‘The role of the artist is to not look away’
This quote is from Akira Kurosawa, who directed the 1954 film ‘Seven Samurai’ the story of a villainous bandit gang who planned on pillaging a local village. The samurai were prestigious, highly trained warriors, who were employed by the nobility to protect their land and territories. They lived and died by a strict moral code, but with the passage of time, they were abolished.
They were a formidable force, strong, undeniable, and unmatched in their skill and technique, much like my friends, Toranaga UK, who under the leadership of original vocalist Mark Duffy are back in business, continuing the journey they left behind all those years ago. Completing the line -up we have Mike Todd – bass, Liam Mulpetre -guitars and Toby Wallace on drums, providing a more stable and cohesive infrastructure on which to build their dreams. Their name is taken from the 80’s TV series called ‘Shogun’ which is about the samurai and their lifestyle, today the band want to immerse themselves in the understanding of the samurai and use it to further their art. The battle of good over evil still resonates, we face endless struggles on a daily basis, and I think we can benefit with some fortification, and knowledge of a culture that is alien to most of us. It will be interesting and exciting to see how the age old traditions and philosophies will be featured in this modern landscape. The rallying cry emerges from oop bastard north, it is full of working class bravado and spirit, laced with Eastern promise. The sound of conventional heavy metal, roaring out from the stacked amps is something we all treasure, the metallic decadence of Thrash, punctuating the factory floor sound that evolved into a musical identity and entity of its own.
Known for their intensely spiced ‘Bastard Ballads’ and tours with Annihilator, Venom and Sabbat amongst others, Toranaga were a promising outfit, with a major label debut, things looked good. Sadly, as with many bands, the cards were not dealt in their favour making further work an impossibility. They did re-group on a couple of occasions but nothing with a long term view transpired.
Now in 2024 we have another chance at revisiting those glory days, and hopefully cement a more productive and encouraging outlook, with a UK tour on the horizon, you can see them at these venues, with more dates to be announced.
6th June – London – Black Heart – supporting Riot City
7th June – Newcastle – Little Buildings – supporting Riot City
8th June- Bristol – Gryphon – supporting Riot City
28th June – Stoke – Rigger – with Athena’s Revenge
6th July – Bridgwater – Cobblestones – with Hedra
12th October – Whitehaven – Twisted Tongue – headline show
14th December – Birmingham – The Devil’s Dog – Christmas show with Acid Reign.
So dust off your leather jackets, grit your teeth and ready your fists to welcome back the old guard, interspersed with inspiration from the modern era, renew your faith at this altar, revive and rejuvenate yourself, because it is your energy and confidence that will amplify the endeavours here, Toranaga UK have seen the world for what it is, the fight for justice has been ongoing, but now we engage wearing their armour. I feel that the quote at the beginning of this piece rings true, artists should not look away, maybe look on from the sidelines as spectators and look forward to what destiny holds for them but always be ready to join in as a participant and contributor to this world of music that means so much to so many people.
Take my hand, take a stand, take a Toranaga riff and let it ring throughout the land!
Azra Pathan