Metal
Arising Empire · 13 November 2026
“Homura” is an old Japanese word meaning “flame”, Arising Empire’s press release explains, and it’s the title of the album Sable Hills put out on the German label on 13 November. The Tokyo band, formed in 2015, bring together eleven tracks in just over 35 minutes, from “Reignite” to “Rain”.
Much of the record was already out there. “Godforsaken”, featuring Darkest Hour’s John Henry, and “Namu” came out in 2025; this year brought “Scars” on 7 August, the title track on 18 September, with vocals from Unlucky Morpheus singer Fuki, and “Labyrinth” on 16 October, which the label billed as the final single. According to the release, “Homura” is about enduring pain and finding the strength to rise from it, while “Labyrinth” deals with losing your way and finding it again by reconnecting with your roots.
In 2022 Sable Hills became the first Japanese act to win the Wacken Open Air Metal Battle, returning to the festival in 2023; they then signed to Arising Empire, which gave their third album, “Odyssey”, an international release in 2024. The band also run their own festival, Frontline Festival.
Text by Roger Estivill