Petit Brabancon’s new EP ‘Seven Garbage Born of Hatred’ delivers raw nu-metal experience from rock heavyweights

Supergroup Petit Brabancon, featuring legends from prominent rock and metal bands—DIR EN GREY, L’Arc〜en〜Ciel, MUCC, Tokyo Shoegazer, and THE NOVEMBERS—have finally dropped their explosive second EP, ‘Seven Garbage Born of Hatred’. Released today, August 7th, this EP promises a visceral journey through nu-metal and hardcore influences, blending each member’s unique style into a raw and powerful soundscape that fans have eagerly awaited.

In December 2023, they teased the EP with the release of ‘a humble border’, followed by ‘BATMAN’ in June and ‘Vendetta’ in July. The video for ‘Vendetta’ in particular had fans surprised at the difference between each of the members other bands, and the extreme direction PetiBra have taken. Commenters noted the “gap” between frontman Kyo (DIR EN GREY, sukekiyo) in the latest sukekiyo video for ‘Valentina’ and him in the ‘Vendetta’ MV.

‘Seven Garbage Born of Hatred’ features seven tracks: one intro, three brand-new songs, and three previously released singles. The band has described the EP as heavily inspired by mid-90s nu-metal, with each track delivering a visceral, intense experience. This raw energy is partly influenced by their live show ‘EXPLODE -02-‘ in Osaka last January, where the crowd erupted into mosh pits and walls of death.

Guitarists Miya (MUCC) and antz (Tokyo Shoegazer) make use of drop tuned 7 string guitars to add to the crushing sound, while Kyo’s biting vocals are raw and powerful. Each member worked on different songs on the EP, with their individual flair and influences shining through, letting themselves create something new and extreme from what they’ve previously made with Petit Brabancon and their other bands.

Petit Brabancon’s mysterious lyrics

In an interview with BARKS, frontman Kyo stated that this is his favourite of all PetiBra records so far, noting that the sound on this EP is the sound they were aiming for from the beginning of the group. Regarding the lyrics, Petit Brabancon have famously never published them; speaking about this, Kyo, who wrote all the lyrics on the album, explained:

“I haven’t included [the lyrics] in this EP either. At live shows, they sometimes appear in the background here and there. But I want people to enjoy it more intuitively.”

He also said that rather than focusing on the specifics of the lyrics, he’s happy for fans to just feel what they want to feel from the songs; “I want people to be engulfed in the vortex of sound. That’s all.” He went on to say:

“I think even in live performances, there are probably parts where the audience is encouraged to sing along, but the lyrics can be anything; it’s fine if they sing whatever they hear. I’m not asking for accuracy or anything. Just go with your senses.”

However, during the band’s online listening party, held on YouTube half an hour before the EP’s official release, Kyo dropped a few lyrics in the chat, and quick reading chatters had the chance to see first-hand some of the true lyrics to a few of the songs. For anyone who wasn’t there though, the video and chat logs are now private.

Influences from Japanese hardcore to 90s nu-metal

Additionally, in an interview with natalie, Miya discussed his influences, citing THE MAD CAPSULE MARKETS as a major inspiration. He also highlighted that Ministry were the primary influence behind the track ‘BATMAN’. The overall 90s inspirations seep deep into the EP, giving older listeners a hit of nostalgia, while for younger audiences it’s something completely new. With the band not allowing themselves to be tied down to just one sound, and all members injecting their own ideas and sounds into each track, ‘Seven Garbage Born of Hatred’ is distinctly evolutionary.

Notably, the band are also featured on the front cover of this month’s BURRN! magazine. This is somewhat a rarity for Japanese bands, as the magazine predominantly features western acts.

Looking ahead to their upcoming nationwide tour, ‘BURST CITY,’ which begins on September 5th in Tokyo, fans can anticipate another round of full-pelt hardcore metal performances. Tickets are available now via eplus, including for overseas fans lucky enough to be in Japan at that time.

‘Seven Garbage Born of Hatred’ Tracklist

1. move (Music: yukihiro)
2. dub driving (Music: antz)
3. BATMAN (Music: Miya)
4. Gankou (Music: Miya)
5. a humble border (Music: yukihiro)
6. Mickey (Music: antz)
7. Vendetta (Music: Miya)

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