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Rating: Lovebites is an all-female Japanese metal band formed in Tokyo in 2016 by bassist Miho and drummer Haruna (both former members of Destrose, a metal band active from 2007 to 2015, now on hiatus). The band's name is derived from the song Love Bites (So Do I) by Halestorm.
Regarding musical influences, the band's music is heavily influenced by the "new wave of British heavy metal," leading their music to be compared to that of Iron Maiden and Rage. Their lyrics are written in English, with the exception of the song "Bravehearted" by Haruna on their debut EP, which was written in Japanese and originally intended for Destrose.
Miho loves Iron Maiden, Pantera, Motley Crue, and Anthrax and cites Steve Harris and Nikki Sixx in terms of bass technique. Haruna, on the other hand, has been playing drums since the age of thirteen but only bought a double pedal after seeing a metal band use it during her first visit to a live house. Master of the Rings by Helloween was the first metal album she listened to. Miyako (rhythm guitar and keyboards), however, has been playing the piano since she was three and the guitar since high school; at first, she listened to Yngwie Malmsteen but recently draws inspiration from Ettore Rigotti of Disarmonia Mundi (an Italian death metal band). Asami, the singer, comes from an R&B and Soul music background and loves artists like Alicia Keys and Aretha Franklin.
The group played only a handful of shows until their first concert outside of Japan in 2017; Hyper Japan Christmas and a show at Camden Underworld, both in London. After releasing a self-titled debut EP in May 2017, the release of their first album Awakening from Abyss followed in November of the same year, published by Victor Entertainment in Japan, JPU Records in Europe, and Sliptrick Records in North America. Both the EP and album were mixed and mastered by Mikko Karmila and Mika Jussila, who have worked with bands such as Nightwish, Children of Bodom, and Stratovarius, at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland.
In 2018, Lovebites performed at the Japanese leg of the Warped Tour and released their second EP Battle Against Damnation, the subject of this review, on June 6. A few days ago, they won the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards 2018 as Best New Band.
The EP Battle Against Damnation reached number 20 on the Japanese chart and contains 4 tracks, each with a very different personality. These songs are a tribute to the most important bands in the history of metal. The Crusade is indeed a tribute to Aces High by Iron Maiden, while Break The Wall, has a more thrash vibe, reminiscent of '90s Judas Priest. Above The Black Sea starts slow, hinting at a ballad but soon transforms into a power metal track in a European style. The last track, Under The Red Sky starts with aggressive riffs, then transforms into a harmonious and energetic track. Here too, there's a tribute to Maiden; at minute 3:08, the track changes to take us to Ancient Egypt, just like Powerslave did, before returning to the initial style.
In summary, it is a competent and well-produced metal album, with the girls showing their love for the bands that made metal history, making it their own and original. The album is easily available in Italy as well, published in Europe by JPU Records.
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