The up and coming band, Man with a Mission has begun making waves out of Japan. Their origin comes straight from a comic book; they come from a land farthest from all others, “Ladyland.” They were created, wolf-like superbeings, by the mad scientist Dr. Jimi (Jimi Hendrix) to combat the evil chaotic nature of humanity. Fearing the potential wickedness of his creation, he froze the band in the glaciers of the South Pole for eternal slumber, only to be released by the pollution of man; a colorful fiction explaining the purpose behind the wolf masks and giving the band an aura of mystery that seems to work for the faceless sound.

The wolf masks were a bit gimmicky for me in the beginning, though not to the extent of bands like K.I.S.S. with all the make-up and platform boots. Also the fact that they’re a Japanese based band put me off at first. Most rock bands we get to hear about originate from the US or UK and a band out of Japan made me think of Baby Metal, a Japanese band that still confuses me to this day, with it’s merging of Heavy Metal and the popular Japanese Idol singing. After listening, however, my opinions quickly changed as I got over the wolf masks and became a member of the pack.

Fusing rock, rap, and dance, Man with a Mission create a high energy symphony of vocals, guitar, bass, drums, and beats reminiscent of an early LinkinPark. This energy lends itself to jumping, though I refrained from it while listening at my desk. Although I haven’t seen them live, from what I have seen online, this is definitely one of the bands you should see in person as the high energy will keep the crowd moving while the fanbase the band attracts won’t bring about an epidemic of moshpits and bloody noses. I have been to a number of concerts and festivals in my day, Mayhem and Aftershock come to mind, and bands like Man with a Mission are the ones to really get the blood pumping.

A great example of their upbeat energizing sound is “Distance,” a single from
Man with a Mission that quickly rose to the number six spot of the sales
chart of Oricon, the corporate group keeping track of musical statistics in Japan. It’s a high octane “chant-a-long,” whose lyrics act as a battle cry urging people to stop waiting for god who, “We know that he was never here for us to listen,” and instead, “Relaugh. Prepare to fight. The world we want to change tonight. And all the miracles we make. Cause together we won’t feel the distance now.” It’s a pretty powerful piece on how people should stop waiting for “a sign” and instead work together to achieve more than what a prayer can do. Another example of their sound, “Get Off my Way,” shows their versatility as artists. Keeping their sound but doing so to rap instead of the more traditional vocals like “Distance.” The song starts with a guitar riff that sounds like it could care less for what people think and is trailed by lyrics that follow suit. The chorus is a bit odd lyrically as it just repeats the name of the song but it really pushes the pace of the music so the trade off is just about even. 

Overall, Man with a Mission is a good band out of Japan with potential in the American music scene. Sadly not yet on Pandora, you’ll have to look them up to listen to their music but I think it’s a small obstacle between you, and good music. 3.5 out of 5, if they played in America, my opinion may change for the better but until I see them live and in person, I don’t think I’ll be able to experience the full potential of their music.