Japanese ‘EPIC’ music project FIRST CONTACT have unveiled the explosive title track from upcoming album EARTH NATION, accompanied by a cinematic new music video that offers the first glimpse of the project’s most ambitious work to date.

Directed and edited entirely by guitarist and project leader RYU, the video throws bassist Sawa (Aldious) and twin vocalists MaoMao and TanTan into a high-impact sci-fi battle for Earth's survival, fighting alongside RYU. Fire, explosions and cinematic VFX frame a track driven by blistering string-skipping tapping solos, thunderous basslines and soaring dual vocals.

“This song is about the battles of FIRST CONTACT as we protect Earth from invasion, and the video tells that story visually,” explains RYU. “I’ve been making VFX-based music videos for years, but this one took the most time I have ever spent on a production.”

The ambitious production pushes RYU’s VFX-driven style further than ever before.

“The superhero scene with MaoMao and TanTan before the second chorus alone took nearly 100 hours,” RYU states. “There are explosions and special effects throughout the video, and every scene required an incredible amount of work.”

FIRST CONTACT – EARTH NATION Music Video:

'EARTH NATION' sets the tone for the new album, arriving digitally on 1 March.

“It isn’t Epic Metal or Symphonic Metal,” RYU tells web-media J-Generation in a recent interview. “It’s a pure fusion of epic orchestral music and band sound.”

The nine-track album pushes the project’s technical and emotional range even further. RYU has described instrumental track ‘Moment’ as “the most technically challenging song” on the album, while another track promises to be “a real tear-jerker.”

The album also features expanded contributions from vocalist TanTan, whose powerful performances have previously appeared on releases by BLOOD STAIN CHILD and have drawn attention from fans amazed by a voice often mistaken for AI, despite RYU repeatedly confirming that no artificial intelligence is used in FIRST CONTACT’s music.

EARTH NATION will be released physically on CD internationally via JPU Records on 1 May. The CD edition includes a booklet featuring English lyrics, detailed song explanations, member photography and digital autographs. Preorders are available now.