_{Review by Kayla Hamilton (@kaylazomboid)}

BLARE FEST. 2026 EXTRA feat. HOUSE OF PROTECTION w/ KNOSIS, Ebisu LIQUID ROOM, Tokyo, Japan 5/2/26

If two days of festival mayhem were not enough, or if you could not get your hands on a ticket, BLARE FEST put on a Tokyo showcase for two of the festival’s international acts. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned due to scheduling issues for the headliner, Memphis May Fire. According to the organisers, one of the members was unable to make it to Tokyo on time for the scheduled performance, which only came to light the day before this live was supposed to take place. Causing chaos and an absolute fuss on Twitter amongst eager Japanese fans, it meant that California’s House Of Protection were taking over as headliners- but for the price and set length, it was a pretty hard ask for them to go forward as a One-Man show.

Attracted by the chaos, a place where they live and thrive, at the eleventh hour, local heroes KNOSIS stepped up to the plate, ensuring the show would not just go on…but become truly unforgettable.

Now NOISE ’N’ VISUALS is no stranger to KNOSIS, especially this writer, but it has been a long time between dances. Some of the band’s faithful following had made sure to make an appearance, and the room quickly filled up. Hitting the stage, frontman Ryo Kinoshita was fired up, and after a few choice words, they ripped into Machine Head’s ‘Davidian’. It was a twin guitar night, with Yasui from PROMPTS and Sugi from BLARE FEST hosts coldrain taking up the duties. Delivering their trademark explosivity, it wasn’t long until Ryo was leaning over the crowd and eventually making his way into the pit to get everybody moving to his liking. ‘Naraku’ had the circle pit spinning, ‘Imi Oni’ had the pile-ons, and there was not a moment of low energy throughout the entire set.

Ryo also reminded the audience that this was the second time he had stepped in for Memphis May Fire, with the first being back in 2014 when he fronted Crystal Lake, which added a little more edge to his very aggressive performance. There were many great moments. A new song that seemingly lyrically referenced Eminem’s ‘The Way I Am’, which went well with Ryo’s bleached blonde hair. The offstage half of KNOSIS and frontman of Survive Said The Prophet Yosh Morita also made an appearance, performing Hanabie.’s Yukina’s section of ‘Fuhai’. Finishing off with ‘Yakusai’, the room was hot and so ready for the newly crowned headliners.

When this lineup was announced, I thought to myself that these two bands were a perfect match and going from audience feedback on social media after the show, this sentiment was proven true. The lights went down, and a message went out over the speakers, telling the crowd to love and protect each other, but also expressing the message behind the duo’s music. It set the tone, and as this was my first time seeing them, I knew that the more beautiful the message, the more chaos to expect. House Of Protection hit the stage with an eager crowd awaiting. From the second vocalist, Stephen Harrison, had the mic, he was expressing his thanks to the Tokyo fans, which continued throughout the night. Ripping into ‘Pulling Teeth’, they had what can often be a tricky city to elicit the right response, acting accordingly.

By song two, ‘Learn To Forget’, Harrison found his way into the crowd. Now the venue, LIQUIDROOM, has a different setup. There is a barricade in the centre, dividing the main pit area into two. It can act as a divider between those wanting to go crazy and those wanting to observe at a safe distance- but this premise was not observed. After setting his mic stand and inspiring a circle pit at the front section, Harrison then made his way into the second section to get the other half of the pit moving. Nobody needed much convincing. Those not in the circle were jumping. Nobody could stand still.

After they played ‘Being One’, I had concluded that this show was one of the purest nights of music I have witnessed. For a band that, while the duo in other projects had previously had, had never played in Japan before, they had the audience in the palm of their hand. While Harrison has charisma and talent dripping from his pores, drawing in people like no other, drummer Aric Improta is equally impressive. I had to remind myself to move/pick up my jaw because I was just standing there in awe, letting the sound wash over me.

The next really notable moment was during ‘Better Off’, when Harrison perched himself on the centre barricade. Pulling everybody into his orbit, phone lights out, it truly was such a beautiful moment in music to witness.

Finishing up the set with ‘Fire’ and ‘It’s Supposed To Hurt’, the crowdsurfers they had wanted earlier during ‘Fuse’ finally came out of the woodwork, ending the show with energy levels through the roof. Creating such an earnest connection with the Tokyo crowd, the ‘one more song’ chants came on fast and loud. Unfortunately, there was not enough time allowed, but this led the duo to express their wish to return as soon as possible, promising that next time they would play longer.

If this show were to set the tone for BLARE FEST, then everybody in attendance who is also making their way down to Nagoya is going to come in guns blazing (metaphorically). This was one of those shows that reminds you why you love live music. Two artists who don’t just perform, but pull the audience into their world. Two artists that push the limitations of heavy music and do not stick to the confines of what the genres expect. The love and respect between the two acts, but also for everybody else in the room, was so evident.

So while things don’t always go to plan, sometimes things work out so beautifully.

House Of Protection and KNOSIS are both appearing at Day One of BLARE FEST this weekend in Nagoya.

Make sure you check them out.