HANABIE. / KIM DRACULA – LIVE AT TOAD’S PLACE – NEW HAVEN
By Mia Palazzo
Hanabie. and Kim Dracula at New Haven’s Toad’s Place
Japanese metalcore band Hanabie. joined forces with Australian alternative metal artist Kim Dracula to bring an exceptional tour lineup to New Haven’s iconic Toad’s Place. Along with the co-headliners, the tour also featured Crystal Lake and Kaonashi, two bands I’ve seen multiple times and can confidently say have never failed to deliver an impressive performance.
Sadly, I was not approved to photograph the openers, but I do want to speak about them as they’re both bands I truly enjoy seeing. The first band of the night was Kaonashi. Being the only band from the U.S. on the lineup, they had big shoes to fill — and they did not disappoint. From the moment the first instrumental tones rang out, the crowd was already moving.
A pit opened up on the floor of Toad’s Place almost instantly, with people grooving to the prolonged intro. Kaonashi is known for their diverse sound and unique approach to metal. With heavy-hitting breakdowns, mixed with vocalist Peter Rono’s distinctive vocal styles and a sample board, they stand apart from any band you’ve ever heard before.
Some of the more memorable moments in their set came when they played “Humiliation Ritual”, a song I can confirm always gets the pit moving, with people — myself included — screaming along to every word. And of course, “I Hate The Sound of Car Keys”, the final song of their set, brought the most energy. Fans were singing, moshing, and crowding to the front to belt out the catchy chorus into the microphone Rono threw into the crowd. I can confidently say Kaonashi did their job as the opener and energized the crowd for the rest of the night.
Next up was Crystal Lake, and I have to admit, I have a strong fondness for this band. Formed in Japan in 2002, though their lineup is not entirely original, they’ve never failed to impress me. Their live energy is unmatched, with the band constantly interacting with the crowd and doing everything they can to stay close to them. They played through a set of some of their biggest songs, opening with “Blood God”, a track released in 2024 featuring Taylor Barber of Left to Suffer, followed by “Disobey”, which was the first song of their set to truly energize the crowd.
They continued with songs from their latest albums, Helix and Watch Me Burn, before closing out their set with “Apollo”, a track that had the crowd off their feet, moshing, crowd surfing, and singing along. At the end of the song, vocalist John Centorrino jumped into the crowd, standing tall on fans’ hands as he sang the final chorus.
Kim Dracula
When it was finally time for Kim Dracula to take the stage, the anticipation was palpable. Known for their genre-bending blend of alternative metal, electronic elements, and theatricality, Kim Dracula did not disappoint. The performance was nothing short of a spectacle, with Kim escorted onto the stage by police — only to “vanish” from them. Opening with “Land of the Sun”, the audience was immediately swept into a storm of dark, brooding beats and intense, emotional vocals.
Throughout the set, Kim Dracula kept fans engaged in the storyline, using props like a chess table and wine glasses, along with costumes such as a cape and Kim’s iconic pilot blazer outfit. The set moved quickly, with the story building and developing as the band played through some of their most iconic songs: “Superhero”, “Drown”, “Undercover”, “1-800-CLOSE-YOUR-EYES”, as well as covers like “Even Flow” by Pearl Jam, which had the crowd singing as loudly as they could, and even a saxophone break for a bit of “Careless Whisper” by George Michael. Mid-set, Kim performed “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga, the song that first gained them popularity.
By this point, the crowd was singing from front to back. The pit came and went but never struggled to get going for the right songs, and people were crowd-surfing throughout the entire set. Kim Dracula’s set ended with two of their biggest songs, “Make Me Famous”, which had nearly everyone in the crowd singing along, and “KillDozer”. Arguably the best possible ending to an eccentric, emotional set, it left fans pumped up and ready for the final band of the night.
Hanabie.
Finally, Hanabie. took the stage, and their performance is something I’ll never forget. In all my years of attending shows, I have never seen energy like this. Hanabie. is a female metalcore powerhouse that combines traditional metalcore and deathcore with J-pop, a style they call Harajuku-core. From their stunning, well-put-together outfits to the elaborate makeup and hairstyles, and the overall energy, I was in awe the moment they stepped on stage.
What I didn’t expect was that the band’s lead vocalist, who claims on the band’s website to be just 149cm (4’9”), would have deeper lows than most men I’ve seen perform in the last couple of months. But I digress. Their performance left Toad’s Place with more energy than I’ve ever seen. The mix of metal vocals — both highs and lows — along with incredible clean vocals, had the crowd dancing, singing, moshing, and crowd surfing through every song. I didn’t see a single person leave the venue without a smile on their face.
After running out one by one to greet the crowd and take their places on stage, Hanabie. opened with “OTAKU Lonely Densetsu”, a 2024 single. The song immediately had the crowd screaming and cheering along, opening the largest pit of the night. The bright lights, with blue backlighting, set the perfect ambiance for the show and made for great photos.
Most of the songs they played were from their 2024 EP and their 2023 album, but fans knew every word — old and new — keeping the energy high throughout the set. They closed with “Today’s Good Day & So Epic” and “Osaki ni Shitsurei Shimasu”, which were met with cheers and thanks from both the band and the crowd, bringing the show to a perfect conclusion.
To learn more about Hanabie, check out their Website
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Stream music: Spotify | Apple Music | Soundcloud
Purchase: Amazon Music
To learn more about Kim Dracula, check out their Website
Follow on: Facebook | X | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok
Stream music: Spotify | Apple Music | Soundcloud
Purchase: Amazon Music
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