Tokyo proto-doom and heavy rock wielders HEBI KATANA release their brand new album “Imperfection” on Ripple Music today, alongside the rocking and rip-roaring video for “Blood Spirit Rising”.
Watch new video Blood Spirit Rising
Stream new album “Imperfection” at this location
“An exciting, unusual album that sticks in your head.” – Demonic Nights
“The best written, best played, and best sounding Hebi Katana album till date.” – Musipedia of Metal
HEBI KATANA‘s unique fusion of wabi-sabi philosophy (the traditional Japanese way of embracing transience and imperfection) and heavy sounds has established them as a true force to be reckoned with in the underground scene, and this fourth record will drive it home. Pulsating with raw intensity and channeling the essence of 70s heavy metal, the power trio interweaves doom metal heft, proto-hard rock fury and churning grooves while spreading their dark and reflective worldview.
Their fourth full-length and Ripple Music debut, “Imperfection” — written and recorded in parallel with a tour with the same lineup as “III” — features lyrics inspired by Matsuo Basho and Tanizaki Junichiro’s “wabi sabi” “beauty of imperfection” and “enso” based on the unique Japanese spirituality. This new album refines their signature doom and proto-hard rock sound, merging loud roaring riffs, swinging grooves and Nobu’s trademark stripped-down vocals. The trio’s chemistry shines as they balance brute force with intricate subtleties, creating a sound that feels both primal and meticulously crafted. “Imperfection” marks a new step for HEBI KATANA. Every riff, groove, and vocal line reinforces their identity — a band unafraid to explore darkness while delivering pure, riff-driven power.
Watch latest videos Dead Horse Requiem // Bon Nou // Praise The Shadows!
New album “Imperfection”
Available now on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital)
Formed in Tokyo in 2020,
HEBI KATANA released their self-titled debut album at the end of the same year. With their raw and authentic doom and dark and mellow heavy rock sound, they quickly became a cornerstone of the Japanese scene amongst enthusiasts in overseas media, establishing their sound as “Tokyo Samurai Doom”. In 2022, they released their second album “Impermanence”, welcoming Yukito Okazaki of Eternal Elysium/Studio Zen fame as the producer.
Their 2023 album “III” was widely acclaimed in Japan and overseas and ranked #7 on the influential Doom Charts for December 2023. Influential US magazine New Noise Magazine deemed the trio “a deadly new force within the Japanese scene.” The band performed relentlessly in Tokyo and major cities in Japan, appeared at the Tokyo Doom Fest, and toured in Italy, France, and South America.
