Saber Tiger is one of the oldest Japanese heavy metal bands still in existence. Guitarist Akihito Kinoshita founded the band in 1981, the same year as Loudness and Anthem, which were rewarded with a lot more international recognition, even though I consider Saber Tiger superior to both of them, if only just by a hair in case of Anthem. Unlike Anthem, however, Saber Tiger never actually quit, and they were spared the prolonged identity crisis that Loudness did go through. Kinoshita simply seems incapable of writing a bad riff, and I respect him immensely for never giving up on his vision.
While the music of Saber Tiger is best described as traditional heavy metal, with an increasing amount of contemporary progressive influences over the years, they don’t quite sound like any other metal band. They have the crunch and the ballsy bottom-end that Anthem also has, but the riffwork of Kinoshita and fellow guitarist Yasuharu Tanaka is far more creative, their use of wide, massive-sounding chords being unmistakable. At times, they have a subtle hard rock vibe, but with a degree of complexity generally unheard of in the genre. They also had multiple fantastic singers in their line-ups.
The oldest album in this list was released in 1992. Their ‘Paragraph’ releases – the fifth and most recent of which was released in 2021 – contain re-recordings of older material, sometimes demo-era tracks that never made it to any album, and they’re all worth hearing. In order to keep the list manageable and focused on all-original material, however, I have decided to leave them out of the equation. Every original studio album is in it, and even the lowest-ranking of them is still quite enjoyable, to the point where you can’t really go wrong with Saber Tiger’s discography.
13. Project One (1997)
Arguably Kinoshita’s ‘Seventh Star‘ in that it is essentially a solo album that carries the name of his main band, though ‘Project One’ certainly passes as Saber Tiger due to the unmistakable riffing style. It brings in a western singer in Ron Keel, who I’ve never been a big fan of. ‘Project One’ is probably his best recorded vocal performance, but he doesn’t blend in as well as Yoko Kubota or Takenori Shimoyama. The album has its moments, and the latter half is significantly better than the former, but it pales in comparison to Saber Tiger’s other works, and it could really use some more variation tempo-wise. The 2001 compilation ‘The History of the New World’ contains all songs with re-recorded vocals by Shimoyama and improved track sequencing, which is my preferred way of experiencing ‘Project One’.
Recommended tracks: ‘Thrillseeker’, ‘Give Me All Your Love Tonight’, ‘Reckless and Young’
‘Project One’ is out of print, but ‘History of the New World’ can be ordered from nearly anywhere in the world at CD Japan
THE HISTORY OF THE NEW WORLD – Kyoju Densetsu
SABER TIGER
12. F.U.S.E. (2002)
When ‘F.U.S.E.’ was released, Saber Tiger found itself at the height of its domestic popularity, with ‘Eternal Loop’ even appearing in the reasonably popular animated series ‘Hajime no Ippo’. But ‘F.U.S.E.’ isn’t one of my Saber Tiger favorites. There are lots of awesome riffs on the album that might just be some of the most aggressive of Kinoshita’s career, but this is the one Saber Tiger release where I find myself enjoying the riffs more than the songs they are in. The album has a few too many early 2000’s modern metal trend leanings for my taste, and I doubt whether the songs were arranged with singer Takenori Shimoyama’s most comfortable register in mind. ‘Sleep with Pain’ is incredible, though, and ‘F.U.S.E.’ as a whole is still a fairly enjoyable heavy metal album.
Recommended tracks: ‘Sleep with Pain’, ‘Wish’, ‘Kutsujoku <Humiliation>’
Order ‘F.U.S.E.’ from nearly anywhere in the world at CD Japan
SABER TIGER
11. Saber Tiger (2001)
Since ‘Fading Crying Star’ is one of my favorite Saber Tiger songs of all time, I would love to rank their self-titled higher, but I find myself zoning out quite a bit throughout the album. The songs range from good to exceptional, and Kinoshita throws a lot of great riffs around, but the album ultimately should have been cut down by two or three songs. ‘Eternal Loop’ was never my favorite of Saber Tiger’s power ballads, so there being two versions of it – though technically, it’s two chapters – doesn’t bode well, and some of the songs in the middle are a bit samey, though they are all quite good on their own. If it had been between 45 and 50 minutes long, ‘Saber Tiger’ probably would have been one or two spots higher on this list.
Recommended tracks: ‘Fading Crying Star’, ‘Because of My Tears’, ‘Until the End’
Order ‘Saber Tiger’ from nearly anywhere in the world at CD Japan below
SABER TIGER
10. Agitation (1994)
‘Agitation’ suffers from ‘Fireball’ syndrome – it has the bad luck of being released in the middle of two albums that are so great, it’s condemned to make less of a lasting impression. And like said Deep Purple album, ‘Agitation’ has a lot going for it. It has a much darker vibe than its predecessor, and it is also notably less traditional-sounding. This is where Saber Tiger dives head-first into the more progressive side of their sound, which is a double-edged sword. It was necessary to find a better balance between traditional heavy metal and more contemporary progressive touches, and it did result in a number of really interesting songs, but quite a bit of memorability was sacrificed in the process. ‘Agitation’ is really good, but many of the songs don’t really stick.
Recommended tracks: ‘Nightless Quarters’, ‘All My Fear’, ‘Motive of the Lie’
9. Indignation (2005)
‘Indignation’ has a lot working against itself. Only Kinoshita remained from the line-up that recorded its predecessor, and the band would not release anything for six years after it was released. But how does it actually sound? Honestly: surprisingly good. It’s not a lost Saber Tiger classic, but there’s a welcome bit of grit to it, and it justifies its hour-long runtime better than its two predecessors do. Katsuto Suzuki lacks the vocal range that Takenori Shimoyama has, but his sandpaper approach is similar enough for it not to be an issue. Every song just flows really pleasantly. The cover suggests that the band had a chip on its collective shoulder, but the songwriting implies that the inspiration was allowed to flow freely.
Recommended tracks: ‘Spider’, ‘Life’, ‘Trigger’
8. Messiah Complex (2012)
Although two of my top ten Saber Tiger songs are on ‘Messiah Complex’ – the melodically and rhythmically intense ‘The Activist’s Creed’ and the impeccably arranged closer ‘Hate Crime’ – and ‘Casualties’ is not far behind, I tend not to revisit the album much. It might be the second case of ‘Fireball’ syndrome in one discography, as I simply enjoy its predecessor and its follow-up more. I also don’t understand how ‘Push’ became one of this album’s live staples, as there are much better songs here. Ultimately, the sad fate of ‘Messiah Complex’ might just be that it’s a very good modern progressive power metal album, even beyond its three highlights, but Saber Tiger did this style even better on other albums.
Recommended tracks: ‘The Activist’s Creed’, ‘Hate Crime’, ‘Casualties’
7. Bystander Effect (2015)
Solid. Dependable. ‘Bystander Effect‘ is more or less the median latter-day Saber Tiger album, with contemporary heaviness and classic heavy metal melodies being in near-perfect balance. There are one or two more modern metal tracks that aren’t flawless, but even those are enjoyable. Ultimately, this consistency is mainly why ‘Bystander Effect’ is not higher on this list: just about every song is great, but none of them are among the highlights of the band’s career. With one notable exception: the equally passionate and intense ‘Sin Eater’ is one of my top three Saber Tiger songs. Also, ‘An Endless End’ is one of the best ballads the band ever released, and I think the more subdued moments are actually where ‘Bystander Effect’ is at its best.
Recommended tracks: ‘Sin Eater’, ‘RinNe’, ‘What I Used to Be’
6. Brain Drain (1998)
The first Saber Tiger album with Takenori Shimoyama on vocals more or less became the blueprint of how the band would sound from then on. And for good reason, because the first half of ‘Brain Drain’ houses some of the best songs Saber Tiger has released to date, many of them being live staples to this day. It slightly dials back the progressive elements from the last two albums with Yoko Kubota, and up the aggression, but the formula just works. Most Saber Tiger fans would likely rate ‘Brain Drain’ a bit higher, but I do think it’s quite front-loaded. The slower tracks on the latter half aren’t quite as good as classics like ‘You’d Better Cry Alone’ and opening track ‘First Class Fool’. ‘Brain Drain’ is an excellent introduction to how Saber Tiger sounds today, though.
Recommended tracks: ‘Two Dimensional Sky’, ‘You’d Better Cry Alone’, ‘First Class Fool’
5. Eliminated (2024)
Somehow, I don’t revisit Saber Tiger’s most recent album ‘Eliminated‘ as much as I do some others, and every time I hear it, I find myself wondering why. It features the band playing to its strengths, and the songwriting is slightly more concise and straightforward than on their recent albums. Also, the melodic and aggressive sides of the band appear to be combined much more here rather than dedicating separate songs to them. There are no moments as crushingly heavy as those on ‘Decisive’ or ‘Bystander Effect’, but also no ballads or songs that focus purely on the melodic side of the band, although ‘Azayaka na Kiseki’ is close. ‘Eliminated’ almost feels like a blend of ‘Brain Drain’-era Saber Tiger and the more recent works of the band, and it works exceptionally well.
Recommended tracks: ‘Azayaka na Kiseki’, ‘From the Past to Tomorrow’, ‘Strike Back’
Order ‘Eliminated’ from nearly anywhere in the world at CD Japan
SABER TIGER
Eliminate -Deluxe Edition- [CD+DVD]
SABER TIGER
4. Invasion (1992)
Eleven years after Saber Tiger established, they finally released their debut album ‘Invasion’, and it features an extremely well-developed sound. While the music is mainly a blend of USPM and NWOBHM-styled heavy metal, there are already some traces of the progressive touches that would later come to enhance the band’s sound. There is more depth to the songwriting than any of Saber Tiger’s peers had, even in relatively straightforward songs like ‘Light-Thunder-Light’. The album’s closing track ‘Misery’ is one of the best and most interestingly structured semi-ballads I have ever heard, and Yoko Kubota’s vocal approach is just perfect for it. ‘Invasion’ would be my recommended Saber Tiger album to start with for more traditionally-inclined metalheads. It’s excellent all the way through.
Recommended tracks: ‘Light-Thunder-Light’, ‘Misery’, ‘A Shot in the Dark’, ‘Liberate’
3. Timystery (1995)
Easily my favorite from the Yoko Kubota era, ‘Timystery‘ takes the memorable songwriting from ‘Invasion’, streamlines the progressive experimentation from ‘Agitation’, adds the best performances by both Kubota and bassist Takashi Yamazumi, and the restult is one of the best Japanese heavy metal albums of all time. The gorgeous and hyper-dynamic ‘Bad Devotion’ is one of the three best songs Saber Tiger ever released, and it’s only one of many masterpieces on the album. There is a lot going on in the songs, but ‘Timystery’ never feels disjointed or otherwise messy. It’s progressive without losing sight of memorability, it’s complex without being overwhelming, and first and foremost, literally every song on ‘Timystery’ is simply really, really good. A must-have.
Recommended tracks: ‘Bad Devotion’, ‘Spiral Life’, ‘Living On in the Crisis’
Order ‘Timystery’ from nearly anywhere in the world at CD Japan
SABER TIGER
2. Obscure Diversity (2018)
‘Obscure Diversity‘ is what happens when a band is so confident with their sound that they dare to take it into different directions. And so, there are songs like ‘The Crowbar Case’ and ‘Permanent Rage’, with riffs that aren’t too far removed from what a relatively melodic Bay Area thrash metal band would play, but also hypermelodic stuff, like the surprisingly upbeat prog masterpiece ‘Distant Signals’, and it all sounds like Saber Tiger. ‘Obscure Diversity’ ultimately barely misses out on the top spot, because a few songs before the magnificent closing ballad ‘The Forever Throne’ are simply good rather than the absolutely incredible string of songs that makes up more than the first half of the album. Regardless, it serves as a testament to stellar heavy metal songwriting and expert musicianship.
Recommended tracks: ‘Distant Signals’, ‘Beat of the War Drums’, ‘The Crowbar Case’
Order ‘Obscure Diversity’ from nearly anywhere in the world at CD Japan
SABER TIGER
1. Decisive (2011)
Two things may have biased me towards ‘Decisive‘. First off, it has hands-down my favorite Saber Tiger song in the dramatic, intense ‘At the Front’. Secondly, it was the first new Saber Tiger album released after I discovered the band. By every metric I can think of, however, ‘Decisive’ is a masterpiece of a crunchy, modern progressive power metal album. It truly feels like a rejuvenation after being somewhat adrift for about a decade. Both singer Takenori Shimoyama and guitarist Yasuharu Tanaka rejoining the band may have had some effect on that as well. Some of the more crushing modern songs may not have worked as well with a different singer, but as it stands, ‘Decisive’ is the perfect balance of all the elements that make Saber Tiger the band they are.
Recommended tracks: ‘At the Front’, ‘Angel of Wrath’, ‘The Hammer’
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