Metal Blade Records has just pulled off one of their sharpest global signings in recent memory, welcoming Tokyo’s Broken by the Scream into the fold. Equal parts extreme metal assault and idol-pop chaos, BBTS have spent nearly a decade smashing genre walls with a volatile blend of deathcore brutality, djent-laced grooves, and hyper-kinetic choreography — and now they’re primed to take that madness to the world’s biggest stages.
For a label synonymous with shaping the evolution of heavy music, this isn’t a gamble. It’s a power move.
From Tokyo Underground to Metal Blade
Broken by the Scream formed in October 2016 and made their live debut at Nishikawaguchi Hearts in January 2017, immediately setting themselves apart from Japan’s metal underground. Their mission was clear from day one: fuse crushing extreme metal with idol aesthetics, wotagei call-and-response chants, and tightly drilled choreography, all without watering down the heaviness.
Their self-titled debut single and first EP Screaming Rhapsody (2017, PCI Music) lit the fuse, but it was 2018’s An Alien’s Portrait that truly detonated. A notorious performance at Tokyo Idol Festival that year reportedly required extra security as mosh pits erupted in an idol setting, a moment that cemented BBTS as a band capable of uniting metalheads and J-pop fans in equal measure.
By the time Noisy Night Fever landed in 2019, Broken by the Scream had sharpened their identity into a weapon: modern metalcore structures, djent-inflected riffing, and unrelenting breakdowns colliding with sugary melodies and high-impact visuals. The chaos was deliberate. The execution was surgical.
A Lineup Built for Controlled Chaos
At the core of BBTS is founding member Nozukidaira Io, whose cavernous low growls anchor the band’s extreme edge. Counterbalancing that brutality are clean vocalists Nanaougi Tsubaki and Mikogami Shizuku, whose idol-trained melodies give the band its emotional lift and accessibility.
The final piece snapped into place in 2024 with the arrival of Takayashiki Yayoi, whose piercing high screams debuted live at Anime Los Angeles, the band’s first-ever US appearance. Her addition pushed the vocal dynamic into overdrive, completing a four-voice assault that flips seamlessly between death growls, screams, and pristine pop hooks.
Breaking Borders, One Festival at a Time
Broken by the Scream’s rise hasn’t been confined to Japan. Years of relentless live work, from early one-man shows at Shibuya DESEO to stamina-testing doubleheaders, prepared them for international expansion.
Anime Los Angeles 2024 marked their US debut, followed by a European breakthrough that included Motocultor Festival in France. By 2025, BBTS were no longer newcomers: they stormed the main stage at Resurrection Fest in Spain, lit up Japan Expo in Paris, and completed a nine-date European tour across seven countries. Even overseas, fans quickly picked up the band’s wotagei chants, proof that the BBTS formula translates without subtitles.
Now, 2026 looms as a defining year. Summer Breeze Open Air, Wacken Open Air, and Reload Festival are locked in, with more European dates on the way. These aren’t novelty slots, they’re prime opportunities to convert thousands of sceptics into believers.
Why Metal Blade, Why Now?
Broken by the Scream signing with Metal Blade feels inevitable in hindsight. The band bring everything the modern extreme scene thrives on: innovation without compromise, a live show that overwhelms on first contact, and a multi-vocal approach that rivals the complexity of bands like Jinjer or Spiritbox — while carving a completely different visual and cultural lane.
Their Metal Blade debut single, “追憶のナスカ (Nostalgic Nazca)”, serves as a mission statement. It’s heavy, melodic, disorienting, and emotionally charged — the sound of a band stepping onto a bigger battlefield without losing their edge. New material is already in the works, with BBTS promising to push their aggression and genre-defying identity even further.
This isn’t Metal Blade chasing trends. It’s Metal Blade recognising the next wave of global extreme metal — and putting its weight behind it.
Broken by the Scream aren’t just Japan’s next metal export. They’re a full-force kawaii deathcore storm, ready to rip through Europe’s biggest festivals and beyond.
Official site: brokenbythescream.jp
