Maximum The Hormone

The Japanese heavy metal band Maximum the Hormone was formed in Hachiōji, Tokyo, in 1998. Within a year's time, the group's lineup had stabilized around vocalist Daisuke-han, drummer Nao, bassist Ue-chan, and guitar player (and chief songwriter) Maximum the Ryo-kun. After releasing their debut album, A.S.A. Crew, in 1999, Maximum the Hormone began gaining mainstream attention with a series of EPs that blended the aggression of alt-metal, the melodies of pop music, and the rule-breaking spirit of hardcore punk. 2001's Hō, 2002's Mimi Kajiru, and 2004's Kusoban all contributed to the band's growing fanbase, while the full-length album Rokkinpo Goroshi marked Maximum the Hormone's first time cracking the Top 40. Released in 2005 and peaking at Number 27 on the Oricon Albums chart, Rokkinpo Goroshi was followed by 2007's gold-certified Bu-ikikaesu, which climbed to Number 5 and included the Top 10 single "Koi no Mega Lover." The band topped the charts in 2013, when Yoshū Fukushū soared to Number 1 on the strength of the gold-certified singles "Tsume Tsume Tsume/F" and the triple-sided, chart-topping "Greatest the Hits 2011–2011." The album itself was certified platinum. Two years after Yoshū Fukushū's release, Maximum the Hormone released Mimi Kajiru Shinuchi, which featured new recordings of songs that had previously appeared on the band's Mimi Kajiru EP. Another EP, Korekara no Menkata Cottelee no Hanashi wo Shiyou, appeared in 2018. After a multi-year absence from the upper reaches of the Japanese charts, the band found renewed commercial success in mid-2024, when the song "Ki Se I Rush" reached number 5.