This is heavy.

Because I was an idiot who hadn’t yet gone deep into the bowels of idol metal, I LOL’ed about a Babymetal knockoff (I also am not a big nu-metal fan) and just kind of put it away.

Then:

See: Idiot, above.

Note: Teratani Mina’s personal info as a member has been pre-emptively “formered” on this profile just because I know that I’ll forget. She is currently still a member of Fruitpochette, but is graduating on March 26. See more.

I can’t remember which of these two songs made me give Fruitpochette a real chance, but I do know that “CleverDick” wound up being a regular in my rotation. I was a lot more mature (ha) in my idol appreciation by then, and I had to appreciate the fact that this was basically a jazz song rendered in metalcore tones.

You have to be an asshole to not like that.

I was also happy to learn that Fruitpochette isn’t just another kitsune-chasing flash in the pan; they’ve been at it since 2012, and they have the same competitive advantage as Babymetal in that they’re an agency group, with their sisters nanoCUNE and Himekyun Fruit Can likewise in this site’s wheelhouse.

So what’s Fruitpochette’s deal? Well, if you actually take some time to get through their full-length album (The Crest of Evil, released in 2015), there’s plenty of good in it. Honestly, one of the best things about them is that they’re a straight-up idol metal band, with no frills or pretense; they just kick ass. They also apparently tour constantly (which is kind of a thing in the underground), so there’s a lot of dues-paying there for you tr00 jagoffs.

I’d love to learn more about Fruitpochette, including just what their plans are going forward. Especially now, because Teratani Mina, half of the duo, is retiring from idoling for health reasons, but current indications are that Fruitpochette will continue in some configuration or another with the continued inclusion of Azuma Shiori.

What they sound like

A blend of metal styles sung by a big-voiced women with a top range just slightly lower than Ronnie James Dio’s.

You’ll like them if

Do you like metal? That’s pretty much it. Thrash-y, core-y, sometimes brutal, sometimes event dispensing with easy hooks. Unless you’re one of those weird people who only listen to obscure Eastern European grindcore bands, if you like anything from Sabbath to, I dunno, Behemoth to Mastodon, you’ll find something in Fruitpochette to like.

Entries on the Ultimate Homicidol Playlist:

The aforementioned (minus “Parasite,” which I am not that high on), plus:

There are a lot of good tracks in Fruitpochette’s catalog, but there’s just something a little extra nice to this one.

Members

Azuma Shiori Twitter blog

Former members

Teratani Mina Twitter blog

Discography

“Burning” (single)
“Destruction” (single)
Shippujinrai (EP)
The Crest of Evil (album)