When the list of upcoming releases was shared, I was intrigued by what was described as anime-inspired Metalcore, and, being always happy to broaden my horizons, I thought I’d give it a go.
Having never really delved into the world of anime, I approached this from a purely musical angle and have to hold my hands up in saying that I will not try to suggest how and if this ties in with the Gakkou Gurashi! anime.
The album itself has been curated by Patrick Lloyd (Disconnected Souls), who has reeled in the assistance of an abundance of special guest vocalists to complement the uncompromising vocals provided by Lloyd.
The album itself is 52 minutes shared across 13 tracks, and from the opening offering, this feels like a soundtrack as well as a standalone release. As ‘Time Stop’ rolls in after the introduction, we hear that harsh vocal provided by the composer before being joined by electronics and more soothing vocals – a combination that you will soon become familiar with.
I quickly felt that this being labelled as Metalcore was doing quite a disservice to all the other musical influences and styles that this contains. It is heavily Electronica as well as the heavy chugging guitars, there is this industrial feeling, in some instances it carries a Fear Factory vibe.
As you wander through this soundscape, meandering and exploring with quite a few heavy crashes along the way, you take in some wonderous electronic elements that really do create some incredible imagery before that heaviness returns and with so many guests there is a feeling of many different stories being told, many with a sinister undertone and unnerving edge.
The 13 tracks venture quite broadly and allow you to allow your mind to wander as far as you wish, being guided by this narrative and in some ways not having seen the anime, I wonder if the power of imagination and the images created match that of the inspiration.
Gurashi! is an intriguing and impressive release, whilst quite unusual, it is very unique and that holds it apart from other releases. I have not heard anything quite like it, and that is something that I admire and enjoy. It may have inspired me to dip my toe in to the world of anime, see what I have been missing out on, but for now I am going to keep listening to this and peel back all the layers that this contains.
Gurashi! will be released on July 9th 2025.
Review: Ed Ford
GURASHI! Track List:
1. GAKKOU
2. Time Stop (Lamentations of a Broken Mind) [with iyashiP, feat. Holly Frances Royle and MAI]
3. Protector//Vector
4. Even If Everything Burns (feat. The Deathless Divide)
5. w.t.e.o.h. (A Forgotten Song) [feat. Jordan Taylor]
6. The Circle
7. Chosen (feat. Fight the Tornado)
8. This World Was Made for Me (feat. Felix Luca King)
9. I Decided to Live (feat. Fight the Tornado and Holly Frances Royle)
10. The Bystander (feat. BEQ3REL, Tom Lloyd and Matthew Simon Fletcher)
11. The Schism of Two Caged Birds (feat. Disconnected Souls)
12. GURASHI! (feat. Holly Frances Royle and The Effigy)
13. Letters
Links:
Bancamp: https://iyashicore.bandcamp.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iyashicore
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iyashicore/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iyashicore
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/iyashicore.bsky.app