Officially formed in 2005, The Novembers are a Utsunomiya based alternative rock band consisting of four members. Wearing all black, the Novembers took the White Stage on a sunny Friday afternoon. From the get go, we know that this band is bound to bring an edginess and high energy to their performance.

The band opened with their track, ANGELS from their 2020 album, ANGELS. Taking charge and leading the way throughout the entire set is the band’s lead vocalist Yusuke Kobayashi. Using screams and metalcore inspired chorus lines, his voice echoed across the White Stage’s field. The band particularly left an impression during their performance of the Akira movie theme song, KANEDA, as they sang ラッセーラ、ラッセーラ (Rassera, Rassera).

The mistake would be to fit The Novembers within one genre. On top of being an alternative and gothic rock band, the band dabbled in some sonic experimentation throughout their hour long performance. While lacking song diversity, their choice of instruments caught the eyes of many with one of the members using violin strings on a Gibson LP custom electric guitar.

In addition to these creative choices, live synth modulated progressions acted as a bridge between song transitions throughout the performance. Until the last song, Ikouyo, the Novembers die hard fans gathered at the front of the stage, as they left the crowd hungry for more.