Coven Japan Interview (Taka)

Coven Japan is a band from the land of the rising sun, where the band leaned completely towards 70s and 80s Heavy Metal in all its content. Perhaps the lyrics change a little due to their society or ideas more rooted in their reality, but musically they stick to everything familiar. This band started in 2016 under the name Coven and in 2019 they changed it to the one we know. Under the first name they released promotional and small productions until reaching their first album called “Earthlings” (2023) and now we have their second studio album called “Promised Land” released through No Remorse Records.

Para leer la entrevista en español: Entrevista a Coven Japan

Metallerium: Hello and welcome to Metallerium.com! Thank you for taking the time to talk with us today. We are grateful to talk about Coven Japan and your second Full-length “Promise Land”, along with many other topics related to your music. It’s been three years since your last release, so we’d love to hear how you and the band are doing now that the new album?

Coven Japan:

First of all, we would like to say thank you, too, for the great opportunity to do this interview.

We’re about a week away from the release now, so we have a lot on our plates, handling daily promotional tasks, preparing for our European tour this coming autumn, and so on.

We are not big and rich band, we're a DIY band, so we handle all our own booking even if in Europe.

We want to become a band known worldwide and tour extensively, so to make that dream a reality, so we always have to keep costs down for the next way. we do everything every day we possibly can ourselves.

Since the last album, we’ve completed two European tours—including appearances at the Up the Hammers Festival in Greece and Muskelrock in Sweden, and really got a feel for the global standard.

We’ve been inspired by so much along the way, and that has given us plenty of new ideas and creative seeds for our songwriting.

We realized that to compete on the world stage, we needed to level up our songwriting, musical ability, and performance skills.

We’ve worked hard to absorb as much as we can, so we hope listeners can hear that growth in this new album.

Metallerium: Listening to "Promised Land", it is clear to me that the production is much sharper and more mature than on your debut. "Earthlings" was great and raw, but this new album feels like a massive leap forward in confidence.  From your own perspective, what was the biggest musical challenge you had to overcome to achieve this high level of refinement?

Coven Japan:
Thank you for such your words.

As previously mentioned, performing and interacting with so many amazing bands during our two European tours served as a tremendous source of inspiration for our music creation.

While the core of what we wish to express as a band and the musical roots we have always cherished remain unchanged, we believe we have grown through the various experiences we’ve had since our first album.

That growth is reflected in our sound production, songwriting, and performances.

A major difference from our first album—and indeed the biggest challenge we had to overcome—was handling the mixing ourselves; however, we gave it our absolute best and are extremely satisfied with the result. We hope you will listen for yourselves.

Also, Akihiro, one of the band's co-founders, originally switched from drums to guitar and is capable of playing the drums.

Consequently, the two founding members, Akihiro and Taka recorded all the instruments themselves, not only guitars and vocals including the drums and bass.

As a result, we believe the tracks turned out even closer to the vision we had originally imagined.

Metallerium: I truly believe that the way Taka switches between Japanese and English is one of Coven Japan’s greatest strengths. It gives the tracks a unique, exotic flavor without losing that classic heavy metal catchiness. When you look at the final tracks of "Promised Land", do you feel that this dual-language approach has now become the definitive trademark of your identity?

Coven Japan: We have consistently employed this approach since our debut EP, and we consider it both a trademark and a strength of ours.

Previously, we generally sang the verses and bridges in Japanese while keeping the choruses in English to encourage audience sing-alongs.

however, for this release, we wanted to try something new and create songs that were even more singable for everyone.

As a result, also we made several tracks where we sing in English right from the verses, using Japanese as an impressed

element.

Hope you’ll check out the lyrics and sing along with us at our live shows!

On a side note, we personally love heavy metal sung in native languages—such as Swedish, French, Spanish, Hungarian, or Russian and so on.

so we always thought it would be wonderful if our own music, sung in our native tongue, could be embraced in other countries.

We think Japanese is a unique language and not mainstream, so the path we have taken has been recognized. we feel truly happy to have gained so many fans who love our music in countries around the world.

Metallerium: Many bands try to mimic the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, but what I love about your style is that you don't just copy it. You infuse it with beautiful, melancholic Japanese melodies that make the music feel deeply personal and authentic. How natural is it for you to inject your own cultural roots into a musical genre that was originally born in the West?

Coven Japan: Since we were born and raised in Japan, we’ve loved manga and anime since childhood.

As a result, we’ve been influenced by catchy anime songs, as well as Japanese rock, pop, punk/hardcore, and of course, the legendary Japanese metal bands like X JAPAN.

Given that there are so many bands out there, we believe that "catchy" melodies, the kind that grab your heart after just one listen are crucial.

In that sense, the way anime songs are made, making them singable even for kids with short attention spans serves as a great lesson for us. (Also I was such a kid haha, so I still like "catchy" and "dramatic" songs.)

We fuse that sensibility with the styles of NWOBHM, '80s metal, and '70s hard rock that we love, while mixing Japanese and English lyrics to establish a truly one and only, unique identity.

We believe this style is the best way for us to express exactly what we want to convey.

Metallerium: The aesthetic of "Promised Land" is absolutely brilliant. I love how you openly embrace the Otaku and dark fantasy subcultures. In my opinion, the album artwork perfectly captures the atmosphere of classic, dark anime from the 80s and 90s. If "Promised Land" were the official soundtrack to an anime or a manga, what kind of dark fantasy story do you imagine playing out in the listener's head?

Coven Japan: Thank you once again for your wonderful words.

We have loved the works of great Japanese manga artists and anime film directors—particularly in the dark fantasy genre—since childhood, and they have been a huge source of inspiration for us.

With this artwork, we wanted to express the idea that regardless of who we are or where we happen to be, there exists an infinite possibility for every living being to travel from their current reality to somewhere else, perhaps even another dimension.

We observe so much conflict, bullying, and depression in the real world and online, as people always have to face these issues, actually if it escalate into war.

There are also many things that destroy the environments humanity itself has created.

In this age of mass consumption, we try to look beyond human-centric views and consider the animals and nature that share this Earth with us, such beutiful creatures that are often sacrificed or killed indiscriminately.

When I realized that that concern is one of the reasons we chose to become vegan before.

Everyone has different ways of living and different ideals, so we have no intention of imposing our views on others, nor do we expect everything to change overnight.

However, even if just a little, if we can treat others with compassion and take small steps toward creating a world where anyone can live freely, regardless of where or as whom they were born.

we hope that, someday, this might evolve into the "Promised Land" we envision.

That said, once the music is released, the stories it evokes will differ for every listener.

There are also songs that serve as songs of support for the vulnerable living in human society.

We would be delighted if you could listen to the album while visualizing your own unique landscapes and narratives, your own "Promised Land".

Metallerium: The guest appearances on this record are a fantastic surprise. Having Tomas from Helvetets Port and Niels from Animalize adds a beautiful underground metal brotherhood vibe to the album, and their vocal styles complement Taka’s perfectly. Did you write "Samurai Rising" and "Breath of the Distant Land" with their specific voices already in mind, or did the idea of inviting them come later?

Coven Japan: I’m glad you were surprised. I could say the idea for this collaboration took shape alongside the songwriting process following last year's tour.

We had bonded with them during that European tour, so by the time we returned and resumed composing, we already had the concept of inviting them as guests in mind—though we didn't yet know exactly which songs would be the right fit.

As the tracks began to take shape, we selected the two songs that matched each of them perfectly and extended the invitation; both readily agreed. Their incredible vocals created a wonderful chemistry, adding the perfect "spice" to the tracks.

This was our first time trying something like this, but since both of them have such great musical sensibility, we’re hoping to collaborate with other artists on our third album as well.

Metallerium: Tracks on "Promised Land" feature a very rich atmosphere where guitars dominate, but there are distinct melodic textures that give it a massive, dramatic feeling. Some hardcore old-school fans believe that traditional heavy metal should only rely on twin guitars, bass, and drums, seeing any extra synth-like atmosphere as a distraction from the raw power. Was there any internal hesitation when layering these richer, almost cinematic melodies, knowing it might upset the most rigid "true metal" purists?

Coven Japan: First of all, while we don't use synthesizers ourselves, we certainly don't have a negative view of bands or songs that do; in fact, there are many such bands and songs that we love.

However, since we don't feel a need for them at this stage, we express our melodies solely through guitar and bass.

It is true that our songs, whether catchy or epic are rich in melody.

at the same time, they feature plenty of fiery riffs and sections that make you want to fist-pump, so we never had any of the concerns or hesitations you mentioned.

Broadly speaking, I feel our sound rests on three main pillars: powerful tracks akin to power metal or epic metal; dark, occult-themed songs; and tracks influenced by delicate, melancholic hard rock.

I believe that being able to showcase these diverse facets within a single band is part of what defines our unique identity.

Metallerium: With No Remorse Records backing you and a killer new album in your hands, I genuinely believe that Coven Japan is ready to become a major name in the global underground heavy metal scene. Now that "Promised Land" is finally out, what are the next steps you feel you must take to conquer the international audience?

Coven Japan: After releasing this album, we will embark on another European tour in October, including an appearance at Rising Fest in France.

We will be announcing tour details as they are finalized, so please keep an eye on our social media channels!

As for our next steps, there are still many places, cities, and venues in Europe we want to visit, as well as numerous festivals where we would love to perform.

We also want to tour regions we haven't visited yet, thriving traditional metal scene, such as Canada and including South America (like your home country of Peru) and big country North and Central America, Oceania, and Asia and so on.

The incredible experiences we gain from touring help us grow as a band and inspire our songwriting, so we are eager to get out into the world.

We look forward to receiving offers from festival and venue organizers, promoters, and bands from around the globe!

Metallerium: There is an ongoing debate in the modern heavy metal community regarding the "New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal" (NWOTHM). While many love the nostalgia, harsher gatekeepers argue that bands mimicking the 80s NWOBHM style are just recycling old ideas instead of pushing the genre forward. How do you defend your music against those who claim that revivalist bands lack original innovation?

Coven Japan: First of all, in any genre of music, the process of drawing inspiration from existing works to create something new remains the same today as it always has been.

Back when rock music was in its infancy, a released song might feature a phrase no one had ever heard before; however, given the decades-long history of heavy metal and hard rock, it is inevitable that someone will point out similarities to another artist's work.

Furthermore, since many heavy metal and hard rock bands compose using the guitar—working within the fundamental constraints of 22-fret note combinations and the audible human vocal range and because countless bands have released countless songs over the decades, such comparisons are only natural.

If a human performs the creative work rather than AI, the individual or band’s unique character is inevitably infused into the music. As I mentioned earlier, every band has a different background; if we focus on leveraging our own sensibilities to craft compelling songs, we don't really worry about those kinds of comments.

After all, even a band like Iron Maiden faces criticism whenever they release new material, haha.

So, rather than chasing easy novelty by releasing songs composed by AI such as songs that might be impossible for a human to sing,

we have no intention of using AI in our songwriting process, now or in the future.

We will continue to rely on trial and error, trusting our own sensibilities to create even better music.

Also, to us, the fantastic current NWOTHM bands that we love aren't just merely imitators, they(also we) hold their own against the bands of the 80s and play incredible music that further develops their own unique strengths.

We want to push each other to improve and value the connections between bands, hoping to help the scene grow even more vibrant.

Metallerium: When you debuted in 2017 with "The Advent" EP, you were simply called "Coven". You later changed the name to "Coven Japan". Adding your country's name can be a double-edged sword: it gives you an instant exotic appeal abroad, but it can also pigeonhole you into a specific cultural gimmick. Was the name change strictly a legal necessity to avoid confusion with other bands named Coven, or did you deliberately want to carry the weight and responsibility of representing Japanese metal globally?

Coven Japan: As you rightly pointed out, we added "Japan" partly to avoid confusion.

We were also inspired by the band X Japan, a group we love which underwent a similar name change.

We take pride in our home country; by including this word, we make it easier for fans interested in Japanese culture or Japanese bands to find us. It also ensures that when we tour internationally, people recognize us as a Japanese band, helping to spread Japanese heavy metal.

So, as you mentioned, it is exactly the effect we were aiming for.

Metallerium: For "Earthlings", you worked with Olof Wikstrand from Enforcer, and now for "Promised Land", you worked with Arthur Rizk. Both are giants in the scene, but working with international producers while being based in Tokyo must bring massive communication or creative challenges. Did you ever have a major creative disagreement with Arthur Rizk regarding how a song should sound, and how do you resolve those clashes when working across different continents?

Coven Japan: Both of them are true professionals with deep knowledge of traditional heavy metal, so everything went smoothly, both last time and this time without a single hitch.

Olof Wikstrand / Enforcer is one of our heroes, and we like our previous album that worked with him.

For this project, we wanted to try working with someone new; while we were looking for options, our label owner, Chris Papadatos, recommended him.

Arthur Rizk is also the guitarist for Eternal Champion who are on the same label and we even shared the stage with them at the 2024 Up the Hammers Festival in Greece. (also Sumerlands)

This time, we handled the mixing ourselves and asked Arthur to do the mastering.

He fully understood the production style we were aiming for, and his suggestions aligned perfectly with our vision, so there were absolutely no conflicts.

It is a great honor to work with such wonderful two artists.

Metallerium: It’s fascinating but also a bit frustrating to see that Coven Japan is highly respected by major European labels like No Remorse Records, yet traditional heavy metal remains a deeply underground, niche genre in Tokyo. Japan has a massive music industry, but it often prefers mainstream J-Pop or visual kei, leaving raw NWOBHM-styled bands out of the spotlight. Do you feel that foreign audiences and European labels actually appreciate your art much more than the domestic music scene in Japan?

Coven Japan:
To be honest, it is sad, but I feel exactly the same thing you mentioned.

Heavy metal isn't a particularly popular genre in Japan to begin with, while extreme metal subgenres enjoy some popularity, traditional heavy metal frankly speaking does not.

That said, we are Japanese, and our fans in Japan have always supported and encouraged us.

We tresure our fans both in Japan and around the world, and we are grateful to everyone.

It is true that we are better known internationally. but we hope we can gain recognition back home in Japan as well, perhaps through a "reverse import" kind of scenario.

We also sometimes organize our own events in Japan, so we hope to keep energizing the scene there in whatever ways we can.

Metallerium: Finally, what would you like to say to your fans in Latin America and the readers of Metallerium? Are there any chances to see you touring across Latin America? Thank you again for your time. Congratulations on “Promise Land”, and all the best with the new album!

Coven Japan:
We have never played to Latin America, so naturally, I dream of visiting someday.

In fact, Alfonso, the guitarist for the Peruvian NWOTHM band HYENA, he said he is a fan of ours, and he’s going to have patches made for us through his company, Master of Metal.

We was wearing our T-shirt on their stage in Japan too. We are so glad.

We think they are also great, so it would be wonderful to share the stage with them someday, whether in Peru or elsewhere.

Also, back during the COVID lockdowns, we performed twice at an online festival organized by the Brazilian heavy metal magazine "Roadie Crew".

I’d love to meet Eliton, the promoter who helped us out back then, as well as the Brazilian metal band Living Metal.

we hope we can perform together someday.

The heavy metal scene in Latin America is incredibly passionate, so I’m eager to visit. To any festival organizers or promoters out there: we are looking forward to get an invitation!

To everyone reading "Metallerium", if our Latin American tour including Peru becomes ture, let’s have a blast together!

Hope this serves as a catalyst for something someone find us.

Thank you and Gracias for this wonderful interview!

Stay hard and heavy!