The Underground in China: Metal, Punk, Hardcore and Noise (2013-2021) will be released on June 12 via Earth Island Books. Part cultural document, part photo archive, and part firsthand account, the 350-plus-page book chronicles my experiences traveling through the scenes of the country, documenting a world hardly covered by Western media outlets. I have chosen 10 bands who appear in the book to feature here before as an introduction to this world.
You may be asking, “Ryan, why should I read the book if you already listed 10 that you want me to discover?” Because these are just 10. There are over 100 within the pages of The Underground in China. While these bands could be considered “hidden gems,” truthfully, every Chinese band is a hidden gem in their own way.
Dr. V’Agent
At times while first living in Tianjin, sometimes metal and punk concerts were scarce, with just one or two per month at best. So, when one is happening, I made myself go even if I didn’t know any of the bands on the bill, as was the case with a festival I saw that included Dr. V’Agent. I was surprised when what appeared on the stage was a Beetlejuice-looking, Manson-like frontman wielding a Giger-lite mic stand with the backing band playing industrial metal. Going back to the band later for another listen, their albums are very enjoyable, with their standout track being “IS Kaboom.”Frozen Moon
Frozen Moon were another band I had no awareness of until I saw them on a festival with The Dark Prison Massacre. I was not expecting a highly theatrical, avant-garde feeling band with a frontman that was mystic, an antler wearing shaman of a performer named Fan Bo, who also performs ghoulishly in Vengeful Spectre. Both bands are essential listening in Chinese black metal. Frozen Moon’s next album should be out shortly, so keep your ears peeled.Round Eye
Round Eye are a punk band based in Shanghai whom I caught just once in Tianjin but wanted to explore more when all was said and done. The band, mostly made of expats, appeal to me due to their song subjects and tenacity through the turmoil of just existing as a band in China. They constantly surprise me, with the band filming a music video in North Korea while their newest, directed by vocalist Chachy Englund, includes shadow puppetry filmed on location at the Tai’an Shadow Puppet Theater. Included in the Underground in China is a lengthy interview with Round Eye collaborator, artist Tony Cheung, whose work I am sure readers will instantly become fans of.JaJaTao
I have vivid memories of packed shows in Beijing’s School Bar, the city’s hub for most things punk as fuck. There was a period of time when I lived close to there and would go past the prison-turned-hostel and Buddhist temple to catch whichever bands were playing on a given night. JaJaTao are a band I saw a few times during this period, and every time I did, I felt somewhat lucky. Do yourself a favor and listen to The Rite of Spring album and then imagine seeing it firsthand played by a Cobain-esque, lipstick-wearing frontman, an aloof, heart-shaped-glasses-wearing bass player, and what seemed to be a different girl on keyboards every time, in a tight, sweaty room. They went onto bigger stages later, where their sound was appreciated by more, and now it can be by you.Ready to Die
As you will come to know when reading The Underground in China, a festival called the Gore Feast was the first one I attended after arriving in Beijing. On this bill was a female-fronted death metal band called Ready to Die, who were there due to their material being of high quality, though unlike most of these bands, I found it hard to find much information on them later. Even now, if you look them up, you’ll mostly see my articles talking about them and a few videos on YouTube. They feel like a hidden gem, and an example of a band not really using Western social media to get their name out there more. Regardless, I will continue to sing their praises and you, the reader, should watch them if you like what I just described.Scare the Children
I first encountered Scare the Children at Beijing’s Temple Bar during a Halloween show—a bunch of masked maniacs (including a creepy baby mask that I quite liked) playing a sort of Mushroomhead-esque type of very aggressive groove/nu metal. I later learned that unmasked, the band were also mostly expats, and observed their career grow since, with new characters, a heavier sound with each passing album, and an evolving live show. With each iteration, they have felt even more relentless and feral and unhinged until they couldn’t be denied. Currently, the band are playing European festivals while continuing to expand their legend in China. Don’t be left behind—get your ass in their playroom.Impure Injection
When reading The Underground in China, you’re going to encounter a few groups quite a bit—Rectal Wench, The Dark Prison Massacre, and, to a lesser extent, Impure Injection. While Rectal Wench and Cave Have Rod worked to build a gore and grind community, Impure Injection’s Gore Geng took the reins himself later and acts as a singular hub that further glues together extreme bands and community. Let me be clear—If you are interested in extreme Chinese music, seek out this grindcore band and Gore Geng, because once you know the Godfather of Chinese Grindcore, more discoveries will follow.Los Crasher
I find it strange and kind of funny that although I only saw Los Crasher once, there is about 10 pages dedicated to them in The Underground in China. It goes to show that this band, a throwback to Guns N’ Roses and Hanoi Rocks-style groups of the late ‘80s, made an impression. And they wouldn’t have if their music sucked. So this one is for those classic rock lovers. The old heads, or those who are maybe old at heart.Never Before
It shouldn’t be surprising that because marijuana is illegal in China, that there are few stoner bands in the country. That doesn’t mean none, just few. Never Before are a band you should listen to if you’re into SSD, and because this scene is so small, I will recommend a few more here for the hell of it—Ramblin’ Roze, King Of Lazy, Electric Lady, Alpaca. Now go get high (if you live in a place where you can legally buy and smoke it) and have a marathon.Scarlet Horizon
A festival called One of Us introduced me to a lot of bands I had not encountered before of the metalcore/deathcore variety. When I saw the pretty, visual kei-inspired band Scarlet Horizon take the stage, I didn’t expect them to be as heavy as they ended up being, and they managed to be crowd pleasers in more ways than just looks, with the audience eating out of the palm of their hand while performing some synchronized dance moves. Visual deathcore, eh. Bring me the Scarlet Horizon …The Underground in China is available June 12 via Earth Island Books.
