Tokyo hardcore has never been short on energy, but Bruo feel like a band tapping directly into its nerve endings. Formed in 2024 by Sago—best known for his long-running work in Brave Out, Wrong State, and Violent Pigz—Bruo came together with friends met through years of playing shows and staying embedded in the scene.
The lineup pulls from multiple corners of Japanese hardcore, with members also involved in bands like Only the Last Song and Otus, but Bruo’s focus is clear and singular: fast, raw, no-frills hardcore. That intent comes through loud and clear on the band’s demo, which landed on No Echo’s Best Hardcore Demos of 2025 list.
For Sago, the sound is rooted in classic touchstones like Agnostic Front and Negative Approach, but it’s just as informed by the 2010s wave of hardcore bands such as The Flex, No Tolerance, and The Rival Mob, alongside Japanese acts like Die Birth and Civil Defense. “We aim for energetic, raw sounds,” he says, keeping things simple and direct.
The Bruo demo got an extra push from Canadian label Total Supply, which Sago was psyched on. "I never thought I'd get to release on Total Supply," he says. "I'm a huge fan of their releases. It's all hardcore style, which I love. I emailed them my new track and asked if they'd release the demo, and they said yes right away. Thanks to them, our possibilities have definitely expanded!"
Lyrically, Bruo is also a new chapter for Sago. It’s his first time fronting a band where he’s responsible for the words, and there’s no overarching concept guiding the songs. Instead, the lyrics reflect whatever’s happening in his daily life, capturing thoughts and emotions as they come. That immediacy fits the band’s approach perfectly—nothing overthought, nothing forced.
The response to the demo has already exceeded expectations, and Bruo’s momentum mirrors what’s happening more broadly in Japan right now. According to Sago, Tokyo’s scene has become increasingly fragmented in a good way, with more young bands, more shows, and more organizers bringing international hardcore into the mix.
Bruo have already shared stages with bands like Combust, Bad Beat, Human Garbage, Odd Man Out, Toner, and Hotline TNT, and events like New Realm Fest have only reinforced how alive things feel. Still, Sago is clear about what matters most: preserving hardcore’s sincerity rather than riding a temporary boom.
With the demo behind them and plans to record a full album next year—“graduating from democore,” as Sago puts it—Bruo feel poised to become more than just a side project.
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Pick up a copy of the demo on cassette via Total Supply.
Bruo on social media: Instagram
