TMG II

Ever since the completion of the group's first run in 2004, there had been talks of a reunion, but it was difficult to match everyone's schedules. Finally, in November 2022, guitarist Tak Matsumoto contacted vocalist Eric Martin and bassist Jack Blades about reforming, and they agreed. Work started on the album in 2024, but due to Martin and Blades being on tour with Mr. Big and Night Ranger, respectively, they recorded their parts separately between March and June.{{Cite web |date=2024-09-19 |title=TMGが語る「20年ぶりの再始動」への想い（記者会見Q&A全文掲載） {{!}} Rolling Stone Japan(ローリングストーン ジャパン） |url=https://rollingstonejapan.com/articles/detail/41593 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Rolling Stone Japan |language=ja}}

On February 28, 2024, in an interview with Rockpages.gr, Blades revealed that the band would be reforming and make a second album.{{Cite web |last= |date=2024-02-28 |title=Jack Blades reveals second TMG album with Eric Martin and Tak Matsumoto |url=https://www.rockpages.gr/jack-blades-reveals-second-tmg-album-with-eric-martin-and-tak-matsumoto/?lang=en |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=Rockpages.gr |language=}} A week later, on March 8, the band officially announced its reformation 20 years after its initial conception and would be releasing a second album and hold a nationwide tour across Japan.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-08 |title=B'zの松本孝弘によるプロジェクトTMG、20年ぶり再始動「最新作と共に全国を周ります」 |url=https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000245416 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Barks |language=ja}}{{Cite web |date=2024-03-08 |title=B’z松本孝弘「TMG」20年ぶり再始動 Night Rangerジャック、MR. BIGエリックとのスーパーバンド「ついに時がきた！」 |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2317612/full/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Oricon News |language=ja}}

On April 19, the band unveiled details about the tour, TMG Live 2024: Still Dodging the Bullet, which would have nine dates across Japan, ending at the Tokyo Garden Theater. It was also announced that, alongside the members, Matt Sorum would be the drummer and Yukihide "YT" Takiyama would provide additional guitar.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-19 |title=B'zの松本孝弘によるプロジェクトTMG、全国ツアーを9月より開催＋バンドメンバー発表 |url=https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000246652 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Barks |language=ja}}{{Cite web |date=2024-04-19 |title=B’z松本孝弘率いる「TMG」、20年ぶりツアー日程＆バンドメンバー発表 |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2323503/full/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Oricon News |language=ja}} The tour started on September 19, the day after the album came out.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-25 |title=B’z松本孝弘率いる「TMG」 20年ぶりアルバム発売決定 BABYMETAL参加曲など全10曲【収録内容一覧あり】 |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2337687/full/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Oricon News |language=ja}}

On July 25, the album was officially announced, including the title, TMG II, recording lineup, and ten tracks. Additional features would include Babymetal, who Matsumoto had previously collaborated with on the song "Da Da Dance", on the song "Eternal Flames", and Daniel Ho, who previously released a collaboration album with Matsumoto titled Electric Island, Acoustic Sea.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-25 |title=B'zの松本孝弘によるプロジェクトTMG、2ndアルバム『TMG II』を9月リリース決定 |url=https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000249427 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Barks |language=ja}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-07-25 |title=B'z松本孝弘率いるバンドTMGが20年ぶりアルバムリリース、BABYMETALがゲスト参加 |url=https://natalie.mu/music/news/583762 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=音楽ナタリー |language=ja}} An eleventh track, "The Story of Love" featuring Lisa, was later announced, which is a rearrangement of her song "Another Great Day!!" from her mini-album Ladybug, which Matsumoto provided the music for.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-09-02 |title=B'z松本孝弘率いるTMGのアルバムにLiSAが参加、あの曲のリアレンジバージョン（動画あり） |url=https://natalie.mu/music/news/589301 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=音楽ナタリー |language=ja}}{{Cite web |date=2024-09-02 |title=B’z松本孝弘率いるTMG新アルバムにLiSAが参加 エリック・マーティンとボーカル競演 収録曲順も発表 |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2343025/full/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Oricon News |language=ja}}

On August 30, "Crash Down Love" was released to radio, first appearing on FM802 "Rock On" in Japan.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-30 |title=TMG、ニューアルバム『TMG Ⅱ』先行リスニングパーティー開催＆収録曲「CRASH DOWN LOVE」先行オンエア決定 {{!}} Daily News |url=https://www.billboard-japan.com/d_news/detail/141115/2 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Billboard Japan |language=ja}} Later, on September 11, both "Eternal Flames" and "Guitar Hero" were released in advance on streaming platforms;{{Cite web |date=2024-09-08 |title=TMGが9/18発売のニュー・アルバム「TMG II」からBABYMETALとコラボした ”ETERNAL FLAMES” のティーザー動画をアップ！ |url=https://burrn.online/news/20240908_03.html |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Burrn! Online |language=ja}} they each debuted at No. 25 and No. 29 on the Oricon Weekly Digital Singles chart, respectively.{{Cite web |title=オリコン週間 デジタルシングル（単曲）ランキング 2024年09月09日～2024年09月15日 21～30位 |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/dis/w/2024-09-23/p/3/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Oricon News |language=ja}}

On September 13, they appeared on Music Station 2-Hour Special where they performed "Guitar Hero", "Eternal Flames", and "Da Da Dance" with Babymetal.{{Cite web |date=2024-09-13 |title=今夜9/13『Mステ2HSP』JO1が「Get Wild」カバーほか、あいみょん／B'z松本率いるTMG／BE:FIRST／GEMN／優里ら {{!}} Daily News |url=https://www.billboard-japan.com/d_news/detail/141637/2 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Billboard Japan |language=ja}}{{Cite web |date=2024-09-13 |title=今夜放送『Mステ』JO1、BE:FIRST、GEMN登場 TMG×BABYMETALコラボも |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2344641/full/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Oricon News |language=ja}} On September 15, they again performed "Eternal Flames" and "Da Da Dance" with Babymetal on TV Asahi Dream Festival 2024.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-09 |title=松本孝弘率いるTMG、ツアー＜Still Dodging The Bullet＞ファイナルにBABYMETALがゲスト出演 |url=https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000251273 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Barks |language=ja}}

Just like with the first album, listening parties were held on September 14 and 15 at the Hard Rock Cafes in Tokyo and Osaka.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-30 |title=松本孝弘率いるTMGの20年ぶり新作を先行で聴ける リスニングパーティー開催決定 |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2342531/full/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Oricon News |language=ja}} The members made a surprise appearance at the September 15 event in Tokyo, where they also held a press conference.

{{Album ratings

| title = TMG II ratings

| rev1 = Metal Temple

| rev1score = 8/10{{Cite web |last=Sales |first=Alex |date=2025-02-03 |title=Tak Matsumoto Group - TMG II |url=https://metal-temple.com/review/tak-matsumoto-group-tmg-ii/ |access-date=2025-05-16 |website=Metal Temple Magazine |language=}}

}}

Upon release, TMG II received mixed reviews from music critics. In a positive review, Alex Sales of Metal Temple praised the musicianship, calling it "top notch", in particular Matsumoto's playing and Martin's vocals. He also praised the songs, saying, "All songs in this album are meticulously crafted and the arrangements are well thought out with melodies that will stick in your head". Sakis Nikas of Rockpages.gr was more modest, again praising musicianship and production but lamented the songs don't live up to the first album, stating that "the songs don’t have that catchy and uplifting character of the first album" and that the album as a whole was "just slightly below our high expectations." Despite that, he said the album overall was "a good release with some remarkable songs, fantastic production, [and] flawless performance".{{Cite web |last=Nikas |first=Sakis |date=2024-11-30 |title=Tak Matsumoto Group – TMG II |url=https://www.rockpages.gr/tak-matsumoto-group-tmg-ii/?lang=en |access-date=2025-05-16 |website=Rockpages |language=en-US}} In a more negative review, Michel van de Moosdijk of Headbangers Lifestyle again gave praise to the musicianship but criticized the songs. While he spoke positively of "Crash Down Love", "Guitar Hero", and "The Great Divide", of the others, he said, "the rest of the material is hardly what you call spectacular or exciting. It is more that the band is going through the motions with rather mediocre songs that are predictable and rather boring." He concluded that the album "is rather a disappointing affair" and stated that the group's reunion is a "prime example" of one that doesn't work out.{{Cite web |last=Moosdijk |first=Michel van de |date=2024-12-14 |title=Review {{!}} Tak Matsumoto Group - TMG II |url=https://www.headbangerslifestyle.com/music/reviews/review-tak-matsumoto-group-tmg-ii/ |access-date=2025-05-16 |website=HeadBangers Lifestyle |language=en-US}}

{{Track listing

| headline = TMG II track listing

| total_length = 43:55

| all_music = Tak Matsumoto

| title1 = Crash Down Love

| length1 = 4:28

| lyrics1 = Jack Blades

| title2 = Eternal Flames

| note2 = featuring Babymetal

| length2 = 3:04

| lyrics2 = Blades

| title3 = The Story of Love

| note3 = featuring Lisa

| length3 = 5:00

| lyrics3 = Eric Martin, André Pessis

| title4 = Color in the World

| length4 = 3:23

| lyrics4 = Blades

| title5 = Jupiter and Mars

| length5 = 3:35

| lyrics5 = Blades

| title6 = My Life

| length6 = 3:41

| lyrics6 = Martin, Pessis

| title7 = Endless Sky

| length7 = 3:52

| lyrics7 = Martin, Pessis

| title8 = Dark Island Woman

| length8 = 3:38

| lyrics8 = Blades

| title9 = Faithful Now

| length9 = 5:16

| lyrics9 = Blades

| title10 = The Great Divide

| length10 = 3:21

| lyrics10 = Martin, Pessis

| title11 = Guitar Hero

| length11 = 4:37

| lyrics11 = Blades

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = TMG Live 2004: Dodge the Bullet at Zepp Tokyo track listing

| title1 = Everything Passes Away

| writer1 = Matsumoto, Blades

| title2 = I Wish You Were Here

| writer2 = Matsumoto, Blades, Martin

| title3 = Signs of Life

| writer3 = Matsumoto, Blades

| title4 = Trapped

| writer4 = Matsumoto, Martin, Blades

| title5 = I Know You by Heart

| writer5 = Matsumoto, Martin, Blades

| title6 = Train, Train

| writer6 = Matsumoto, Martin, Pessis

| title7 = Red, White and Bullet Blues

| writer7 = Matsumoto, Martin, Pessis

| title8 = Blue

| note8 = Tak's Solo

| writer8 = Matsumoto

| title9 = Two of a Kind

| writer9 = Matsumoto, Blades

| title10 = Wonderland

| writer10 = Matsumoto, Martin, Pessis

| title11 = The Greatest Show on Earth

| writer11 = Matsumoto, Martin, Pessis

| title12 = Kings for a Day

| writer12 = Matsumoto, Martin, Tony Fanucchi, Pessis

| title13 = Never Good-Bye

| writer13 = Matsumoto, Blades

| title14 = (You Can Still) Rock in America

| writer14 = Blades, Brad Gillis

| title15 = To Be with You

| writer15 = Martin, David Grahame

| title16 = Oh Japan (Our Time Is Now)

| writer16 = Matsumoto, Martin, Blades

}}

Credits are adapted from the liner notes.TMG II liner notes. Vermillion Records. 2024.

Tak Matsumoto Group

• Tak Matsumoto – guitars, background vocals on "Crash Down Love", "Jupiter and Mars", and "My Life"
• Eric Martin – lead vocals
• Jack Blades – bass, background vocals

Additional musicians

• Matt Sorum – drums, percussion on tracks 1, 3, 6, 9–10, background vocals on "Jupiter and Mars"
• Yukihide "YT" Takiyama – background vocals
• Daniel Ho – kane on "The Story of Love" and "Endless Sky", koto and sanshin on "The Story of Love" and "Jupiter and Mars", taiko on "The Story of Love", "Jupiter and Mars", and "Endless Sky"
• Jeff Babko – piano on tracks 1–7, 9, organ on tracks 2, 4, 6–8, 11, Wurlitzer and Mellotron on "Color in the World" and "Faithful Now", clavinet on "The Great Divide"
• Erina Sato with Lime Ladies Orchestra – strings on "Color in the World"
• Babymetal – vocals on "Eternal Flames"
• Lisa – vocals on "The Story of Love"

Production

• Tak Matsumoto – production, arrangement
• Yukihide "YT" Takiyama – arrangement
• Hiroyuki Kobayashi – recording, mixing
• Jin Murakawa – recording (vocals)

TMG Live 2004: Dodge the Bullet at Zepp Tokyo lineup

• Tak Matsumoto – guitars
• Eric Martin – lead vocals, guitar on "To Be with You"
• Jack Blades – bass, vocals, co-lead vocals on "Everything Passes Away", lead vocals on "(You Can Still) Rock in America"
• Chris Frazier - drums

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |+ Weekly chart performance of TMG II !scope="col"|Chart (2024) !scope="col"|Peak position
scope="row"| Japanese Albums (Oricon){{Cite web |title=2024年09月16日～2024年09月22日 オリコン週間 アルバムランキング |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/w/2024-09-30/ |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=Oricon News |language=ja}} | align="center"| 3
scope="row"| Japanese Combined Albums (Oricon){{Cite web |title=2024年09月16日～2024年09月22日 オリコン週間 合算アルバムランキング |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/coa/w/2024-09-30/ |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=Oricon News |language=ja}} | align="center"| 4
scope="row"| Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan){{Cite web |title=Billboard Japan Hot Albums 2024/09/25 |url=https://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=hot_albums&year=2024&month=09&day=30 |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=Billboard Japan |language=ja}} | align="center"| 3
scope="row"| Japanese Top Albums Sales (Billboard Japan){{Cite web |title=Billboard Japan Top Albums Sales 2024/09/25 |url=https://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=top_albums&year=2024&month=09&day=30 |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=Billboard Japan |language=ja}} | align="center"| 3

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |+ Monthly chart performance of TMG II ! scope="col"|Chart (2024) ! scope="col"|Position
scope="row"| Japanese Albums (Oricon){{Cite news |title=2024年09月度 オリコン月間 アルバムランキング 11～20位 |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/m/2024-09/p/2/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250330003035/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/m/2024-09/p/2/ |archive-date=2025-03-30 |access-date=2025-05-10 |work=Oricon News |language=ja}} | align="center"| 17

{{col-end}}

{{reflist}}

Category:2024 albums

Category:Vermillion Records albums

Category:B Zone albums

Category:Frontiers Records albums

Category:Tak Matsumoto Group albums