SAISEIGA
The Black Hole

A journey into the unknown with this one. Formed in 2020, SAISEIGA are a four-piece from Japan, whose sound is described as melodic groove metal. This album, their third studio release, features ten-tracks spread over 45-minutes and provides the listener with ample food for thought.

The musicianship is impressive. Guitar work is crisp and ferocious but delivered with a melodic flair, which works well. There’s an element of programming that sits through the album, but it no way interferes with the overall sound of the band. What does stand out though, is the incredible range of vocalist Regan. Her ability to switch from the most powerful growls to super cleans is phenomenal and something that it took me some time to appreciate. I will admit at first, I thought there was a male vocalist adding the growls. Shame on me for being such a man!

The tracks are pacy, vibrant and engaging. There is plenty to explore, and the groove that underpins the opening duo “STRANGE RAIN” and “Catharsis” is addictive. You’ll be humming the melodies from these for months. One does wonder how Regan can possibly deliver these songs live, and I suppose it might be something I’ll never actually experience, but one will keep an ear out in case we get some European shows.

As the album progresses, so the interest increases. There’s the powerhouse drive of “W.O.L.F” which has some swirling synth work to flesh out the tracks. The edge of Machine Head’s riffage is evident on “voice”, where Regan’s cleans soar over a vicious groove that gets the head nodding. The band are comfortable dropping the tempo and certainly ensure that the harmonies and melody are given plenty of air.

Whilst the vocals and guitar of Wakkun may take the attention, the pulsating bass work of Katsuki and the blistering drumming of Tohko should not be overlooked as they anchor everything that is good about “The Black Hole”. Midway through the album, “BUTTERFLY” reminds us that underneath everything, SAISEIGA is one fine heavy metal band.

“Eclipse” isn’t my favourite, slipping into semi-ballad territory, whilst the keyboards that introduce “Equinox” provide a moment of heartsink, suggesting that it’s time to slow things down before happily moving up several gears into another bombastic track that gets the head nodding. It’s the blend of melody and savageness, mainly due to the contrasting vocal styles that really makes this an album worth listening to. The energy is maintained throughout, with “Tracker” and “轟音爆散TORNADO” leading to a brief instrumental (simply called “零-instrumental-”) that closes the album.

It took me a few plays to get under the skin of “The Black Hole”, but as is often the case, spending time with an album really does work. In this case, it has left me curious and interested to find out more. Impressive on many levels, SAISEIGA is a band that certainly deserve more attention.

Paul Hutchings