METALLIAN - Blindman

March 21st, Anno 22

Sensitive Pictures – 1998 – Castle
Being Human – 1999 – Castle
Live, Living, Alive!! – 1999 – Castle
Blindman – 2001 – King
Turning Back – 2002 – King
Pain For The Pleasure – 2006 – Triumph
Subconscious In Xperience – 2008 – Triumph
Re-Rise – 2010 – Triumph
Blazing Crisis – 2012 – Triumph
Evergreen – 2013 - Triumph
To The Light – 2016 - Walküre
Live...In The Dark To The Light – 2017 - Walküre
Reach For The Sky – 2018 – Walküre
Expansion – 2020 – Walküre

Members

Vocals

Manabu Takaya>>Diablo Grande – Parabellum, Forcefield, Galactica Phantom>>RAY>>Forcefield, Galactica Phantom

Guitar

Solo, Desert Kings, Redrise>>Tatsuya Nakamura>>Desert Kings, Redrise

Bass

Tatsuya Toda – Xanadu>>Youki Usuba>>Arise In Stability, D.T.F.M. - Masayuki Azuma – Yasha, Sleazy Wizard, Norifumi Shima>>Seishi Yamamoto>>Yasha - TATSUYA TODA

Drum

Tatsuya Nakamura>>Louis Sesto [Louis Washio]>>Dead Eyed Spider, Soul Doctor, Samurai Jade, Tokyo Rock Blaster – Xanadu, Soul Bound>>Katsutoshi Murakami>>Xanadu, Soul Bound – Tatsuya Nakamura, Soul Doctor, Samurai Jade, Dead Eyed Spider>>Louis Sesto [Louis Washio]>>Tokyo Rock Blaster – Cyntia, Crying Machine>>SHUN MINARI

Keyboard

Hitoshi Endo - Kennosuke Inoue – Lushel, Free Love, Go To Hong Kong, Rachel Mother Goose, Dream Chaser, Forcefield, Concerto Moon, Fatima Hill>>HIROKI MATSUI>>Concerto Moon, Fatima Hill

History & Biography

Blindman is a Tokyo, Japan-based hard rock band founded as his own project by guitarist Nakamura in 1995. The group went on a hiatus in 2002, but returned two years later. There was a 1996 demo, called Not For Sale!, which featured three songs. It was distributed freely at concerts. Drummer Ichiro Nagai left expressing dissatisfaction with the music and was in Concerto Moon soon. He was heard on Nakamura’s solo record alongside Sesto in 1994. With Sesto on drums the band cut a two-song demo called Not For Sale! 2. The group was heard on the 1998 debut, Sensitive Pictures. It was produced by Manabu Kokado who had worked with Marge Litch. The band went on a national tour. The group’s keyboardist left. The group was seen on the compilation video Hush! Special: Make It Shine Video Vol. 3 - Merodious (sic) Hard Rock Battle in the year 2000. The same year brought an EP called … In The Dark. The band switched to King Records and issued Blindman next. Still Castle issued the band’s live video Blindman Live 2001. A new edition of Melodic Metal Convention witnessed the band on a bill with Saber Tiger, Earthshaker and others. Nakamura helped with keyboards and arrangement on Aphasia’s Labyrinth In My Heart album of 2003. The two bands were on the same label. The group appeared at Pure Rock Japan pre and post disbandment. Katsutoshi Murakami and Youki Usuba joined for Pain For The Pleasure resulting in an overhaul of the rhythm section. The latter man would not last beyond the record. The band appeared on stage with Concerto Moon. Another show had the band play with Saber Tiger and Cloud Nine. Yet another had the band play with Saber Tiger, Hard Gear and Fatima Hill.

Tatsuya Toda was back for Blazing Crisis, as was Louis Sesto. The latter man was out again in 2014 and would go on to work with Anthem in management and touring. He would also be in a covers’ band called Tokyo Rock Blaster playing songs from a variety of hard rock and metal acts with Kan of Naked Machine. Naoto Shibata of Anthem also made an appearance with this act! Evergreen in 2013 was a self-cover version compilation record and the tracks were all re-recorded versions. To The Light was on Walküre Records, which is a sub-label of Disk Union. The band re-christened itself Project Blindman for 2015.

Singer Ray joined in 2016 and was heard on the subsequent albums. The pandemic forced the cancellation of 2020 live activities except for two socially distanced shows. In the meantime, drymmer Minari contributed to the song Brightness by Nemophila guitarist Saki. Earthshaker, Blindman and Punish played together in Tokyo in June 2022. Using the [UNITE FOR EXPANSION] monicker the band was playing Tokyo’s Rock Maykan in November 2022, as well as Nagoya and Osaka. More self-cover versions followed through an EP called Outburst in 2023. The band announced a concert at Jack Lion in Osaka for February 2024. There were separate concerts opening for Saber Tiger and Sexmachineguns, alongside Phantom Excaliver, and opening for Concerto Moon in the year. There was a one-off concert in Sendai in the north of Japan and a The Prologue To 30th Anniversary gig in Tokyo to end 2024. The band was demoing material for a new record in early 2025.

Reviews

Interviews

Blindman