IMARi ToNES -The First Christian Heavy Metal from Japan-: July 2015

Thursday, July 30, 2015

"Falling" music video

Just like we've posted earlier, we are planning to release the new album titled "Revive The World" in September.
We are now preparing for the release.

At the same time, we've been making music videos for the songs on the new album.
We have just posted another one.
Surprisingly, this is already 5th music video from our soon-to-be-released new album.

This song is called "Falling".
This song has interesting lyrics. It's a song about "devils".
It's a song about devils' nature and their funny story.
Their story of "falling into the hand of God".

Actually it's also a song about "skydiving".
However, we could not make a skydiving video.
So, instead, we made a "falling skateboarder" video, using outtakes from our "Born To Ride" skateboarding footage.

Also our drummer Jake dropped an egg on a table.
You can see what happened to the egg at the end of the video.
It's a funny movie, so check it out.

Tak keeps falling off a skateboard in this movie, because this song is "Falling".
But don't forget to watch "Born To Ride" music video for some successful skateboard tricks, which we've posted before.

That's all for today.
Thank you very much!
God bless you!

Tak / Imari Tones

Thursday, July 23, 2015

"Revive The World" Artwork revealed

Here is the artwork for our new album "Revive The World".
The artist surely did a great job here.
She (the painter) is one of our "heavy metal friends" in Japan.
We asked her to draw whatever she was inspired to draw by the music.
Also we mentioned this "heal the earth" notion behind the album title.

So here is what we got.
What do you think?
We think it's pretty cool.

Our new album "Revive The World" is planned to be released in coming September.
It's full of "inspirational" songs, that are spiritually rich and musically diverse.
Music wise, it will definitely be our best-so-far album.

Just to remind you, some songs from the album are already on YouTube.

"Unlimit"

"Unknown Road"

"Born To Ride"

Thank you very much!
Tak / Imari Tones

Bio, Bio, Bio...

IMARITONES BIO

Written by Phil Putnam

Of the long list of factors that make ImariTones stand out from the world around them, it is their drive, their reach that tops it all. An unapologetically Christian heavy metal band out of Japan, Tak, Hassy, and Jake have a passion to reach beyond their culture to make the music they love, and to reach beyond their music to bring Jesus into their culture. While drawing comparisons to legends like Van Halen, Rush, and Stryper with their hybrid of old school metal/glam/Brit/70's prog rock, they are one of very few bands in the world that can claim true originality. How so? They are the first Christian heavy metal band ever to come out of Japan.

"There are very few Japanese bands who say 'Hey, we're a Christian band.' A Christian band from Japan almost sounds like a joke, since most people in Japan are Buddhists, or Atheists," says Tak, founder, guitar/vocalist, and frontman of ImariTones. Things didn't start out Christian for Tak, though. Having started playing electric guitar at age 14 and joining his first band at 15, Tak gained local teen success in his hometown of Toyohashi and won awards for his songwriting. However, he quit the band at 17 to pursue a career as a lawyer. Music stayed with him, though, and while playing an acoustic show in Harajuku Tokyo in December of 2007, Tak was impressed by several Christian performers who were playing as well. Feeling that Jesus may be the larger meaning behind music that he always felt was there, his mind and heart opened to Christianity.

Breaking many written and unwritten rules of Japanese culture, Tak, Hassy on bass/background vocals, and Jake on drums/background vocals, are reaching upward and forward to see changes happen in the world. Currently based in Yokohama, their astonishing 15-album discography includes Hero of the Lights, Color of Hers, fireworks, Japanese Pop produced by metal legend Sascha Paeth (Angra, Edguy, Rhapsody of Fire, Avantasia, Kamelot), Welcome to the School, and their most recent release Victory in Christ. Not content to play the standard soft pop/rock of the major label Christian industry, their music is 100% heavy metal and 100% independently recorded and produced. Victory in Christ hit the street in October 2010 with the single "Faith Rider" leading the charge. Originally written as a parody of the big 80's metal of Judas Priest and Stryper, it quickly became a fan favorite and was put on Victory in Christ.

With both their commitment to making stellar heavy metal music and their driving passion to share Jesus with their native Japan and the rest of the world, ImariTones is always reaching to join these two primary goals together. "Since we are a Christian band, our goal is not business success," says Tak. "We are not chasing glory in this world. We are chasing the glory of God." Staying independent and record label-free is an important part of the process for them. "We don't believe in 'music business', especially in Japan, and have chosen to go independent, looking for our own way. We really want to change something about society and about what people think and believe. That's our ultimate goal."

That ultimate goal, to see their native Japan embrace Christianity, is what they reach for most of all, even while their sights are set on the USA and the rest of the world. Some think they're a joke, or a contradiction, that Christianity, Japan, and heavy metal just don't belong together. Some think they're ahead of their time. But if you ask Tak, Hassy, and Jake, they'll say they're doing exactly what they love at exactly the right time, and they're never going to stop reaching for more.