Such a staggeringly wide category of music (“non-VK”) requires an equally broad range of suggestions, so here I go with three totally random picks, for now.
BLANKEY JET CITY - C.B.Jim (1993)
To me this album exudes pure raw youthful energy, distilled into fun punky rock ‘n’ roll tunes. Sharp guitars, tasty bass and absolutely animal drumming. One of the greatest power trios of Japan in the '90s (I could’ve also easily chosen their previous album “BANG!”).
NUMBER GIRL - SAPPUKEI (2000)
As far as I’m concerned, they were The indie-rock band. Such a creative way of playing and arranging, yet it’s not like crazy math-rock that might go over your head. Great sound on this one overall, somehow both clear and dirty. An electric buzz of tension and joy.
Church of Misery - Houses of the Unholy (2009)
One of Japan’s premiere metal bands in my eyes. They take stoner and doom metal tropes and crank everything up beyond eleven. The lumbering bluesy riffs sound like barbed wire caught in molten lava. In other words, pretty pleasant stuff. Can’t go wrong with their other albums either.
