aki Meets cocklobin for Khaos Rendezvous

cocklobin

Twirling lights and pumping fists welcomed nigu (vocals), iori (guitar), yuya (guitar), HISAKI (bass), and sora (drums). With a growl, cocklobin dove into “RISING THE DARK,” the audience’s shouts of “Oi!” contributing for a fiery opening. The heavy yet catchy music was skillfully accomplished and got the crowd off their feet and ready for “fall on one’s knees.” “We are cocklobin!” the vocalist yelled, firing up the hall and the crowd responded by clapping and thrashing their heads zealously. The string trio took the spotlight with a fiery instrumental, fingers dancing over strings before the vocals returned in full force. The ground seemed to shake under nigu’s growls and like a deadly black wave, the crowd moved back and forth to the beat.

All hands rose for “ALLAY,” nigu’s dramatic poses adding intensity to the performance while his voice entranced the hall. The band moved unflaggingly, yuya kicking the air between riffs while the drums grew stronger, the rhythm building up for the roaring finale. The tone eased with the fierce ballad “rein,” guitars and bass taking the spotlight with some hot riffs. The song proceeded in waves of sweetness and demand, the vocalist’s tone perfect as he went from ferocious growls to tender, sad pleas.

“Thank you! We are incredibly happy to be here and honored to be invited by aki,” the vocalist confessed before some warmly welcomed announcements. Another ballad followed with HISAKI in command. The rhythm section for “Shi to saisei” stood out  but drums and bass were followed closely by the guitars. Iori’s fingers flew over the strings and the guitar sped away in a sorrowful riff.

The band’s new song, “Iris,” started slowly and tentatively, a fierce growl setting the engine off. Red lights washed over the room and the hot bass took the lead as the song went from hot and dark to catchy and fast. The number seemed to please the crowd with its fierce vocals and steady beat, everyone moving to the rhythm and headbanging with the guitarists. “Yomi no ashiro” followed in the same fashion, the theatrics growing graver as growls and thundering instrumentals grew demanding and strong. Yuya’s play-style stood out as he plucked the strings violently, drawing some wicked sounds from the guitar.

“I can barely hear your voices today!” the vocalist teased with a grin. “I was surprised when aki invited us… through Twitter.” He laughed with the crowd. “We wanted to do something special today and asked aki what we should do. He asked me ‘What do you want to do?’ and I said, ‘I wanted to sing with you!’” he revealed.

“Do you like heavy Laputa?” Nigu yelled out before kicking off Laputa’s “MASTER” with a loud “Let’s go!” Hair went flying before all arms shot up, the crowd pumping in unison. Iori moved forward for a solo and without warning aki appeared onstage. Nigu’s jaw dropped as he looked from the band to the crowd, unable to hide both his surprise and excitement. The vocals combined interestingly, both strong and dark, the tone of the song contrasting heavily with the performance that saw nigu grinning brightly, his delighted smile intensifying as aki hugged him from behind before the intruder bid farewell to the crowd.

The band tried to move on but nigu signaled for all to stop. “I can’t just move on to the next song! Wait! I can’t believe he didn’t tell me he was coming out!”

Fast and loud, “UNDER THE ROSE” brought with it some more headbanging, sora attacking the cymbals with powerful strikes while the rest of the band thrashed heads, knees almost kissing the floor. The fiery “chloe” closed the set, vocalist unstoppable as he combined singing and growling. The crowd moved as one, singing to the tune and amid a party atmosphere, cocklobin left the stage.

Set list:

1. RISING THE DARK
2. fall on one’s knees
3. ALLAY
4. rein
5. Shi to saisei
6. Iris
7. Yomi no ashiro
8. MASTER
9. UNDER THE ROSE
10. chloe