C-GATE has been a band twice. The first version started in a mountain city and then went silent for a year. The second has a different singer and has not slowed down since.
Matsumoto
C-GATE formed in 2012 in Matsumoto, a castle town in Nagano Prefecture, in the mountains of central Japan. The members were still at high school. They had made three demo CDs by the time they graduated, and offers to play in Tokyo and elsewhere followed.
In 2015 the band moved its base to Tokyo. A first full album, void, came out in April 2016. The following year it released a record produced by Gaku Taura, the drummer of Crystal Lake.
The Second Life
Then the band stopped. Members left, and C-GATE went on hiatus for about a year.
It came back on 4 October 2019 with a new vocalist, NaShun. The core since then has been three people: NaShun on vocals, Ryo Sakura on guitar and vocals, and Hiroki on drums and vocals.
The Releases
The second version of the band has released music every year: “SAMSARA” in 2021, “Bident” in 2022, “FEAR” in 2023, “DURGA” and “SMASH BROS.” in 2024, “FORCE” and “MANUS” in 2025.
On 19 August 2026 came RAGE MAX, a three-song release with the tracks “RAGE MAX,” “SHINJUKU” and “DIVE INTO THE DARK.”
“SMASH BROS.” is worth a note. It features the Saitama band Azami, and Azami has since had C-GATE and NaShun as guests on one of its own songs.
The Stage Ahead
C-GATE has been announced for TRUE NORTH FESTIVAL on 22 November 2026 at Toyosu PIT. That festival is run by Crystal Lake. Nine years after that band’s drummer produced a C-GATE record, C-GATE is on its bill.
Why It Matters
A lot of bands formed at school in a provincial city do not survive the move to Tokyo. This one survived the move, a year’s silence and a change of singer.
Start with “SMASH BROS.,” then RAGE MAX.
