Paledusk is a quartet from Fukuoka, Japan who have been making music since 2015, but they’ve only just released their first full length album on November 26th, 2025, the aptly self-titled PALEDUSK. They’ve gotten some air time on radio stations in America such as Sirius XM Liquid Metal, and they’ve also toured the states with Polaris, Currents, and Varials in 2023, but their biggest success outside of their home country has come in 2025. July was a monumental month for Paledusk. First, the anime Gachiakuta premiered on July 6th, which featured their song “HUGs” as the opening. The song as well as the anime has gone on to become very popular with fans, with “HUGs” becoming Paledusk’s most streamed song on Spotify at 7.5 million streams already, with their next popular song being “SLAY!!” coming in at 3.3 million streams, and that was released in 2022. Then, 10 days later on July 16th, AEW professional wrestler Kazuchika Okada debuted a new entrance song, “C.U.R.I.O.S.I.T.Y.” performed by ONE OK ROCK, Paledusk, and Chico Carlito – the first time he's changed his music since 2012. What a way for the band to create some buzz before they dropped their first album.
Being a fan for a few years, this album was greatly anticipated and it did not disappoint. It is a culmination of ten years of hard work and dedication, and it showcases everything about Paledusk that make the band so unique and fresh. If you only enjoy a couple of genres of music that are your tried and true and rarely deviate from, this is not the band for you, and that's okay. However, if you have an eclectic music taste with varied interests in genres all across the board, it is worth giving them a shot. This album is all over the place, respectfully. There's a myriad of influences, ranging from metalcore, nu metal, pop, punk, jazz, heavy metal, deathcore, electronic, and hip hop. "HUGs" is five and a half minutes of pure chaos, with time signature changes, varied vocal styles, breakdowns, and electronic elements. Listening to it evokes the same sense of mayhem one gets when listening to The Dillinger Escape Plan. Another single from PALEDUSK is "I ♡ YOU BABY!!", an aggressive and intense love song. "PALEHELL" and "RUMBLE - feat. Masato (coldrain)" were released last year in 2024 but do not feel out of place here. Guitarist DAIDAI has stated that the presence of guitars in rock music has diminished, and he wants to bring the glory of the guitar solo back while also using his instrument in a way that is new and unique. That mission is evident on this whole album, but he gets his time to shine the most in "NO WAY!! feat.粗品". Perhaps the heaviest offering on PALEDUSK, "DIVE INSIDE FOREVER IN THE DARK" is a mostly instrumental track that leans more on the deathcore side musically mixed with nu metal rapping vocals on top and some classic choral vocals sprinkled in, sounding like you're about to face off in a formidable boss battle in Doom, because why not. "GOOD DEATH" is short but sweet, bringing the Paleface Swiss and After The Burial vibes. Unlike any other song on the album, "AFTER DUSK - feat. AB" switches it up with a more pop and rock inspired track, featuring rapping in that classic nu metal whiny style most associated with Fred Durst, but of course the song changes genres halfway through. This album is a roller coaster ride from top to bottom, and I didn't want to get off.
PALEDUSK is out now via A.S.A.B:
