Interviews About Albums: Iyashicore - GURASHI! (2025)

In this new interview, we sat down with the UK Anime-inspired Metalcore project Iyashicore to ask questions about his album, "GURASHI!".

1. What can you say about this new EP/CD?

GURASHI! is dedicated to the anime and manga series Gakkou Gurashi. This is a series near and dear to my heart, as on the surface it seemed a simple, unassuming series, but turned out to be much deeper and heartfelt than I expected.

Each track is dedicated to a different character or arc of the story, delving into their mindsets and the trials and tribulations each character faces.

Working with my band Disconnected Souls, I wanted to branch out into writing stuff that I deem wouldn't fit the sound of DS.

2. What is the meaning of the EP/CD name?

Gurashi means "to live" in Japanese, which is the overarching theme of the story - not just surviving in the face of hardship, but truly living.

3. Which one is the composer of the CD/EP?

The album is mostly composed by me, with some additional composition and lyrics from my DS bandmates on a few tracks. It also features additional vocals from several of my musical friends, such as Fight the Tornado, The Deathless Divide, and In Sφnder.

4. If you had to pick one song, which one would you pick?

My absolute favourite track is "The Schism of Two Caged Birds". It was a very last-minute addition to the album, and despite being the final track to be started, it was fully mixed and mastered in two months. I love music that conveys powerful emotions and tracks that slowly build into a crescendo, and I am confident this track hits both points.

It is also a collaboration with my Disconnected Souls bandmates - it initially started out as a DS track, but I claimed it for my project, as it fit the vibe perfectly.

5. Is there a special message in this EP/CD? If there is what it is?

The message links in with the title - despite everything negative that happens to the characters, they opt to live on. This is something I think we can apply to our own lives - living in spite of hardship and strife.

6. Are there some lyrics that you'd love to share?

The track "The Bystander" has some standouts as my favourite lyrical work, but the bridge perfectly encapsulates the message of the album:

"Still searching for a way out

In spite of all of your doubts

For each tomorrow, we must pray

That they are better than today"

The final two lines are a direct quote from the manga. All the lyrics feature footnotes explaining what inspired certain lyrical/musical sections. These are mostly scenes from the manga, but it also features references to songs from Disconnected Souls and other artists that have inspired me.

7. Which inspirations have been important for this album? Like musically or friends, family, someone you'd love to thank especially?

One of the biggest inspirations for me on this album is an American band called Desolate. They also write music inspired by the anime/manga space, and showed me that you can write serious tracks with meaning from such a source of inspiration.

Additional thanks go to everyone who collaborated with me on this album. It was incredibly nerve-wracking reaching out to people for guest spots - some of which I hadn't communicated with prior - but they all elevated this album into something I'm truly proud of.

8. Something to add?

This album is just the beginning of my journey with iyashicore - I have many other songs in the pipeline, and I've learnt a lot from the creation of this album.

And my message to other aspiring artists - don't be afraid to write songs about the media you like. If you really like something, I find it's very easy to come up with ideas for tracks. After all, I got 13 tracks out of this one series.