The legacy of FACT: How their influence affected BMTH’s ‘NeX GEn’

In a recent interview with Japanese video magazine McGuffin, DAIDAI, guitarist and producer for the Japanese experi-metal band Paledusk, revealed an intriguing tidbit. As a co-writer on Bring Me The Horizon’s throwback nostalgia-fest ‘POST HUMAN: NeX GEn’, he introduced Oli Sykes, BMTH’s frontman, to FACT via their 2009 major debut album.

“During the songwriting process, Oliver asked me, ‘DAIDAI, what has influenced you the most?’ and ‘Can you name one band from Japan that influenced you?’ There were many, but my iconic sound, my roots, are definitely influenced by FACT. Oliver really liked it when I played a few of their songs for him.”

“So, in the new BMTH album, when Japanese listeners hear it, they’ll probably think, ‘This is nostalgic, like FACT.’”

This revelation, as predicted, sparked a wave of nostalgia and curiosity among Japanese Twitter users, who have noted the striking similarities between FACT and the 4th track on ‘NeX GEn’, ‘Top 10 staTues tHat CriEd bloOd’. Tweets like “The bloodline of FACT is also present in BMTH’s new album” and “Finally, we can listen to songs where BMTH has FACT-ified!” highlight fans’ excitement at seeing the recognition of FACT’s influence over nine years after their disbandment.

As the buzz around ‘NeX GEn’ grows, it’s a perfect moment to revisit and celebrate the legacy of FACT, a band that has not only inspired a generation of Japanese artists but also helped introduce Japan’s hardcore and post-hardcore scenes to the world in the late 2000s.

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Rising from the Underground: The Origins of FACT

FACT were formed in 1999 in Ibaraki Prefecture. The band consisted of Kazuki Sakurai (guitar), Takahiro Onose (guitar), Tomohiro Takayasu (bass, vocals), Eiji Matsumoto (drums), and Hiro Onose (vocals). Drawing inspiration from bands like Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Van Halen, Metallica, and rockabilly swing act Brian Setzer, as well as Japanese artists such as Super Car, Komuro Tetsuya, X Japan, and Boom Boom Satellites, FACT entered the music scene with a blend of new school hardcore with elements of thrash, melodic punk, and screamo. In 2004, they released their debut indie EP ‘The Fine Day Never Last’, followed by their first full-length album, ‘Never Turn Out the Light to Keep Myself’, in 2006. These early releases helped establish them as prominent up-and-comers on the underground scene, leading to opportunities to perform with overseas acts like Story Of The Year and Strung Out on their Japan tours.

FACT’s indie post-hardcore screamo infused music video for ‘Resident In My Room’ from their 2007 debut album.

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FACT’s US Breakthrough

In 2007, FACT contributed their track ‘Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’, a take on Ryuichi Sakamoto’s classic piece, to the charity album ‘A Santa Cause – It’s A Punk Rock Christmas 2’. This album was curated by Immortal Records, a California-based independent label known for launching bands like Incubus and Korn in the mid-’90s. Despite Immortal Records ceasing operation in November 2007, the same month as the album’s release, this opportunity led FACT to meet who would become their US manager. Consequently, they secured a deal with California label Vagrant Records, allowing them to record their next album entirely in the US with Michael Elvis Baskette, the award-winning producer for Incubus, Chevelle, and Slash.

In the lead-up to their second album’s release, the band adopted their now iconic masks, a type used to depict young girls in ancient Japanese Noh theatre. Commenting on the use of masks in a 2010 press release, guitarist Kazuki said:

“It’s a traditional Japanese mask, so people will know we’re a Japanese band, but still won’t know what we’re all about, so they have to listen to the music to find out what it is. It’s a way to accept we’re Japanese, but also that we’re here for the music, not looks, or things like that.”

Over the next year or two, the band slowly dropped the masks, opting for partially obscuring their faces in promotional material and eventually giving up hiding their faces at live shows altogether.

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Overnight Global Rise

In February 2009, FACT’s single ‘A Fact of Life’ marked their 10th anniversary and propelled them from Japan’s underground scene to global recognition. The full-throttle post-hardcore romp gained cult success on international airwaves seemingly overnight. Two months later, the band would release their self-titled global debut and domestic major debut album. Blending pop-punk, screamo, and metalcore, the album received mixed reviews in the west. Some praised its eclectic mix and the band’s technical proficiency, while others criticized its lack of coherence.

Discussing the album in the October 2009 issue of UK Japanese pop-culture magazine NEO, Kazuki explained:

“The album has two concepts: one is lyrical, the other is musical. Lyrically, the concept is about war and inner conflict. And as for musically, it started off with taking the core of a metalcore band, with lots of fast music, but focusing on adding in melody and crossing genres. We didn’t want to be pigeonholed into metalcore or any of the subgenres—our music has far too many elements to it than just that. I mean, if you listen to the album, you’ll probably find sections influenced from all music: punk, metal, dance, Eurobeat, techno, drum and bass, pop, jungle, hardcore, speedcore, breakcore, grindcore, a-whole-lotta-other-core, it’s really all music.”

As well as being their global debut, back home in Japan the album debuted at number 18 on the Oricon Weekly Album Chart. “I think everyone in our generation considers FACT’s album to be legendary”, explained DAIDAI in Paledusk’s interview with McGuffin.

‘A Fact Of Life’, the track that set FACT on the path of the global limelight.

2009 marked both the birth and peak of FACT’s international recognition. This led to tours and performances with American artists like Iwrestledabearonce, Memphis May Fire, and Senses Fail. They played major festivals, including Japan’s SUMMER SONIC, where they set a record for the highest attendance for an opening act. At the UK’s Sonisphere Festival, they appeared on the main stage by chance when Coheed and Cambria arrived late.

“We still don’t really know how come everything suddenly took off this year for us. We’ve always just been doing what we do and always wanting to go America and the UK, and, well, everywhere. Though recently, the people around us started to get involved and helped to push us forward. Then things just kind of fell into place and here we are.”

Tomohiro (bass), NEO Magazine 2009

They would return to the UK in 2010 where they played their first ever UK headline show, toured with Denver scene troop Breathe Carolina and played Slam Dunk festival, and performed a live session on Radio 1’s ‘Rock Show’.

‘Slip of the Lip’ from FACT’s 2010 album ‘In the blink of an eye’.

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Post-Global Era: FACT’s Strategic Pivot

Unfortunately for FACT, their subsequent albums, ‘In the blink of an eye’ (2010) and ‘burundanga’ (2012), did not maintain their international momentum. Despite building on their established sound, by 2012, they were dropped by their US and UK labels. This shift led them to focus on the Japanese market, where they toured relentlessly with high-impact, high-energy performances.

Their efforts in Japan paid off. Both ‘In the blink of an eye’ and ‘burundanga’ debuted at number 6 on the Oricon chart, their highest-ranking albums, and headline shows pulled crowds in the thousands.

In 2012, British guitarist and the band’s longtime UK tour manager and friend Adam Graham joined the band’s line-up as their 3rd guitarist. The inclusion of Adam marked a new chapter for FACT, as they embraced an even more diverse sound palette. Their later works, ‘Witness’ (2014) and ‘KTHEAT’ (2015), reflected this evolution, which left fans divided. Still, they attempted win back the UK crowd, touring the country with Your Demise and Memphis May Fire, and performing their second ever London headline slot at the now closed Liverpool Street basement venue the Pipeline.

Music video for FACT’s single ‘disclosure’ from their 2014 album ‘Witness’.

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The Bittersweet Farewell: FACT’s Disbandment in 2015

Despite managing to stay afloat in Japan, FACT announced their disbandment in 2015, two months after releasing their last studio album, ‘KTHEAT’. The decision was mutual, with members seeking to explore different musical directions. To wrap up their 15-year career, they played an emotional final set at ‘ROCK-O-RAMA 2015’. The band’s self-organized event was held across three venues in Shibuya and featured 18 bands, including Crossfaith, CRYSTAL LAKE, HEY-SMITH, Ken Yokoyama, LITE, and MAN WITH A MISSION.

Post-disbandment, Hiro, Kazuki, and Takahiro formed SHADOWS. They remain active in Japan, performing nationwide and creating music reminiscent of FACT’s roots. Meanwhile, Adam, Eiji, and Tomohiro, along with ex-The Amity Affliction guitarist Imran, formed Joy Opposites, delving into a darker, alternative rock sound.

Highlights from FACT’s tearful final set at ‘ROCK-O-RAMA 2015’ via FACT official YouTube channel.

In a 2016 interview with Electric Bloom Webzine, Adam clarified that FACT’s disbandment wasn’t due to his joining the band, despite some fans’ speculations. He explained that internal and external pressures, particularly the restrictive nature of major label contracts in Japan, led to the split.

“Japan has a very strange system whereby if you sign to a major label you can actually get a ‘salary’ from them in return for a certain number of pieces of product per year…which leads to a strange sort of security which I don’t personally think is healthy for a musician.”

He also highlighted the lack of effective management as a significant issue that contributed to the band’s challenges:

“When you have 6 people in a band it’s difficult to balance ideas and personalities, and that’s where having a good manager can come in really handy – unfortunately we didn’t have anything like that, quite the opposite.”

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The Everlasting Influence of FACT

The recent discussions on Twitter highlight the enduring influence of FACT, particularly in the context of ‘POST HUMAN: NeX GEn’. “The new BMTH album has the DNA of FACT, it’s awesome” and “BMTH with a FACT taste is just too perfect of a combination. I’m swooning.” underscore the excitement and nostalgia FACT’s music continues to evoke.

DAIDAI and BMTH have crafted a nostalgic yet fresh album. It doesn’t copy a single band’s style or a Y2K musical movement. Instead, it captures our collective desire for the experimental approaches of the old days. The fact (pun intended) that the essence of this Ibaraki troop from humble beginnings are now preserved in this globally mammoth album is nothing short of awesome.

(Flash warning) Bring Me The Horizon getting “FACT-ified” on ‘Top 10 staTues tHat CriEd bloOd’, the 4th track on ‘POST HUMAN: NeX GEn’.

FACT’s legacy of innovation, blending genres, and pushing the boundaries of post-hardcore music, is more prevalent than ever in the 2020s, where genre nonconformity is the norm and artists are more willing to take risks to elevate their music. Their influence is evident in contemporary bands and albums, proving that their music was ahead of its time. Here in the west, we only got to experience FACT for 6 years of their 15 year journey, and though they didn’t manage to take off internationally, their impact on Japan’s music scene is still being felt to this day. Whether in the former member’s current musical endeavours or in the work they inspired, FACT’s spirit lives on.

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