Nagoya rockers Coldrain are "Chasing Shadows" in their new era, upcoming EP 'Optimize' slated to release this Autumn
- George Knight
- Aug 6
- 3 min read
In the current year of 2025, Japanese rock outfit Coldrain ignited a thrilling new era by breaking free from the constraints of their longtime label, Warner Music Japan. Many international fans felt overlooked and frustrated because the band wasn't fully leveraging its potential in the global market. The band finally addressed these critcisms by signing a contract with German based label Century Media Records who are home to such bands like Arch Enemy, Blind Channel, Buckcherry, Electric Callboy, Suicide Silence, and fellow Japanese natives Crystal Lake. Century Media is a rock label that is a subsidary of Sony Music, who Coldrain previously had a brief relationship with for the Australian deluxe of their third studio album The Revelation (2014), where they were bizzarely labelmates with contestants from The X Factor Australia. As part of the new deal with Century Media, the band also put pen to paper with Sony Music in their home country.
Subsequently, they released the alt-metal smash hit "Incomplete" back in March, announced European tour dates for August and November/December, hinted at the release of their fifth EP Optimize, and have now unveiled their latest single "Chasing Shadows".
Ever since Nonnegative (2022), fans of the Nagoya natives have patiently awaited for the follow-up, which as of now, is the longest gap between studio albums in the band's history. While the band released anime-related songs in the form of "New Dawn" and "Vengeance", these barely satisfied the crave for two years. However, in July 2024, the post-hardcore outfit first teased newly written songs would be performed during their November One Man Tour in a post shared on X (Twitter).
On 18th November, they delivered on their promise and debuted "Incomplete" live for the first time in Osaka, Japan. For international fans, "Incomplete" remained an enigma with zero coverage until they released the studio version on 20 March 2025. Though it came alongside their label debut, many sensed what else there was to come, with potentially the eighth studio album coming out at some point during the year. However, the band put their questions to rest, with the announcement of the band's fifth extended play Optimize on 11th July, alongside a Japanese tour to promote the release. Nonetheless, this sparked additional pressing questions about the new era. Why an EP instead of a full length album after all this time? There was no release date put in place, though they vaguely labelled an Autumn release window for Optimize. Not much is still known about it, until today...
Today, on August 6th, the band unexpectedly released their latest single "Chasing Shadows," which is thought to be the second single from their forthcoming EP, Optimize. This hard rock anthem, combined with electronic components and a powerful pop hook, comes with a dimly-lit atmospheric music video, showcasing the heavyweights performing the song on a desolate plain, overshadowed by dark silhouettes. Notably, this is the first time frontman Masato Hayakawa sings in Japanese on a Coldrain track, which is briefly belted during the second chorus in the third minute.
The song explores themes of truth-seeking and questioning values, alongside the ominous threats to authority figures. The quintet occasionally incorporate political allegories into their music, and this track ticks another box with its strong political undertones resonating powerfully in today's intense political climate. Hayakawa commented:
"This song was inspired by tales of people who questioned the values and rules they were given, and try to find the truth for themselves. I wanted to share how important it is to explore + understand each other, instead of easily moving toward conflict or anger. Even if the world feels closed off, the fire inside us can’t be put out. It’s a message to keep taking small steps forward, even when we feel lost."
Interestingly, some fans have compared Hayakawa's outfit in the music video to D.B. Cooper, while others see similarities to Keanu Reeves' character Neo from The Matrix (1999), potentially adding layers to the song's theme of questioning a constructed reality. Regardless, "Chasing Shadows" has tiny [hugely] sparked significant hype among fans, who are eagerly anticipating its live debut during their upcoming dates in Germany this month.
The digital single release features "Chasing Shadows" and "Incomplete," suggesting that "Vengeance," the 2024 Ninja Kamui tie-in, is exclusive to Final Destination (XV Re:Recorded). This also indicates that "New Dawn" (2023) might remain without a home, implying that the band's upcoming release, Optimize, will likely include the singles released this year along with other unreleased tracks by the time the EP is launched.
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