VIOLET ETERNAL is half Japanese and half Italian, and that is the whole idea. It exists because a guitarist in Japan wanted to work with a particular singer in Italy, and went and asked.
The Two
The guitarist is Jien Takahashi, known in Japan for the band MAJUSTICE. By the band’s own account, he wanted to build what he called the ultimate melodic power metal duo.
The singer he had in mind was Ivan Giannini. Takahashi already admired Giannini’s work with the Italian bands Vision Divine and Derdian. He found him online and made the offer.
It worked. The pair then brought in Ollie Bernstein, a bassist they both knew, and later Andrea Cappellari. The lineup has since grown to five with YAMATO.
The Albums
The first album, Reload the Violet, came out in May 2024. Its lead track, “The Echoes of Time,” was presented as a grand power metal anthem, and reviewers abroad singled out the two founders: Giannini’s voice and Takahashi’s guitar. One review described the record as oriental melodic metal with emotional vocals.
The second album, Azure Stardust, was released on 23 September 2026. Its fast single “Azure Explosion” came with a video.
Playing Japan
A band with members on two continents does not play many shows. When VIOLET ETERNAL does, it goes all in.
It played its first Japanese concerts in 2025, in Tokyo, including a two-day double bill with the band THE Kanmuri. Among the guests on those nights was PARADOXX.
In October 2026 it came back for two nights at Otsuka Hearts+: a double-headline show with Jupiter on 5 October, with each band playing for nearly two hours, and a solo headline show the next night that was billed at three hours.
Why It Matters
Japanese and European power metal have long admired each other from a distance. VIOLET ETERNAL skips the distance. It puts a Japanese songwriter and an Italian voice in the same band and lets the two traditions meet directly.
Start with “The Echoes of Time,” then Azure Stardust.
