The lineup of NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST already took quite the hit because of the events that caused guitarists Daichi and Cazqui to announce their departure from the band, but instead of putting a band-aid on the wound life threw another curveball at the remaining members. Shortly after the release of their first mini-album with their new guitarist Rin, the guitarist was arrested and fired from the band.
All of this caused 尋 (Hiro), Masa and Natsu to retreat back into the shadows of the music industry.
However, the band have recruited a new guitarist -who is still a mystery at the moment this review is being written- and released a new digital single called “Life is Once” as a “counterattack” for 2020.
This single has already been released on iTunes and Apple Music as of May 29th for both download and streaming, but will hit other platforms like Google Play Music, Amazon Music, Spotify and Deezer on June 8th as well!
Now, here is the part where I have a little confession to make: normally I wouldn’t pick up a one-song-only digital single for review, but if you’re at least a little familiar with who I am then you probably know that I always have one eye aimed in the direction of this group to see what they’re up to. And I expect there’s going to be more in the near future from these guys, so with that in mind…
Life is Once
(Words: 尋 (Hiro) / Music: Masa)
If you’ve heard the works of the original lineup before you’ll recognize “Life is Once” as a familiar sound and style, meaning it’s instantly recognizable as the works of NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST. Before the release of “UNLEASH”, that is, because that mini-album was much more in the metalcore direction than their previous releases. That style appears to be completely off the table now though, as the powerful drums supported by a solid bass and heavy guitar play clear the way for 尋 (Hiro) to show off what he has become known for all these years: screaming and growling.
On top of that the lyrics are straight to the point, brutally honest, and also back to being sung mostly in English (again, unlike the previous mini-album where the main language was switched to Japanese), another feature this band gained popularity for outside of Japan.
Whoever the new guitarist may be, it does sound like they have found the perfect match for their group -the match they probably initially should have found-, and are able to leave the unexpected fiasco that was supposed to be a grand comeback behind them for good.
Conclusion
“UNLEASH” unleashed something into the music industry already, but that was cut short by more negativity that none of the members nor any of the fans saw coming, causing the band to retreat with their figurative tails between their legs once more.
“Life is Once” throws all of that out of the window and starts both fresh, but on familiar ground for the group. If this one-song-only-single is any indication for the future, I think we can expect a lot of good things from the band. Because let’s be honest, while the previous mini-album was an interesting one, it wasn’t the style the band wanted to go into for the long road, was it? I think this single confirms that suspicion pretty well too.
With the band currently being in the studio I think we can expect some new works in the near future from them as well, so if you were somehow turned off by the band the last time, give them another try this time, I’m sure they can change your mind!
Release information
Are you interested in supporting the band by getting your own copy of the release? Here is something to get you started:
 | 01. Life is Once |
Artist: NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST
Release: Life is Once (digital single)
Release date: May 29, 2020
CD number: N/A (digital download/streaming only)
Available at: Amazon Music / Apple Music / Spotify / Deezer
雪 (Yuki) is the owner and driving force behind Arlequin.
She originally started the project in 2009 as a photographer under the name of Arlequin Photography, but developed an interest in journalism and translation ever since. Because of these interests interviews and reviews were added to the project, until it eventually hit the limits as a "photographer" in 2021, and Arlequin Magazine was added to the mix.
雪 (Yuki) is a native Dutch speaker with a graphic design degree, which means she is also the main person behind Arlequin Creations.
After all these years, she's still the one responsible for the interviews and most of the live photography you see here at Arlequin, but the majority of reviews and behind-the-scenes work is also done by her.
The reviews she writes are from the viewing point of an overseas fan, and thus written in English before being translated to Dutch, Spanish and Japanese. In the English versions she also tries to explain the meaning behind certain kanji or song titles to the readers, but what you don't see here is that these explanations are omitted in the Japanese versions in order to appeal to these readers more.
She speaks Dutch and English on a native level, but also understands Japanese and German.