Check out J-Generation′s best J-Pop and J-Rock album/single jackets of 2022, chosen by David Cirone, Molly Coggshall, and Nhu Nguyen.
Chanmina – Naked
David: What looks at first glance to be an unusually reclusive pose for the bold, charismatic singer Chanmina turns out to be a snapshot of barely contained, complex power. The album mixes the vulnerability of “naked now” and “444” (which she laughs off in the final seconds before “Wake Up Call”) with take-no-prisoners tracks like “Mirror” and “Tokyo 4AM”.
JILUKA – VENΦM
Nhu: VENΦM by electronic gothic metal band JILUKA is marketed as “far beyond violence” — the cover visually echoes that statement. In the art, a robotic serpent monster is ready to unleash violence with its split-forked tongue slithering out, myriad purple eyes along its body fixated on its prey, and its multiple sharp knife-edged legs coiled up ready to pierce its victim’s body.
Aural Vampire – Wani
Molly: Aural Vampire’s Wani, which translates to “crocodile” or “alligator”, shows vocalist EXO-CHIKA looking out with a reptilian eye and holding up a nest of vines in her hair. The captivating imagery reminds one of the more primitive nature of humanity and draws attention to the darkness living inside all of us.
PASSCODE – Groundswell
David: The image for PassCode’s Groundswell e.p. captures the epic scale of this banging 4-track release, prepping you for the massive power of the two live albums that followed the same year. Bangers like “Lord of Light” and “MYTH” (from the game P Hokuto no Ken 9 Bakukyosei) are worth steady replay.
BUCK-TICK – Izora
Molly: A staircase swirling up into the stars of the heavens and surrounded by white doves forming an infinity symbol, reminds one of the mortality of life in the imagery of BUCK-TICK’s Izora. Though we may all ascend that staircase one day, our spirit and mark on the world will remain indefinitely.
KAYA – Villains
David: Kaya is as majestic as ever in this divine portrait for the Villains single. An incredibly passionate performance on the title track.
Yaosobi – THE BOOK 3
Nhu: Yaosobi released the third part of their THE BOOK series featuring album art similar to the first two: a solid black city-landscape shape set against a color, red for THE BOOK (2021), green for THE BOOK 2 (2021), and now yellow for THE BOOK 3. This cover pops out as a standalone with its bright lemon colored background.
David – VI Prophecy
David: Is this possibly the most “VK” album cover of 2023? Super-strong vocals and some pounding hard rock to back it up.
ATARASHII GAKKO! – ICHIJIKIKOKU
Nhu: ATARASHII GAKKO makes their temporary return, as the title ICHIJIKIKOKU translates to, back to their home country in this cover on a crane over iconic Japanese landmarks Mt. Fuji and Tokyo Tower. What’s quintessentially ATARASHII GAKKO is their positions and stances on the bird look like something they’d pull off in one of their choreographies as one member is standing on another member’s calves with her arms spread out in a flying pose.
Paledusk – RUMBLE feat. Masato from coldrain
Nhu: “RUMBLE”‘s cover art is as wild and trippy as the digital single itself! The visage of Masato from coldrain, who features on the song, and a disfigured leopard version of Paledusk vocalist Kaito are mish-mashed together as one head floating in the center of a peculiarly drawn swirl in the sky.
