The appeal of the rock festival “OZZFEST JAPAN”

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The appeal of the rock festival “OZZFEST JAPAN”

• Music Festival Master / Editor-in-ChiefKeisuke Hane
  Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC and in charge of music festivals. When I attended my first music festival as a freshman in college, I was captivated by its charm—“I can’t believe there’s a place this free and this fun.” I share information about wonderful music festivals every day to help grow the community of festival fans.

What is Ozzfest?

Ozzfest is a rock festival that began in the United States in 1996.

This event is hosted by Ozzy Osbourne, the lead vocalist of Black Sabbath, and his wife, Sharon Osbourne.

Because it’s hosted by Ozzy Osbourne, many bands classified as metal take center stage, along with numerous groups from hardcore and other powerful-spirited genres.

In the past, numerous famous bands have performed, including Black Sabbath, SLAYER, Marilyn Manson, Megadeth, System Of A Down, Slipknot, Linkin Park, IRON MAIDEN, and Metallica.

Ozzfest first came to Japan in 2013.

Popular international artists such as Black Sabbath, Slipknot, and former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash visited Japan, while from Japan, metal and hardcore bands like Maximum the Hormone, Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas, and the internationally acclaimed Crossfaith performed.

A rock festival that lets you enjoy Japanese bands alongside overseas metal and hardcore music—without leaving Japan—is coming back to Japan again this year.

What kind of event will it be this year?!

Idol slot!?

At the inaugural OZZFEST JAPAN 2013, the appearance of the idol group Momoiro Clover Z generated considerable buzz even before the event took place.

However, in the end, we were able to see Momoiro Clover Z deliver their usual full-throttle performance, the venue was buzzing, and it seems they also received high praise from the international artists they performed with.

With that in mind, in this article I’m going to go ahead and call it the “idol slot,” and like last time, this year’s OZZFEST JAPAN also has an “idol slot” set up.

And the true identity of that idol is…

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That's right—since OZZFEST JAPAN will be held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, the appearance of Funassyi, Chiba Prefecture’s unofficial yuru-chara (mascot), has been confirmed.

Strictly speaking, Funassyi isn’t an idol, but since it’s unprecedented for a yuru-chara to appear at a rock festival, we introduced it this time under the “idol slot.”

As for this Funassyi, it seems that Funassyi doesn’t have a solo slot on the timetable and will be appearing together with Ozzy Osbourne.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what kind of performance we’ll get.

Amid metal and hardcore, the “idol slot” serves as a cute blossom—something to watch for to see if it will be included at future OZZFEST JAPAN events.

Highlights of 2015

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Korn

Korn is a band classified under the American genre known as nu metal.

Nu metal is essentially metal with elements of hip-hop, funk, dubstep, and so on added in. Put simply, you can think of it as metal at its core that incorporates various other musical genres.

Korn will serve as the headliner on the first day of this OZZ FEST JAPAN.

As the headliner, we can expect to see an especially fired-up performance.

Never Never / Korn

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EVANESCENCE

EVANESCENCE is an American hard rock band with a female vocalist.

During live shows when she’s doing MC segments, she comes across as a perfectly ordinary, cute woman, but once the music starts, her powerful singing voice captivates the audience.

Metal and hard rock are often seen as a men’s domain, but keep an eye on EVANESCENCE with their cool female vocalist.

Going Under / EVANESCENCE

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CROSSFAITH

CROTHFAITH is a band from Osaka that is actively performing overseas and has earned high acclaim abroad.

The vocalist koie also took part in a song by SiM, who are performing at this Ozzfest Japan, so I imagine many people may have discovered his name there.

Please come and see for yourself the charm they have refined overseas.

Devil’s Party / CROSSFAITH

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WRONG CITY

WRONG CITY is a band formed in 2012, and it may still be fresh in your memory that it drew attention when komaki, the former drummer of tricot, joined.

Since their formation, they have steadily gained popularity, and this time they are appearing at OZZFEST JAPAN as the opening act.

I think they’re a band as cool as any other Japanese or overseas artists appearing in the main program, so I’m really looking forward to their performance on the day.

Acid love / WRONG CITY

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hatebreed

Formed in the United States in 1995, Hatebreed performed at Ozzfest in 2001 and will be appearing at Ozzfest Japan this time.

They have many songs that evoke what most people imagine as metal, giving the impression of a band that’s cool, strong, and strikingly handsome.

It’s a band you should probably see if you’re attending this year’s OZZFEST JAPAN.

Destroy Everything / hatebreed

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A DAY TO REMEMBER

A Day to Remember, formed in the United States in 2003.

The style, which blends pop punk with metal and hardcore, is heavy and dense, yet the vocals are fresh and easy to listen to, making for an extremely cool set of tracks, in my opinion.

Even though some songs have metal-like riffs, once they kick in they’re often easy to listen to with a pop-punk feel. So if you don’t usually listen to metal, why not start with A Day to Remember?

The Downfall of Us All / A DAY TO REMEMBER

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Fear,and Loathing in Las Vegas

Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas is a six-member hardcore band from Kobe.

Their greatest appeal lies in danceable tracks that make full use of chiptune sounds and incorporate elements of trance.

At first glance he may seem flashy and a bit hard to listen to, but his talk between songs at live shows is completely earnest.

Once you see them live, any impression that they seem frivolous will be overturned.

All of their songs are fun, high-energy tracks that make you want to dance, so let’s dance our hearts out at OZZFEST JAPAN just like at the Las Vegas show.

Cast Your Shell / Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas

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Event Overview

Lastly

How was it?

Were we able to convey the appeal of Ozzfest Japan? One of its key attractions is that you can enjoy authentic metal and hardcore music right here in Japan, and on top of that, you can also experience Japanese bands that are every bit as good as the international acts.

For those who don’t usually listen to metal, why not take this opportunity to give it a try?