Considering the major obsession with pop idols and softer sound of J-Rock you might not imagine Japan being big on heavy metal. However, quite the opposite is true as most European power metal bands gain notoriety in the Far East before they even consider touring in America. Galneryus is one of the premiere power metal attacks from the small island nation, and boy do they have some talent. With a guitarist that rivals Dragonforce, the band produces a variety of different sounds while the vocalist sings in some decent English and with a rather deep voice. Well, deep for Japanese vocalists at least.

While they will likely never catch on to a more mainstream market in the West, Galneryus proves to have some genuine metal chops. Some of their songs surpass the quality of what can be found here in the States, even, something that is particularly of note as Japanese rock has a tendency to garner little emotion from me.

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