In For The Kill: a decade of Japanese hardcore
The long-awaited second album by Japan’s premier extreme metal/hardcore band, IN FOR THE KILL, has arrived!
Hi IFTK! How are you? It’s a pleasure to be able to interview you.
Thank you Metal por tus Venas. It is an honor to be interviewed from a faraway country, Cuba.
I understand that the band emerged in 2013, so you’ve been together for a little over a decade. How did the idea of creating the band come up?
That’s right. 10 years have passed since we formed. IFTK started when I left the band METAL SAFARI. I lost my band at that time, but I didn’t give up on playing METAL and formed a new band.
IFTK was formed by bringing together bassist Tomo from METAL SAFARI and guitarist Ryosuke from BAT CAVE.
Who are its current members?
The current members are Takenori Inamoto on vocals, Ryosuke Ichikawa on guitar, Tomohiro Suzuki on bass, and Toru Watanabe on drums.
Do they have experience from previous projects?
As I mentioned earlier, Tomo and I were in METAL SAFARI, Ryosuke was in BAT CAVE, and Toru was in Tomo’s band Hyakunin Ghiri. This is our main career.
What would you mention as your main influences?
We are all of a similar age group and are mainly influenced by bands like PANTERA, SLAYER, EXODUS, and HATEBREED. I was strongly influenced by 90’s-00’s METAL and HARD CORE bands.
Let’s talk about your second album “Branded To Kill” which was released early last April. How was the editing and recording process?
During the several years since we were unable to perform live due to COVID, we continued to compose and arrange music. So recording and editing went very smoothly and I had a lot of fun working on it.
How many songs do you have and what are the songs about?
This album contains 10 songs. A vocal approach influenced by Japanese HIP-HOP, with a focus on HARD CORE and THRATH METAL. It has a 90’s flavor but is modern. It’s unique and our own. The lyrics are mainly about everyday anger, resentment, and joy.
Do you have any audiovisual material?
There’s a trailer for the album, and lyric videos for “Shutdown” and “Quiet War.” We are currently producing a music video for another song
Regarding the promotion and diffusion of the same one. How did you make it known?
We mainly use our live performances, web site, YouTube, and SNS to spread the word. Some media may pay attention to us, but the best way is for the band to spread the word themselves.
How was it received, in general, by the public as well as by the specialized press?
The reaction from Japanese fans and METAL heads has been pretty good. I want more people to know about it, and to that end, I want to deliver the album to overseas listeners as well. Please check it out.
Where is it possible to obtain a copy of it?
In addition to CD, the album is also available digitally on Bandcamp. For overseas listeners, please check out Bandcamp.
Bandcamp Branded To Kill | IN FOR THE KILL | SPIRITUAL BEAST
I must say that I was surprised to find an extreme metal and hardcore band from Japan, because on this side of the world you hardly know any rock bands from that side of the world. Could you tell us how is the rock scene there?
Actually, there are many bands in Japan. Their styles are diverse, but I think their songs and performance techniques are maintained at a very high level.
Is there a variety of bands and styles?
Some of the bands are active internationally, but most of them play at local live houses.
Do the bands have any kind of governmental support or is it all about “Do-It-Yourself”?
And there is no government support for bands. Many musicians work to earn a living and earn money for their music on their own. First of all, check out our videos and albums and get to know the capabilities of Japanese metal and hardcore bands.
Back to the band. What are the most immediate plans? Do you already have any upcoming tours planned?
For a while, we will continue to perform at live houses all over Japan in order to popularize the album. Someday, I would like to go to big festivals and perform overseas, including Cuba.
Well IFTK, that’s all. Thank you for your time and wish you a lot of luck and success. Before we finish, something you would like to say.
Thank you very much. This was our first time reporting from Cuba. We pray that our music will reach everyone in Cuba. I would like to express my gratitude to you all.
