BAND-MAID - Thrill PV

    From time to time A-To-J Connections likes to shine the spotlight on artists that we feel are deserving of attention they don't seem to be receiving, especially in the US. With this in mind, I bring to your attention the all-girl quintet, "BAND-MAID".
    BAND-MAID is a five-member all-girl rock band that are managed by Platinum Production and are on the Gump Records label. They formed in July 2013 and had their first live on July 24, 2013 at SHIBUYA-AX. January 8, 2014 saw the release of their first album, titled "MAID IN JAPAN", and they released their first single, "Ai to Jounetsu no Matadore" on August 13, 2014, It is from this single where this song "Thrill" can be found.
    As their name implies, they are a hard rock band with a unique take on the genre that involves dressing and performing in maid outfits. While this may seem like a simple gimmick, in reality it only serves as window dressing for what is a powerful and skilled band. One only needs to hear Tono Kanami's guitar solo (not to mention MISA's bass solo) to see what I mean. Besides the great solo work, we have the twin vocals of Saiki and Kobato Miku that perfectly complement each other and the band as well. As far as beat goes, Hirose Akane is a master on drums and she does a good job not only keeping the band in time, but also acting as their leader. There is clearly lots of talent within this group and they should not be dismissed off-hand.
    The video for the song "Thrill" is also a huge addition to a great song and it is well-executed in its basic-ness. The near-monochrome shots paired with the bright flashes of red outfits and normal-colored shots offer a sharp contrast that play well on the fact that all the girls look great here. The editing here is perfect without having to resort to flashy tricks and the lyric text is a nice touch. Did I mention there was a touch of headbanging here? Because there is! All in all, the video is well-done and we can only hope they produce promotional videos for some of their other songs in the near future.
    BAND-MAID as a group took me by surprise when I stumbled upon them online and I hope to hear more from them in future. If you have not heard of them yet, I insist that you check them out now! I promise you won't be disappointed!

BAND-MAID Are:
◆ Saiki - Vocals
◆ Kobato Miku - Guitar & Vocals
◆ Tono Kanami - Guitar
◆ Hirose Akane - Drums (Leader)
◆ MISA - Bass

---