Jiluka: A Welcomed VK Treat for Texas

Texas gets a taste of Japanese Metal.

Jiluka

SAN ANTONIO - As masses descended into the Aztec Theatre the onlookers were welcomed to what some would call a much needed injection of creativity to the music scene we all know and love. That injection of creativity came in the form of Jiluka.

Jiluka, for those not familiar is a Metal band based in Japan that falls under the category known as Visual Kei. Though still a sub genre within the states V-Kei continues to grow in popularity as westerners are further exposed to the thriving genre.

One thing that will stand out about Jiluka is the stage presence and style that is highlighted by the groups costumes and overall appearance. This is quite the norm as Visual Kei groups generally have a large focus on the elaborate and extravagant clothing the musicians wear during their performances.

A vast majority of the bands within the V-Kei genre play Metal, rock and Glam music although any style of music can be played by a V-Kei band. Jiluka is no exception as the band itself is considered by many to be Electronic Gothic Metal (EGM) though others have also described it as Metalcore.

Consisting of four members the lineup is as follows:

Ricko - Vocals

Boogie - Bass

Zyean - Drums

Sena - Guitar

Solid musicianship was demonstrated as the band never wavered from a solid tempo and sudden breaks in their music. The drumming was rock solid as Zyean displayed not only solid technique but lightning quick reflexes on the double bass pedals that thundered through the theatre.

Sena puts on a show with not only her playing but stage presence as well. One could say Sena is completely free on stage.

Boogie set the tempo and the pace of each song with heavy grooves and a visual style that really demonstrated to the Texas crowd what V-Kei is all about. Definitely a stand out member of the band, Boogie is the perfect name for this Bass Dynamo.

Ricko leads the troops into battle with vocals that will please any metal fan in the crowd. The vocalist got a great response from the crowd whom may not have been familiar with the genre.

Overall the band and their music left made an impact in the Texas crowd as the response was purely positive. While their set finished there were in fact audience members who yelled "please come back," demonstrating the should the group tour the states again they would be welcomed in the lone star state.

While other acts such as Landmvrks and Imminence and put on a great show, Jiluka was hands down the stand out group of the night. Seeing what this quartet did as an opening act begs the question, how awesome would it be to see them as the headliner?

Hopefully that is something we will all get to see in the future as Visual Kei is definitely something we need more of not just in the country, but in Texas itself. If you have the chance to see Jiluka on this or any other tour, take the chance and get a ticket, you will not be disappointed.