Kessoku Band (album)

Kessoku Band (結束バンド) is the debut studio album by Kessoku Band, a fictional musical group from the anime television series Bocchi the Rock!. It was released digitally by Aniplex on December 25, 2022, and physically on CD on December 28. Featuring vocals from voice actresses Yoshino Aoyama, Sayumi Suzushiro, Saku Mizuno, and Ikumi Hasegawa, the album consists of songs featured in the anime series, including a cover version of Asian Kung-Fu Generation's "Rockn' Roll, Morning Light Falls on You", as well as newly recorded material; nine singles preceded the album's physical release.

Kessoku Band received positive reviews for its composition and vocal performances. Commercially, it peaked at number one on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart and Oricon Albums Chart and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.

Background and release
Kessoku Band is a fictional musical group in the manga series Bocchi the Rock!. In the anime adaptation of the manga, Yoshino Aoyama, Sayumi Suzushiro, Saku Mizuno, and Ikumi Hasegawa provided the voices for Kessoku Band's members Hitori Gotō, Nijika Ijichi, Ryō Yamada, and Ikuyo Kita, respectively. After the airing of the fifth episode, it was announced that the group will release a self-titled album, consisting of 14 tracks including those featured in the anime series. The musicians in charge of Kessoku Band, Osamu Hidai (drums), Yūichi Takama (bass guitar), Akkin (guitar) and Ritsuo Mitsui (guitar), were selected by music director Gen Okamura through personal connections, with Hasegawa performing the vocals for most of the songs.

"Secret Base", "I Can't Sing a Love Song", "The Little Sea", and "Flashbacker" are newly recorded songs for the album, while "Rockn' Roll, Morning Light Falls on You" is a cover version of the Asian Kung-Fu Generation song of the same name, and served as the ending song of the anime's twelfth and final episode. Several Japanese musicians have contributed to the album's songs, such as Ai Higuchi, Otoha (musician), Ikkyū Nakajima of Tricot and Genie High, Maguro Taniguchi of Kana-Boon, Yūho Kitazawa of the Peggies, Kayoko Kusano, and Zaq.

Nine singles debuted prior to the album's physical release: "Seishun Complex" and "Distortion!!" on October 9, 2022; "Karakara" on October 30; "Guitar, Loneliness and Blue Planet" on November 6; "That Band" and "What Is Wrong With" on November 27; and "Never Forget", "If I Could Be a Constellation", and "Rockn' Roll, Morning Light Falls on You" on December 25. Kessoku Band was distributed in advance on digital music and streaming platforms on December 25, 2022, before releasing in CD format on December 28. A limited edition of the CD included a Blu-ray containing the opening and ending sequences of the anime series. The album was also released as a two-disc vinyl LP on December 27, 2023. Kessoku Band performed the album's songs at the Kessoku Band Live: Kōsei event, held at Zepp Haneda in Tokyo on May 21, 2023.

Critical reception
In a review for Mikiki, Shi called Kessoku Band "a truly exceptional piece of music that does not get stuck in the usual 'anime song style. The reviewer stated that the album is in the vein of Japanese rock music, and that the "metal-like" lead guitar creates a unique structure that "did not seem to exist at the time of the 2000s and 2010s". Shi praised the vocals, particularly of Hasegawa and Aoyama, and the album's cohesiveness, but described the transition from the beginning to middle as "rough". Tomonori Shiba, writing for Nikkei Marketing Journal, described the music as high-quality and "filled with the essence of Japanese guitar rock from the 2000s onward", which originated in Shimokitazawa, the primary setting of Bocchi the Rock!. Z11 of Real Sound (website) opined that the album's sound corresponds to the theme of the series; the vocals "give a sense of a world connected to the story" and the texture of the songs evokes the presence of the main characters.

Commercial performance
Kessoku Band debuted at number one on Billboard Japan's Download Albums chart dated December 28, 2022, with 5,877 downloads during the period dated December 19–25, and has remained at the top for seven non-consecutive weeks. It also entered atop the Top Albums Sales chart dated January 4, 2023, with 73,244 sales recorded during the period dated December 26, 2022, to January 1, 2023. The album opened at number six on the Hot Albums chart dated December 28, 2022, but rose to number one the following week. The album also debuted atop the Oricon Albums Chart dated January 9, 2023, selling 72,553 copies in its first week. It also topped the Digital Albums Chart and Combined Albums Chart on the same issue date. Kessoku Band remained at number one in the Digital Albums Chart for four consecutive weeks, marking the first time a female group achieved that record. It ranked in the top 10 of the chart for 25 non-consecutive weeks. In June 2024, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan for reaching 250,000 shipments.

The album topped Billboard Japan's 2023 year-end Download Albums chart and ranked 11th in the year-end Hot Albums chart. It also topped Oricon's year-end Digital Albums Chart with 70,132 downloads, which is the first time a female group took first place in the ranking.

Track listing
Credits adapted from Tidal and the album's liner notes.

Personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal and the album's liner notes.

Fictional line-up

 * Ikuyo Kita – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
 * Hitori Gotō – lead guitar, lyrics
 * Ryō Yamada – bass guitar, backing vocals, music
 * Nijika Ijichi – drums and percussion

Musicians

 * Osamu Hidai – drums
 * Yūichi Takama – bass guitar
 * Akkin – guitar, arrangement
 * Ritsuo Mitsui – guitar, arrangement
 * Yoshino Aoyama (as Hitori Gotō) – vocals (track 14)
 * Sayumi Suzushiro (as Nijika Ijichi) – vocals (track 10)
 * Saku Mizuno (as Ryō Yamada) – vocals (track 8)
 * Ikumi Hasegawa (as Ikuyo Kita) – vocals (tracks 1–7, 9, 11–13)

Technical

 * Gen Okamura – director
 * Gendam – recording, mixing
 * Yūji Kamijō – recording
 * Mitsuyasu Abe – mastering
 * Masaharu Yamanouchi – production
 * Ken Kobayashi – production cooperation
 * Shunsuke Arai – production cooperation
 * Naomi Kobayashi – production cooperation
 * Yūji Kimura – production cooperation
 * Keigo Mikami – production cooperation
 * Yōko Shimane – production cooperation
 * Kōhei Yamada – production cooperation

Design

 * Kerorira – key frame
 * Asuka Yokota – coloring
 * Tsubasa Kanamori – photography
 * Yasunao Moriyasu – background
 * Tomoyuki Uchikoga – product design