dedication to their fans, the members took a few minutes out of their never ending rehearsals and preparations before their European tour to answer a few questions for their fans – which as you will see turns out to be a nice and relaxed interview.

Who is Nocturnal Bloodlust? Could you please introduce yourselves?

Hiro: I’m Hiro, the singer. I love sushi, Fujiyama and Samurai!
Daichi: I’m Daichi, the guitarist. My hobby is entertainment and movies.
Natsu: Hi, I’m Natsu, the drummer. I love drinking and eating beef.
Masa: I’m Mass, the bassist. I love Ibanez bass and movies.

How would you explain your music to someone who has not heard it before?

Hiro: Just listen. You’ll know it.
Cazqui: Cinematic Metalcore / Avant-garde metalcore.
Natsu: Based on metal and hardcore, we put a different spin to various tastes and genres of music. It’s not only just metal, but also some visual kei.
Masa: If you like metalcore, deathcore, visual-kei or all kinds of heavy music, you should listen to us.

Visual kei as a movement is one part of many veins from the rock, metal and punk genres. How do you feel that visual kei has changed from the original era to where you are right now?

Cazqui: There were many bands like X JAPAN and DEADEND who played hard metal/hard rock, so people treat us as an old school band instead of pop bands these days.
Daichi: It’s hard to explain the change because many things are always changing in this (Japanese) music scene – even now.
Natsu: I think there are more bands which play well, but there are few bands that play with as much emotion.
Masa: Lately, visual-kei bands are getting heavier and heavier.

When was the first moment you realised you had made it as a band? 

Hiro: That goal doesn’t exist for me, but I do say I will play until I die.
Cazqui: When I feel pleasure on stage.
Daichi: I never truly feel satisfied that i have made it.
Masa: I think that there is no such thing. We keep creating as much we can do.

How does it feel to know you now have a worldwide following of fans?

Masa: It’s amazing. Thank you for listening to our music.
Daichi: I feel pleased to know it, and I want to visit more countries.
Cazqui: Thank you very much for your support!
Hiro: Thank you all for your big support!

Out of your albums and singles, which has been your favourite to create and perform? Which song do you feel European fans would like the most?

Hiro: Malice against.
Cazqui: Malice against and GENESIS will be your favourite, too!
Daichi: Pandemic would be a good one for European fans as its like a horror movie, because it’s dark and dramatic.
Natsu: Lost Memory is my favourite, but it’s hard to tell which song European fans would like. I also want to ask you all, what are your favourite songs as fans?
Masa: Malice against, definitely.

Who are your heroes of music? Who do you look up to or who inspired you to become who you are today?

Cazqui: B’z.
Daichi: Envy, Jou Hisaishi, Hikaru Utada.
Masa: Dragon Ash and L`arc-en-Ciel.

If you could say a few words to your UK/ European fans, what would you like to say to them?

Hiro: Thank you for reading this interview. Hopefully I’ll get to see you from the stage!
Cazqui: I’m looking forward to seeing you guys!
Daichi: A picture is worth a thousand words!
Natsu: Thank you for your support. Hopefully, this opportunity will make us stronger as a band!
Masa: We are so excited for the EU tour! Hope to see you there!

Be sure to check out Nocturnal Bloodlust’s official website, and YouTube pages. There are a few more tickets available for the European tour. For more information please check out B7klan and Torpedo Productions website, and Facebook.

A big thank you to B7klan, Torpedo Productions and Nocturnal Bloodlust for participating in the interview.