Biography
Maximum the Hormone, proud creators of one of the world’s most striking single titles, Houchou Hasami Cutter Knife Dosu Kiri/Rei Rei Rei Rei Rei Rei Rei Rei Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma, operate as a Japanese nu-metal lite outfit that folds punk elements into its sound while steering clear of the teenage angst and self-importance typical of the genre’s stricter practitioners. The group came together in 1998 and issued its first album, A.S.A. Crew, the following year, followed by the EP Hou in 2001, after which guitarist Sugi and bassist Key departed. Reduced to a duo of screamo vocalist Daisuke Tsuda and singing drummer Nao Kawakita, the band soon regained quartet status by adding bassist Uehara Futoshi and Nao’s brother Ryo Kawakita, known as Maximum the Ryo, who handled guitars, melodic vocals, and songwriting.
With this lineup in place, the quartet put out the full-length indie album Mimi Kajiru the next year, then a pair of singles and the 2004 major-label release Kusoban on VAP. During this phase the group gradually moved away from its earlier radical heavy style toward a softer approach that incorporated pop touches, a shift that paid off with the 2005 album Rokkinpo Goroshi. That record brought Maximum the Hormone wider attention on the national rock scene and placed their first track, “Rolling1000toon,” in anime credits via the series AirMaster.
The band reached the Oricon Top Ten for the initial time in 2006 when “Koi No Megalover” peaked at number nine, while their anime presence expanded further as “What's Up, People?!” and “Zetsubou Billy” appeared in the concluding episodes of Death Note, whose manga edition was later banned by the Chinese government over concerns that its popularity was exerting an “unhealthy” influence on schoolchildren. The series Akagi also received a namesake track from the band. All of these songs were gathered on the 2007 album Bu Ikikaesu, which entered the charts at number five. In 2008 Maximum the Hormone toured the United States and Canada alongside Dropkick Murphys before returning home for an extensive domestic run that followed the release of the Tsume Tsume Tsume/F EP.
With this lineup in place, the quartet put out the full-length indie album Mimi Kajiru the next year, then a pair of singles and the 2004 major-label release Kusoban on VAP. During this phase the group gradually moved away from its earlier radical heavy style toward a softer approach that incorporated pop touches, a shift that paid off with the 2005 album Rokkinpo Goroshi. That record brought Maximum the Hormone wider attention on the national rock scene and placed their first track, “Rolling1000toon,” in anime credits via the series AirMaster.
The band reached the Oricon Top Ten for the initial time in 2006 when “Koi No Megalover” peaked at number nine, while their anime presence expanded further as “What's Up, People?!” and “Zetsubou Billy” appeared in the concluding episodes of Death Note, whose manga edition was later banned by the Chinese government over concerns that its popularity was exerting an “unhealthy” influence on schoolchildren. The series Akagi also received a namesake track from the band. All of these songs were gathered on the 2007 album Bu Ikikaesu, which entered the charts at number five. In 2008 Maximum the Hormone toured the United States and Canada alongside Dropkick Murphys before returning home for an extensive domestic run that followed the release of the Tsume Tsume Tsume/F EP.
Albums
Singles
