Sadness × Saidan to Play First Japan Show on October 15 — Blackgaze and Visual Kei-Infused Black Metal Unite at Tokyo’s Shimokitazawa ERA [SOLD OUT]
US blackgaze band Sadness from Baltimore and Nashville black metal band Saidan will make their Japanese live debut on October 15, 2026, at Shimo-Kitazawa ERA in Tokyo.
Beginning with depressive black metal, Sadness has expanded its sound to incorporate post-rock, emo, and shoegaze, while Saidan combines the ornate, decadent aesthetic of Japanese visual kei with driving rhythms and melancholic melodies. Joined by Japanese post-black metal/blackgaze band Pale, the three acts will come together for a rare showcase united by a shared sense of melancholy.
Sadness × Saidan Japan Show
Date: October 15, 2026 (Thursday)
Venue: Shimokitazawa ERA – Official Website / Instagram / X
Lineup: Sadness / Saidan / Pale
Doors / Show: 6:30 PM / 7:00 PM
Tickets: ¥6,500 Advance / ¥7,500 (plus one drink)
Purchase: SOLD OUT (LivePocket)
Sadness Biography
Sadness is a depressive black metal/blackgaze project led by Damián Anton Ojeda, based in Baltimore, Maryland. Built on a foundation of depressive black metal, the project incorporates elements of post-rock, emo, and shoegaze, developing a distinctive sound that transforms these influences into expansive and beautifully immersive soundscapes.
In recent years, Sadness has expanded its musical palette around intense guitar noise and luminous melodies, moving beyond the raw anguish of its early material toward an increasingly radiant sound marked by a sense of light and hope.
Following its first live performance in May 2024, Sadness began an active live career in earnest. The project is set to make its first UK tour and appear at Roadburn in 2027, continuing to expand its presence on the international stage.
Sadness – Instagram
Saidan Biography
Saidan is a black metal band based in Nashville, Tennessee. Formed in 2020, the band is centered around multi-instrumentalist Splatterpvnk and drummer Hundosai.
Their dramatic sound combines the ornate and decadent aesthetic of visual kei and gothic black metal with the driving momentum and anguished melodies reminiscent of ’90s melodic black metal and melodic death metal.
In June 2026, Saidan released their fourth album, 『Fangdriller: Scars Beneath Memory’s Wrist』, via Avantgarde Music. Continuing a multi-album concept, the record follows Junko, a student struggling to find a sense of self-worth miles away from home while haunted by wistful solitude. Her isolation makes her the perfect target for a mysterious cult known as Ethereal Blood, while the story also serves as a personal analogy for lead songwriter Splatterpvnk’s own struggles with depression.
Musically, the album draws inspiration from the lo-fi character of classic visual kei and gothic black metal, seeking to evoke nostalgia for an imagined era of music while remaining true to Saidan’s own identity.
Saidan – Facebook / Instagram / X