The Back Horn

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Back Horn


Img_capt = Members from left to right: Yamada, Suganami, Okamine, Matsuda
Img_size =
Landscape = yes
Background = group_or_band
Origin = flagicon|Japan Tokyo, Japan
Status = Active
Years_active = 1998 - present
Genre = Indie rock
Nu metalcite web|url=http://www.keikaku.net/features/53|title=The Back Horn/the band apart @ Nihon University live|publisher=Keikaku|date=2005-10-19|accessdate=2007-11-14]
Label = Victor Entertainment
Speedstar Records
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://thebackhorn.com/ thebackhorn.com]
Current_members = Yamada
Suganami
Okamine
Matsuda

nihongo|The Back Horn|ザ・バックホーン is a Japanese rock group, formed in Tokyo, Japan in 1998.

History

The band got started around April in 1998, when the original members all came to Tokyo from the countryside where they all lived, all for different reasons. They met, and decided to start a band. First called Gyorai, they soon changed their name to The Back Horn.

Following their first notable performance at the Fuji Rock Festival in 1999, they released a mini-album "Doko e Yuku" on Kando Records. Seven months after that, they released their first full-length, "Yomigaeru Hi". After this, the band got signed to a major label, Speedstar Records. Although they, to this day, still remain on Speedstar Records' roster, they're still often thought of as an indie band. It was also around this time when Hirabayashi decided to leave the band.

It was only after the release of their first album release on Speedstar Records, "Ningen Program", that they found a new bassist, Okamine Kohshu, though he wasn't immediately made a full-time member. He was however involved in recording of the next album, "Shinzou Orchestra", and while touring for the album, the band announced that he was now an official member.

As the band was becoming increasingly popular, they were asked to provide music for 2 movies: Kiyoshi Kurosawa's "Bright Future" and Kazuaki Kiriya's "Casshern", releasing the album "IKIRU SAINOU" in between them.

After a couple of tours, including a show at the Rock In Japan festival, a couple of single releases and the release of their first live DVD, they released their 5th full-length, "Headphone Children", considered by many to be a concept album. The song "Kiseki" from the album was used in the horror movie "Zoo". The tour following Headphone Children was a huge success and the band decided to release a live album of it, entitled "Ubugoe Chainsaw" which contained the best performances of songs from the tour. 2 months later, Back Horn played their first show in Europe, at a festival in Barcelona, Spain.

The band then released several singles and did some shows, including an acoustic street tour with only Yamada and Suganami, where they performed on the streets of Japan for free. In April, 2006 they released their 6th full-length, "Taiyou no Naka no Seikatsu", and then their 7th album in May, 2007, self-titled "THE BACK HORN". Their 16th major single release, "Wana", was used as the first ending theme to the fall 2007 anime, Mobile Suit Gundam 00. In January, 2008, they released a compilation album "Best The Back Horn" to celebrate their 10 year anniversary. Their 8th album titled Pulse was released on September 3, 2008.

Members

*Yamada Masashi - vocals
*Suganami Eijun - guitar
*Okamine Kohshu - bass
*Matsuda Shinji - drums

Past members

*Hirabayashi Naoki - bass

Discography

ingles

Indie

*"Fuusen" – 2000/09/25

Major

*"Sunny" – 2001/04/25
*"Sora, Hoshi, Umi no Yoru" – 2001/08/22
*"Sekaiju no Shita de" – 2002/05/29
*"Namida ga Koboretara" – 2002/08/28
*"Mirai" – 2003/01/22
*"Hikari no Kesshou" – 2003/06/18
*"Seimeisen" – 2003/08/20
*"Yume no Hana" – 2004/07/21
*"Cobalt Blue" – 2004/11/03
*"KIZUNA Song" – 2005/01/26
*"Black Hole Birthday" – 2005/12/16
*"Hajimete no Kokyuu de" – 2006/02/08
*"Chaos Diver" – 2006/03/22
*"Koe" – 2006/12/20
*"Utsukushii Namae" – 2007/03/21
*"Wana" – 2007/11/14
*"Kakusei" – 2008/05/21

Albums

Indie

*"Doko e Yuku" (mini-album) – 1999/09/22
*"Yomigaeru Hi" – 2000/04/25

Major

*"Ningen Program" – 2001/10/17
*"Shinzou Orchestra" – 2002/11/13
*"IKIRU SAINOU" – 2003/10/22
*"Headphone Children" – 2005/03/16
*"Taiyou no Naka no Seikatsu" – 2006/04/19
*"THE BACK HORN" – 2007/05/23
*"Best The Back Horn" – 2008/01/23
*"Pulse" – 2008/08/03

Live

*"Ubugoe Chainsaw" – 2005/08/24

References

External links

* [http://thebackhorn.com The Back Horn's official homepage]
* [http://www.project-j.org/backhorn.htm Fan-made profile in English]