Hagane is the Japanese word for steel. It is a good name for a band that was cut in half and came back harder.
The First Version
HAGANE formed on 23 June 2018. Its own name for what it plays is harmonic metal.
The constant in the band is the guitarist Sakura, a founding member who also composes and arranges the songs.
The first mini-album, EpisodeØ, came out in June 2020, with five songs. A first full album followed in June 2022.
The Split
In May 2023, after a one-man show at Shinjuku ReNY, the band’s singer, Uyu, and one of its guitarists, Mayto., left. They did not stop playing. The two of them went on to start a new band, Mana Diagram.
So one band became two. For a while HAGANE had no singer.
The Second Version
On 23 April 2024 the band announced two new members: a vocalist, Nagi, and a drummer, JUNNA. With Sakura on guitar and Sayaka on bass, that made a four-piece.
It got to work at once. An EP, Life Goes On!, arrived on 22 August 2024. The title was hard to misread. On 30 April 2025 came a full album, TOP OF THE TOWER, with eleven songs. It was the first album by the new lineup.
Then, on 9 July 2026, two releases on the same day: an EP called METAL QUEST, and “Amour Chain,” written as the theme song for a Nintendo Switch game.
A game tie-in is a real milestone for a band at this level. It puts the music in front of people who have never been to a metal show.
Why It Matters
Losing a singer and a guitarist at the same moment ends most bands. HAGANE replaced half its lineup, kept its writer, and has released an EP, a full album and a second EP since.
And the departure produced a second band worth hearing. The scene came out of it one band richer.
Start with TOP OF THE TOWER, then METAL QUEST.
