Album Review: Japanese Band SiM Releases HOOMAN AFTER ALL
Photo Credit: Karin Hunt
SiM releases their new album HOOMAN AFTER ALL on September 2 via the Australian independent label UNFD.
The album is a fast-paced ride of nu metal, punk, alternative, and reggae/ska. Formed in Shonan, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan in 2004 as Silence iz Mine (“SiM”), the band currently consists of MAH (vocals), SHOW-HATE (guitar), SIN (bass), and GODRi (drums).
They are known for their self-described “Reggae PUNX from Japan” style. Fans of the dark fantasy anime series Attack on Titan are familiar with the SiM’s 2022 metalcore hit “The Rumbling,” which served as the theme song to the final season and reached No. 1 on Billboard’s US Hot Hard Rock Songs chart. Now, SiM is back with a 12-track follow-up album and a World Tour in late 2026-2027.
Frontman MAH shared, “We are so pumped to announce that our new album “HOOMAN AFTER ALL” drops September 2!This album is our full-on tribute to the prime era of rock from the late ’90s to early 2000s. It feels fresh, but at the same time, there’s this weird nostalgia running through it. We’re taking this album all over the world, so get ready. See you in the pit!”
HOOMAN AFTER ALL album artwork
HOOMAN AFTER ALL features collaborations with Yukina from Japanese metalcore band HANABIE and ska punk band HEY-SMITH. Prior to the full album release, fans were treated to previews of three singles: the melodic death metal BLiNDEYES” with HANABIE, the catchy 2000s-inspired “FiVE TiMES DEAD (by my wallet),” and the Reggae Punk “FREEZE ME UP”.
In addition to appearing on the upcoming album, “FREEZE ME UP” is also featured as the opening theme for the new TV anime BLACK TORCH. You can watch the the anime’s opening theme here:
RØKKR ALBUM REVIEW
The new album embraces the band’s musical journey, from their early Reggae-Punk fusion to the 2000s alternative and heavier metalcore that came as the band evolved.
The album begins with a guttural scream on FiVE TiMES DEAD (by my wallet) and doesn’t let up, with each track as fast-paced as the last. Listeners will catch multiple genre changes within each song: from metalcore to an upbeat reggae hook, then a catchy alternative chorus, back to a metal growl.
There isn’t a specifically reggae, metalcore, or punk track on the album; each song moves back and forth between each, sometimes abruptly. You can picture a mosh pit coming to a complete stop, pulling out a lighter and swaying for an anthemic refrain, and then heading right back into the pit.
SiM will tour North America in October and November, followed by UK/EU shows in early 2027. Keep scrolling for the full list of tour dates!
HOOMAN AFTER ALL Tracklist:
FiVE TiMES DEAD (by my wallet)
BLiNDEYES ft. Yukina from HANABIE.
DALALA
HOLD MY BEER
Karen’s Son
The Sniffling Cats Ska feat. HEY-SMITH
HOOMAN AFTER ALL
GHOST IN TOKYO
ZiON feat. Masato from coldrain
BLACK SUBMARINE
FREEZE ME UP
Sailing On
