An inventive black metal outfit fronted by
Trivium vocalist and guitarist
Matthew Kiichi Heafy,
Ibaraki combines caustic riffs and pummeling rhythms with lyrics inspired by Japanese folklore. The idea for the project had been germinating for over a decade before
Heafy decided to use the forced isolation brought on by the COVID-19 lockdown to bring it to fruition. Looking to explore his Japanese heritage via the icy prism of extreme metal --
Ibaraki is a demon from feudal legend -- he recruited
Emperor guitarist/vocalist and black metal legend
Ihsahn to helm the production. Over the next three years, the pair meticulously pieced together the group's debut album. The resulting
Rashomon was released in 2022 by
Nuclear Blast and featured contributions from
My Chemical Romance vocalist
Gerard Way and
Behemoth frontman
Nergal. ~ James Christopher Monger