SHOW-YA – Outerlimits +2 [SHM-CD remastered] HQ *0dayrox Exclusive*

All-female Japanese melodic rockers SHOW-YA crystalized this year their comeback with the really good new album ‘Showdown’, and some of you asked for their best – specifically one of their more AOR – records from the ’80s. The answer should be 1989’s ‘Outerlimits’, with all that year type of sound with keyboards and a glossy production.
Here’s the recent reissue of ”Outerlimits +2 [SHM-CD remastered]”, for the first time on SHM and including two bonus tracks (singles B-sides). This special edition appeared as celebration for the band’s 30th anniversary.
With their national hit songs, TV appearances, and Japan’s biggest female band event held by Show-Ya themselves, they are one of the most well-known metal related acts in this country, whether be it male or female. You can also find a lot of younger musicians heavily influenced by them.

Hailing from Tokyo, the band was formed in 1981 by Keiko Terada (vocals) and Miki Nakamura (keyboards). Four months after forming, they won the Yamaha EastWest ’81 Battle of The Bands. Due to that win, the band would be invited to the Yamaha EastWest multiple times from 82-84 despite the few lineup changes along the way.
Their multiple appearances quickly gained the band notoriety which snagged them a record deal with Toshiba EMI in 1984. Although SHOW-YA successfully signed a deal, the guitarist opted out of the band leaving the band in dire need for another member.

As fast as the lineup change happened, they quickly hired guitarist Miki Igarashi, and completed the core lineup fans famously know: Keiko Terada on vocals, Miki “Captain” Nakamura on keyboards, Miki “Mittan” Tsunoda on drums, Satomi Sendba on bass, and Miki “Sun-Go” Igarashi on guitar. They would release records yearly from the mid-80’s onward.

“Outerlimits” is SHOW-YA’s seventh full-length album and was released in July 1989. The original CD is composed of eleven tracks with a runtime of forty-seven minutes.
For anyone looking to peruse not just SHOW-YA’s discography, but the early days of the all-female Japanese rock scene in general, ”Outerlimits is where to begin”.
This album glistens with a crisp production and runs the gamut from atmospheric melodic rock balladry and head-bangin’ good times to triumphant hard rock fury. It’s the band’s defining moment.

It’s also their best-selling disc with two of their biggest hits, which in a way is amusing since their prior three records seemed tailor-made to attract a mainstream audience apparently yearning for hairspray rock, but those albums never came even close to the success of this monster.
”Outerlimits” plays like a document of a bunch of girls venting all this pent-up rage by bringing back the fury of early ’80s metal while retaining some AOR pep, now with more muscle than during the bands early days when they had the attitude but not the heavy tone.

When I first heard this, I knew I was in for some serious entertainment with Keiko belting out “Start your engines!!” ringing out like “STAH DA EJJAAA!!!” before the British-inspired opening set of riffs burst through the gate like el toro through a matador’s ass.
Other ripping tracks include the famous and quintessential “限界Lovers” that’s not only propulsive yet catchy, but boasts a tripped-out echo-cloaked guitar solo.
Other highlight is the closing beauty known as “Battle Express”. Broadsword swinging crunchy US metal glory that’s epic in scope yet less than five minutes in length; it’s an utterly perfect song for this genre.

In the power ballad territory “INORI / 祈り” is sincerely wondrous, beautiful and heartfelt. Nice acoustic strumming, Keiko singing to the heavens, and an atmospheric keyboard solo followed by Miki Igarashi’s guitar brilliance. “Paranoia Paradise” is another favorite, like a demented G-n-R tune with some tempo shifts into ‘double-time’.
“Trouble” is an upbeat engine and “Look at Me!” is hard rock at its anthemic finest.

If ”Outerlimits” isn’t the most important and influential all-female no-frills hard rock album from the Japanese scene, it’s pretty close. And it has every right to be, since this landmark has aged quite well, with a special call-out to keyboardist “Miki Nakamura” for minimizing the synths for more Hammond hammering.
Now that there’s a slew of all-female metal related bands wailing away and singing their hearts out all over Japan, it’s worth it to check out where all this craziness began.
Highly Recommended

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01 – OUT OF LIMITS
02 – LOOK AT ME!
03 – GENKAI Lovers
04 – TROUBLE
05 – YASEI NO BARA
06 – INORI
07 – KAIGENREI NO MACHI -Cry for the Freedom-
08 – BAD BOYS
09 – WATASHI WA ARASHI
10 – Paranoia Paradise
11 – BATTLE EXPRESS
SHM-CD Bonus Tracks:
12 – WHAT DO YOU SAY?
13 – Ai no FRUSTRATION

Vocals – Keiko Terada
Guitar, Chorus – Miki Igarashi
Keyboards, Chorus – Miki Nakamura
Bass, Chorus – Satomi Senba
Drums, Chorus – Miki Tsunoda

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www.musicjapanet.com/Music/Product/Show-Ya-Outerlimits-Bonus-Rema-CD-4988005875600