The heydays of nu-metal and rap rock are long gone, we all know that. And actually, Japan never really had a scene on its own to begin with, as even back in the days, they rather had bands that just incorporated nu-metal and / or rap rock elements into their own, unique style. So it might come across as a surprise that someone in Japan thought that it would be a good idea to put together a group with two girls singing nu-metal. Still, that’s just what happened and the result is EMNW, the duo of Emma and Menu, that started in 2024 and released its debut album after a series of singles. And what’s even more surprising is… that it actually works. And it works very, very well.

The other unusual thing about the group is the simple fact that it is made up of two girls (+ an ever changing group of support musicians), while nu-metal was always an extremely male dominated genre. The only notable exception was Kittie, a Canadian band, that got fairly popular around 2000. Still, they were nothing like EMNW: Kittie’s sound, besides the aggressive guitars and rapping, was dominated by high-pitched, melodic, kinda popish vocals and they were sporting a “sexy rock chick” look that was definitely a hook for many male fans. Meanwhile EMNW’s sound is a lot more straightforward and, wearing baggy, massively oversized sports dresses, they also completely avoid the sexy direction. And it makes the whole thing feel very natural, so even though we all know that the idea for the group came from the mind of a music producer, the end result feels way less forced than many of the actual nu-metal bands that were running around in the golden age of the genre, trying to act very tough and very cool.

I am just guessing here, but maybe what that producer thought was that with all this Y2K retro going on in recent years, it might be a good time to tap into it and try starting a group like this, that recalls that era? And while at it, why not do it with a twist and have two girls singing? (Which is actually kinda logical, as the girl duo formula was always quite popular in Japan, ever since the ’60s.) And after they successfully avoided the traps of going either the sexy or the cute way, what we have at the end is just two girls having fun with a bunch of great songs, adding their cool energy and strong vocals to the retro vibe.

The album, for the most part, contains re-recorded version of their earlier single cuts and while there are some obvious highlights, like More Fire, the groovy Headbang Baby, the fun Chōshi dō dai?, the album opener Good Vibes Only and of course their cover of Rollin’, actually all the songs are pretty strong and have something new and cool to offer. Even My Right Time, which, with its typical mellower J-Rock sound is the only one that doesn’t fit into the mix that much. But while there are some occasional detours, like the ska-core parts in Brain Dead People or the the punkish vibe of Check It Out, actually most of the tracks go for the very same energetic, aggressive (but never excessively aggressive) nu-metal / rap rock sound and as a result, even though the songs were originally recorded and released during a period of two years, we got a very solid, cohesive album at hand. Proving that EMNW’s producer, Kuboty (formerly of Total Fat, nowadays a support member of Mongol800) had a very clear idea of what he wanted. And to make sure that the songs weren’t just well-written, but also sounded good, he recruited a pretty impressive supporting cast for the album, that included members of Crystal Lake, Crossfaith, Yamaarashi, Dragon Ash and more. And this all resulted in not just a consistent musical direction, but also a consistently high quality.

So, even though it is a made-by-a-producer sort of “manufactured” group, thanks to the obvious enthusiasm and craftmanship that went into the album, it never for one moment feels like a product. Instead it is a fun ride to a past that never was, where nu-metal was not just for wannabe tough guys, but also for girls who just want to have some fun.

EMNW: EMNW
2026.03.06. / EMNW Records
cd, digital

01.Good Vibes Only
02.Get it, Get it
03.Here We Go EMNW!!
04.Headbang Baby
05.百ゼロ (Hyaku zero)
06.Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle)
07.ちぇけら (Check It Out)
08.調子どうだい? (Chōshi dō dai?)
09.Brain Dead People
10.More Fire
11.My Right Time
12.Kamasu