Animetal

Their music can be classified{{By whom|date=March 2016}} as speed metal and power metal with a very high level of musical virtuosity,{{citation needed|date=April 2011}} especially on the guitarists' (initially She-Ja for the first four albums, then Syu from Animetal Marathon V to the present) and bassist Masaki's parts. Masaki, in particular from Animetal Marathon IV onward, has shown an intensely active and aggressive approach to his instrument with fluid soloing, manic slapping and popping, energetic fills, and crashing chords for punctuation.{{citation needed|date=April 2011}} The albums are structured as nearly seamless barrages of short songs woven into well-structured medleys that sound as though the band simply enters the studio and lays down virtually the entire album from start to finish in one go,{{citation needed|date=April 2011}} with occasional overdubs and breaks in the action here and there.

Part of the band's nostalgic factor is their incorporation of popular rock-metal instrumentals into some of the songs. For instance, their version of "Choujuu Sentai Liveman" is played to the tune of Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law".

The lyrics are almost entirely in Japanese with occasional lines of "Engrish", which may partly account for why they are virtually unknown outside Japan, except that they admittedly are playing to a very small niche market. For a short time, they incorporated Pink Lady member Mie into the band, hence the name change to "Animetal Lady", and recorded two albums with her distinctive and melodic vocals that are much more commercially accessible than the rest of the Animetal discography.

While they're known more for their covers, the band has a few original songs, including the ballad {{nihongo|"Eternal Future"|永遠の未来|Towa no Mirai}} from the Rurouni Kenshin film.

{{Main|Animetal USA}}

In 2011, {{nihongo4|Animetal USA|アニメタルUSA}} was formed as a tribute to Sakamoto's band, performing English-language metal covers of popular anime and tokusatsu themes. The band consisted of lead vocalist Michael Vescera, guitarist Chris Impellitteri, bassist Rudy Sarzo, and drummer Scott Travis. They released their self-titled debut album on October 12.{{cite web |url=http://natalie.mu/music/news/56040 |title=USメタル界精鋭が新バンド「アニメタルUSA」結成 |website=Natalie.mu |date=September 5, 2011|access-date=September 23, 2021}} A year later, Travis left the band to focus on touring with Judas Priest; he was replaced by Jon Dette before the band released their second album Animetal USA W on June 6.{{cite web |url=http://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000078444 |title=アニメタルUSA、セカンドアルバム『アニメタルUSA W』は6月6日発売 |website=BARKS.jp |date=April 3, 2012 |access-date=September 23, 2021}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Animetal the Second
二代目アニメタル

| image =

| caption =

| origin = Japan

| genre = {{hlist|Heavy metal|anison}}

| years_active = 2015–present

| label = Gr8! Records

| associated_acts = {{hlist|Loudness|George Lynch|Granrodeo|Warren DeMartini|Scotti Hill|Paul Gilbert|Richie Kotzen|Luke Takamura|Saki}}

| website = [https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/animetalthesecond/ Official website at Sony Music Japan]

| current_members = Queen.M

| past_members =

}}

A project titled {{nihongo4|Animetal the Second|二代目アニメタル|Nidaime Animetaru}}, centered around anonymous female vocalist Queen.M, was started in 2015 to continue the Animetal tradition.{{cite web |title = 二代目アニメタル、歌うのは謎の女性Queen.M |url = https://natalie.mu/music/news/137738 |work = Natalie |language = Japanese |date = February 4, 2020 |accessdate = September 25, 2020}} Its self-titled debut album was released on March 25 by Gr8! Records and features musicians such as Akira Takasaki and Masayoshi Yamashita of Loudness, Warren DeMartini, and George Lynch.{{cite web |title = 二代目アニメタルとLOUDNESS高崎＆山下「アクエリオン」カバー |url = https://natalie.mu/music/news/138542 |work = Natalie |language = Japanese |date = February 14, 2020 |accessdate = September 25, 2020}} It was followed up in April 2016 with Blizzard of Animetal the Second, which features Scotti Hill, Paul Gilbert, Richie Kotzen, Luke Takamura, and Saki.{{cite web |title = ANIMETAL THE SECOND、新アルバムに二井原実作詞のオリジナル曲 |url = https://natalie.mu/music/news/182268 |work = Natalie |language = Japanese |date = April 4, 2016 |accessdate = September 25, 2020}} Animetal the Second made an appearance at Ozzfest Japan 2015.{{cite web |url=http://www.marshallblog.jp/2016/02/ozzfest-japan-2-ad8c.html |title=OZZFEST JAPAN 2015のANIMETAL THE SECOND |publisher=Marshall Amplification |date=February 4, 2016 |access-date=September 24, 2021}}

{{clear}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-3}}

• Eizo Sakamoto – vocals (1996–2006)
• Syu – guitar (2003–2006)
• Masaki – bass (1997–2006)

{{col-3}}

• Katsuji – drums (1997–2006)
• Mie – lead vocals in Animetal Lady (1997–1998, 2002)
• Kouichi Seiyama – keyboards (1997–1998, 2002)
• She-Ja – guitar (1997–2002)
• Yasuhiro Umezawa – drums (1997–1998)

{{col-3}}

• Yasufumi Shinozuka – guitar on "Animetal" (1996)
• Yō Okamura – bass on "Animetal" (1996)
• Devil Miyamoto – drum programming on "Animetal" (1996)
• Take-Shit – bass on "This is Animetal" (1997)
• Munetaka Higuchi – drums on "Animetal Summer" and "Sentimetal" (1997)
• Rei Atsumi – keyboards on "Animetal Lady Kenzan!" (1997) and Animetal Lady Marathon (1998)
• Hiroyuki Namba – keyboards on "Towa no Mirai" (1997)
• Shinki – drums on Animetal Lady Marathon and "Yuuki no Akashi" (1998)
• Nov – vocals on "Ai o Torimodose!!" (2001)
• Mitsuo Takeuchi – vocals on "Galactic Gale Baxinger" (2001)
• Marty Friedman – lead guitar on one track on Animetal Lady Marathon II (2002)

{{col-end}}

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20

PlotArea = left:120 bottom:120 top:0 right:0

Alignbars = justify

DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy

Period = from:01/01/1996 till:12/31/2006

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4

ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1996

ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1996

Colors =

id:v value:red legend:Vocals

id:vl value:pink legend:Vocals_(Animetal_Lady)

id:g value:green legend:Guitar

id:b value:blue legend:Bass

id:k value:purple legend:Keyboards

id:d value:orange legend:Drums

id:alb value:black legend:Studio_Albums

id:lady value:magenta legend:Animetal_Lady_Albums

id:oth value:gray(0.6) legend:Other_Albums

id:bar value:gray(0.9)

LineData =

layer:back

at:03/23/1997 color:alb

at:02/21/1998 color:alb

at:02/21/1998 color:lady

at:04/07/1998 color:oth

at:05/21/1998 color:oth

at:10/21/1998 color:alb

at:10/01/1999 color:oth

at:09/12/2001 color:alb

at:04/11/2002 color:lady

at:06/25/2003 color:alb

at:09/22/2004 color:alb

at:10/21/2005 color:alb

at:08/08/2006 color:alb

BackgroundColors = bars:bar

PlotData =

width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,–4)

bar:Eizo Sakamoto from:start till:end color:v

bar:Mie from:09/01/1997 till:02/21/1998 color:vl

bar:Mie from:01/01/2002 till:04/11/2002 color:vl

bar:She-Ja from:01/01/1997 till:04/11/2002 color:g

bar:Syu from:01/01/2003 till:end color:g

bar:Masaki from:01/01/1997 till:end color:b

bar:Yasuhiro Umezawa from:01/01/1997 till:06/30/1998 color:d

bar:Katsuji from:01/01/1997 till:06/30/2006 color:d

bar:Kouichi Seiyama from:09/01/1997 till:02/21/1998 color:k

bar:Kouichi Seiyama from:01/01/2002 till:04/11/2002 color:k

{{Main|Animetal discography}}

• Animetal Marathon (1997)
• Animetal Marathon II (1998)
• Animetal Lady Marathon (1998)
• Animetal Marathon III (1998)
• Animetal Marathon IV (2001)
• Animetal Lady Marathon II (2002)
• Animetal Marathon V (2003)
• Animetal Marathon VI (2004)
• Animetal Marathon VII (2005)
• Decade of Bravehearts (2006)

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/Animetal/}} {{in lang|ja}}
• {{Official website|https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/AnimetalLady/}} (Animetal Lady) {{in lang|ja}}
• {{Official website|https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/animetalthesecond/}} (Animetal the Second) {{in lang|ja}}
• {{MusicBrainz artist|mbid=08874e35-f5de-4864-88aa-cdc4248a7138|name=Animetal}}
• {{Discogs artist|3994805-Animetal}}

{{Animetal}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Anime musical groups

Category:Musical groups established in 1996

Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2006

Category:Japanese heavy metal musical groups

Category:Japanese power metal musical groups