we can be the renegades

Hello! Welcome to Renegades, a small fansite for the Japanese rock band ONE OK ROCK. Formed in 2005, ONE OK ROCK has released a number of albums and toured all over the world. As my favorite band (and one I've been lucky enough to see live), this site is a small dedication to some of the music that's shaped my life.

last updated 10 april 2024 · part of the red crown · guestbook
listed at the amassment directory

This site is also home to the TFL-approved fanlisting for the band, located here.

introduction

ONE OK ROCK, so named because the band used to meet to practice at one o'clock, was formed in 2005 by Toru (guitar, vocals), Alex (guitar), and Ryota (bass). They recruited Taka, a former member of the band NEWS, as a vocalist, and though Tomoya played drums for them on the indies releases he didn't officially join until their major-label debut in 2007. Alex left the band in the spring of 2009 after a scandal, and his position was not replaced.

ONE OK ROCK band members

In the years since, ONE OK ROCK has had nothing short of wild success. They came to international prominence with the release of their single "The Beginning," used for the live-action adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin (a manga series), and their songs were used for the subsequent sequel films. Worldwide tours followed, and to this day they continue to tour internationally.

Of particular note is that since their 2015 album 35xxxv, they have released their albums in dual languages: one version purely in English, one in English with some Japanese lyrics. This, perhaps more than anything else, has contributed to their worldwide success. While previously affiliated with Amuse, Inc., the band is now under their own label in Japan, 10969 Inc., and they are signed to the American label Fueled by Ramen. They have opened for Muse, Hoobastank, and Ed Sheeran, among others, in Japan and overseas.

With few exceptions, their entire discography can be found internationally on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and other platforms. All of the band's music videos are available on their YouTube channel.

Interested in checking out the band yourself before reading on? Here's a selection of what I consider their iconic tracks. All links are to Youtube videos.

favorite albums

Now, before I go any further, I want to make one thing clear: this is my favorite band. They have not put out a single album I've even remotedly disliked. I don't even have songs I dislike. I can put their entire discography on shuffle and not have to skip a song. That's a rare quality for me for any musician, and I consider myself very lucky to have found one I treasure so much.

That said, I do have my biases, and I can't help but want to talk about them. So here's an overview of my three favorite ONE OK ROCK albums, and how they affected me in turn.

感情エフェクト (Kanjou Effect)

Kanjou Effect

released 12 November 2008

恋ノアイボウ心ノクピド (Koi no Aibou Kokoro no Cupido)
どっぺるゲンガー (Doppelgänger)
皆無 (Kaimu)
20 years old
Living Dolls
Break My Strings
存在証明 (Sonzai Shoumei)
CONVINCING
My sweet baby
Reflection
Viva Violent Fellow ～美しきモッシュピット～ (Utsukushiki Moshpit)
JUST
Bossa Nova (bonus track at the end of JUST)

感情エフェクト was the band's most recent album when I discovered them in 2009, and was the first album of theirs I listened to. And man, what a start. Right from the beginning, the first song takes hold and doesn't let you go, and it doesn't let up from there. It's actually kind of funny to go back and listen to it now, because while there are the occasional English lyrics, it's nowhere close to the kind of music the band is putting out these days.

That's not a bad thing, though. 感情エフェクト captured my heart for the music alone, not the words. And I really can't overemphasize how much I've listened to this album: it's my top-listened album of any musician, period.

Honestly, I used to listen to this album when I was feeling down, and no matter what, it never failed to brighten my spirits at least a little. ONE OK ROCK's music is very catchy to begin with, but at this point I know all the lyrics, and it's impossible not to sing along.

I'm so glad this album has been here for me for so long. I can't imagine my life without it.

35xxxv

released 11 February 2015

3xxxv5
Take Me to the Top
Cry Out
Suddenly
Mighty Long Fall
Heartache
Memories
Decision
Paper Planes (featuring Kellin Quinn of Sleeping with Sirens)
Good Goodbye
One by One
Stuck in the Middle
Fight the Night

Looking back at some things I wrote when this album came out, it's very funny to realize that I actually didn't regard it very highly. As their first album to release in English, 35xxxv is a clear turning point for the band, one that's paid off immensely in the years since. But as a long-time fan who even still listens to their independent EPs, it just didn't quite sound like the band I'd fallen in love with.

As I write this in 2024, though, the band has put out several more English albums, and it's much easier to get used to it. And, really, 35xxxv is a fantastic album. Though any album with "Mighty Long Fall" can't be anything but great.

This is the album that had just released when I went to their first solo North American tour, detailed below.

Luxury Disease

released 9 September 2022

Save Yourself
Neon
Vandalize
When They Turn the Lights On
Let Me Let You Go
So Far Gone
Prove
Mad World
Free Them (featuring Teddy Swims)
Renegades
Outta Sight
Your Tears are Mine
Wonder
Broken Heart of Gold (Japanese bonus track)
Gravity (featuring Satoshi Fujihara) (Japanese bonus track)

While I had never stopped listening to ONE OK ROCK, I wasn't as into their albums between 35xxxv and Luxury Disease. I did still listen to them, but they didn't completely rewire my brain like Luxury Disease did.

Because, well, wow. This is easily the best album the band has put out. What I had taken as the rough edges of them figuring out their new sound in 35xxxv had been completely refined by the time of Luxury Disease. It's been a year and I still put half its songs on repeat sometimes. It's a very, very solid album.

It also kind of helped that I hadn't been paying close attention to the band for a while, so I hadn't heard all their recent singles. "Renegades" is absolutely stellar, and came as a huge suprise for me. Really, though, I should have known I'd adore this album from the first notes of "Save Yourself."

If you're totally unfamiliar with the band, I'd honestly say this is a great starting place. This is a great example of their sound, and it's incredibly solid. Even if they top it with future releases, this is the new baseline.

live performance

In 2015, ONE OK ROCK held a short solo North American tour before returning to touring with other bands. By some stroke of luck, one of these tour locations was a location I could get it without excessive travel, and I knew I had to go. When else was I going to get the opportunity?

Thankfully, I recorded the set list and wrote about my experiences, so while it's now been years, I can still talk about it to a degree.

Take Me to the Top
Memories
Deeper Deeper
Stuck in the Middle
Clock Strikes
Cry Out
Heartache
Decision
Suddenly
The Beginning
Mighty Long Fall
(Encore) Wherever you are
Paper Planes
NO SCARED

A solid list, all things considered. This wasn't my first exposure to their concerts as I'd seen some of their Japanese tours on DVD, but I typically don't go to concerts in general, so this was something of a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Somewhat unfortunately, I realized as part of this experience that... I don't actually like live music that much! I know there are many people who very much enjoy live music, but it took going to see my favorite band to realize that I'd ultimately prefer watching a recorded performance than seeing it myself. I don't regret going by any means — it really was a wonderful opportunity — but when ONE OK ROCK came back to the same venue in 2022, I decided not to go, and I was content with that decision. Sometimes you have to try something to realize it's not really for you.

(That said, if they came to a venue closer to me, I might reconsider...!)

about the site

This site was opened in 2009 as part of a one-page fansite marathon at Amassment. A year later I expanded it to multiple pages, and for the following 14 years, the site sat here and stagnated. Oops. It turns out I'm not great at keeping music fansites updated.

Somewhat comically, the site used to be called 20 years old, after one of their songs and because I'd recently turned 20. This is much less relevant to me now that I'm in my 30s, and so the site had to be retitled.

I opted to reduce the site back to one page because at the end of the day, I have no training in music and can't talk about it in any depth. What I can do is talk about how that music makes me feel, and that's easier with a small, simple site. This is probably my smallest site now, but it's in no way a reflection of how much I love this band. I fully expect ONE OK ROCK to remain my favorite band for years to come.

The layout uses a still from one of their music videos (I have somehow already forgotten which one) and textures from Unsplash. Background texture is from Subtle Patterns.

Want to link back? Feel free to use one of these buttons. If you have a similar fansite for a Japanese musician, feel free to contact me for a link exchange!