Izora (album)

Izora (異空) is the twenty-third studio album by the Japanese rock band Buck-Tick. It was released on April 12, 2023. The album peaked at the 2nd position on the Oricon Albums Chart and is the band's first Top 3 album on Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart. Its charting success makes it a rare example for such a long-lasting band and their "will and persistence" on the Japanese music scene. It is the last album featuring lead singer Atsushi Sakurai, who died on October 19, 2023.

Release
It is the band's first studio album in three years. It was released on April 12, 2023, by Lingua Sounda/Victor in regular edition on CD, cassette, Vinyl and in limited edition A (with Blu-ray) and B (DVD), as well as digital download and streaming.

Singles "Taiyou to Ikaros" (titled "太陽とイカロス") and "Mugen Loop" (titled "無限 Loop") were released on March 8 and 22 respectively.

The song "Sayonara Shelter" was previously released in September 2022 on compilation album Catalogue The Best 35th Anniv., inspired by a Ukrainian girl singing "Let It Go" during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Chart performance
The album peaked at the 2nd position on the Oricon Albums Chart with over 17 thousand copies sold and charted for 10 weeks. On the Oricon Rock Albums Chart also charted at 2nd place. It is band's first Top 3 album on Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart.

Singles "Taiyou to Ikaros" and "Mugen Loop" both charted at 10th position on the Oricon Singles Chart. "Mugen Loop" also peaked at 2nd place on the Oricon Rock Singles Chart. Both singles did not chart on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, but on Top Singles Sales peaked on 12th and 14th position.

Promotion
The release of the album was quickly followed by a nationwide tour in Japan with over 20 concerts in 18 locations, originally scheduled to end with FishTankers Only (fan club) concerts on September 17 and 18 at Gunma Music Center in Gunma prefecture, not far from their small hometown of Fujioka. To allow their fanbase located too far away in Japan and other countries to enjoy their live concert, those with "W" fan memberships could buy tickets to stream the live house show held on September 18, 2023. In August of 2023 additional live tours were announced with eight dates from October 20 until December 09, 2023. With the sudden death of lead singer Atsushi Sakurai on October 19, 2023, additional tours were canceled.

Buck-Tick

 * Atsushi Sakurai – lead vocals
 * Hisashi Imai – guitars, theremin, vocals
 * Hidehiko Hoshino – guitars, keyboards
 * Yutaka Higuchi – bass guitar
 * Toll Yagami – drums, percussion

Production

 * Junichi Tanaka – co-producing
 * Yokohama Kazutoshi – editing
 * Clemens Schleiwies – mastering
 * Hitoshi Hiruma – mixing, recording
 * Yow-Row – synthesizer (#3, #8)
 * Kazunori Akita – artwork