Coldrain's Masato on BABYMETAL: "Those girls really work their asses off. It’s awesome"

Coldrain's lead vocalist Masato David Hayakawa was interviewed on All Things Loud to talk about his band's activities, he also was asked about BABYMETAL and Japanese culture getting recognition in Western culture. Read an excerpt of what he said about this below. 

So how is the scene back home in Japan?

Masato: "When we started out, there were absolutely no bands around who had heavy riffs and screaming vocals. It wasn’t really a thing, but along the years more bands have started doing it. I can definitely say that we were part of a growing scene, and it’s cool to see that a lot of bands are getting more attention. The scene in Japan is still in its baby years, but in a few years from now I can see it being as big as any other country."

Crossfaith and Babymetal, for example. I just want to touch on the latter for now, because in Europe they’ve become an absolute phenomenon. They’re something that you’ve never heard before in a way, but what do you think of them?

Masato: "When we started out, Crossfaith were also starting out and it took quite a long time for bands like us to get the recognition that we have now. We were there when Babymetal was first formed, and we know the people behind the music and the musicians in the group. I think it’s a big collaboration by a lot of people who are trying to get metal the attention that it deserves in Japan."

And then putting something popular on top of that?

Masato: "Yeah. And then it’s cool because it’s got all that full-on Japanese culture going on. They’re getting the recognition that they deserve, and those girls really work their asses off. It’s awesome."

So how much of a struggle is it for bands from countries like Japan to breakthrough into the mainstream “western” world?

Masato: "I mean, it’s not that people aren’t open-minded to listen to bands like us, but I think that they probably expect something like Babymetal. They expect that kind of vibe from Japan because it’s full of anime culture. It’s just that people haven’t been doing it for a while, which also makes it easier for American, English or Australian bands to get around. There is a language barrier, which also means that the Japanese market is more closed off. It’s just a totally different vibe. We’re gradually feeling more comfortable in doing it, and I think it’s just gonna take a little more time for other bands to show up as well."

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Read the full interview on All Things Loud.