Japanese Metal Band ASTERISM, Manga Artist Acky Bright Premiere Animated Music Video ‘THE TITAN’ from Concept Album ‘PLANET OF METAL’

Japanese Metal Band ASTERISM and Manga Artist Acky
Bright Premiere Animated Music Video “THE TITAN” from
Concept Album “PLANET OF METAL”

Anime Expo 2024 Special Event Schedule Announced Including
Concerts, Live Drawing Events, and Signing Sessions

“ASTERISM LIVE TOUR 2024 -PLANET OF METAL-” comes to U.S. this

November for One Show Only in L.A.

Japanese instrumental metal band ASTERISM and manga artist Acky Bright will return
to Anime Expo in Los Angeles July 4-7, 2024, for a series of special events celebrating
the release of their collaboration project PLANET OF METAL.

On July 3, the animated music video for “THE TITAN”, the climactic battle scene from
the PLANET OF METAL story, was released worldwide, featuring music performance by
ASTERISM and visuals by Bright.

WATCH: “THE TITAN” by ASTERISM and Acky Bright
https://youtu.be/MY7nFE4bGmY

The concept album is a collaboration born from the artists’ friendship which began at
last year’s Anime Expo. The result is a blistering 7-song album which takes fans on a
journey through a fantasy world that only ASTERISM and Acky Bright could create. The
7-track album combines with a 28-page book of dazzling artwork to create the multi-
sensory experience of PLANET OF METAL.

At this year’s Anime Expo, the artists will team up for several live events including
concerts, live drawings, and signing sessions, giving fans a once-in-a-lifetime chance to
experience PLANET OF METAL in-person with the original creators.

Tickets for “ASTERISM LIVE TOUR 2024 -PLANET OF METAL-” which will include a
concert at The Echo in Los Angeles on November 4, will go on sale soon.
More info:
https://linktr.ee/asterism.metal

ASTERISM x Acky Bright
Anime Expo 2024 Event Schedule

July 4 (Thu)
1:30pm – ASTERISM Performance
@Beer Garden Stage
Experience PLANET OF METAL performed live, plus ASTERISM’s covers of your
favorite anime theme songs!

3:45pm – Talk session by Acky Bright and ASTERISM
@Room 403AB
Q&A with the artists, design process of PLANET OF METAL, live commentary about the
new music video, giveaways, and more!

5:00pm – ASTERISM x Acky Bright PLANET OF METAL Signing Session
@AX Kinokuniya booth 1800
Don’t miss your chance to get the limited edition PLANET OF METAL CD and art book
personally signed by Acky Bright and all members of ASTERISM!

July 5 (Fri)
1:30pm – Bright Horizons: The Artistic Journey of Acky Bright
@Room 402AB
New artwork reveals plus selections from his collaborations with leading US brands
including McDonald’s, Meta, and NETFLIX, and details about Acky’s new projects,
including his inaugural U.S. solo art exhibition in 2024!

2:30pm – ASTERISM Performance
@AX Crossing Stage
Experience PLANET OF METAL performed live, plus ASTERISM’s covers of your
favorite anime theme songs!

4:00pm – ASTERISM x Acky Bright PLANET OF METAL Signing Session
@AX Kinokuniya booth 1800
Don’t miss your chance to get the limited edition PLANET OF METAL CD and art book
personally signed by Acky Bright and all members of ASTERISM!

6:45pm – Acky Bright’s live drawing magic: 3 decks challenge
@Room 411
Acky Bright, a master of design who combines cute and cool, will give a new kind of live
drawing performance. The audience is invited to choose a theme, and Acky will
improvise to create a unique character right before them! Additionally, there will be
plenty of limited-edition items for raffle!

July 6 (Sat)
4:00pm – ASTERISM x Acky Bright PLANET OF METAL Signing Session
@AX Kinokuniya booth 1800
Don’t miss your chance to get the limited edition PLANET OF METAL CD and art book
personally signed by all members of ASTERISM!

5:30pm – ASTERISM Performance
@Beer Garden Stage
Experience PLANET OF METAL performed live, plus ASTERISM’s covers of your
favorite anime theme songs!

7:00pm – ASTERISMPLANET OF METAL Signing Session
@Kinokuniya Downtown Los Angeles store
Don’t miss your chance to get the limited edition PLANET OF METAL CD and art book
personally signed by Acky Bright and all members of ASTERISM!

July 7 (Sun)
1:00pm – ASTERISM Performance
@AX Crossing Stage
Experience the full saga of PLANET OF METAL performed live, plus ASTERISM’s
covers of your favorite anime theme songs!

2:30pm – ASTERISM x Acky Bright PLANET OF METAL Signing Session
@AX Kinokuniya booth 1800
Don’t miss your chance to get the limited edition PLANET OF METAL CD and art book
personally signed by Acky Bright and all members of ASTERISM!

July 8 (Mon)
6:00pm – Acky Bright PLANET OF METAL Signing Session
@Kinokuniya Downtown Los Angeles store
Don’t miss your chance to get the limited edition PLANET OF METAL CD and art book
personally signed by Acky Bright!

HAL-CA (Guitar)
“ASTERISM and Acky Bright are coming back to Anime Expo to celebrate the release of
PLANET OF METAL! When we met at Anime Expo in 2023, this project had not yet
started, but we were attracted to each other’s work and decided to collaborate, and we
have been working on this project in “jam sessions” with each other for a year. We’re
very happy to announce that we will appear at Anime Expo this year with this
collaborative work! The ART BOOK, which was released on June 26, will allow you to
enjoy ASTERISM’s music and Acky’s illustrations even more, and we hope you will
enjoy this new music video ‘THE TITAN’ that combines art and music!”

MIYU (Bass)
“ASTERISM and Acky Bright meet again at Anime Expo! We will return with our work
PLANET OF METAL! And today, the music video of ‘THE TITAN’, which is the last song
of the album, is released! It’s a very cool music video, don’t miss it! And don’t miss the
ART BOOK! It is a great work combining Acky’s wonderful illustrations and our music!
It’s a lot of fun to look at the illustrations while listening to the music of PLANET OF
METAL, and you’ll become immersed in the world of the artwork! I’ll be waiting for you at
the LIVE! Come see ASTERISM and Acky Bright at Anime Expo!”

MIO (Drums)
“ASTERISM and Acky Bright, who met each other at Anime Expo 2023, reunite in the
same place after a year, isn’t that dramatic? This year, we will team up for a
collaboration event that can be experienced only at AX! Our music video ‘THE TITAN’
released today features our performance in front of a screen with special effects,
fighting ‘THE TITAN’ fiercely in a way you’ve never seen before! The ART BOOK,
released on June 26th, contains Acky’s wonderful illustrations, and it’s structured to be
able to learn more about the story of the PLANET OF METAL world. I’m sure you’ll
enjoy it!”

PLANET OF METAL

Special Website:
https://www.planetofmetal.com/

STORY
In PLANET OF METAL, at the edge of the galaxy, a horrific curse spreads across the
planet, causing creatures to become violent. ASTERISM journeys to find the mysterious
mechanical skull at the source of the curse, aided by Zom-chan, a zombie-like
companion with a dark secret. ASTERISM battles the forces controlled by the Mecha–
Skull — ninjas, a giant squid, an army of zombies, and a giant metal dragon — before
their final, epic battle to restore the soul of metal.

The album’s track list chronicles these chapters to lead listeners through the story.
1. Planet of Metal
2. The Dragon
3. The Ninja
4. The Squid
5. The Zombie
6. The Robot
7. The Titan

Available now:
PLANET OF METAL – Deluxe Artbook Edition
7-song CD with songs by ASTERISM
28-page book with illustrations drawn by Acky Bright (A4 size)
Order now: https://asterism.lnk.to/PLANETOFMETAL_CD

ASTERISM
ASTERISM is a three-piece instrumental heavy metal band consisting of HAL-CA (Gt.),
MIYU (Ba.), and MIO (Dr.), who have all performed music since childhood. The three
met at a musical competition in 2014 and formed the band as teenagers, receiving
praise for their advanced technical skill and passionate onstage performance.

“ASTERISM” means “a group of stars”, and the three musicians want to express their
music as one, becoming a band of shining stars.

Championed early in their career by noteworthy musicians such as famed producer and
songwriter Bootsy Collins, ASTERISM has completed multiple tours of Japan, Asia, and
the U.S., including performances at SXSW Music Festival, Taihu Midi Festival, and
Knotfest Japan.

In March 2023, they made their major debut with SME Records. In 2024, the band will
tour North America, Europe, and South Asia.

ASTERISM aims for further global expansion with a new genre “MASS METAL” which
means “a metal that reaches, resonates, and is loved by the masses”, based on their
meticulously composed music and their unique pop sensibilities.

Official Website: https://asterism.asia/en/
YouTube: https://www.YouTube.com/c/ASTERISM2016
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/ASTERISM2016
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asterism.metal/
Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/asterism2016/
TikTok: https://www.TikTok.com/@asterism.metal

ACKY BRIGHT

Acky Bright is a highly acclaimed manga artist and illustrator, renowned for his
captivating “kawakakkoii” style drawings that pay homage to the golden age of
Japanese manga and anime. With an impressive portfolio spanning both domestic and
international projects, Acky has left an indelible mark on the industry.

Collaborating with esteemed Japanese media companies, he has crafted mesmerizing
manga and character designs. Notably, since 2020, he has also lent his exceptional
talents to renowned American companies such as DC Comics and Hasbro. His new DC
Comics series, “KNIGHT TERRORS: ANGEL BREAKER vol. 1 & 2,” was released in
July 2023.

Acky’s latest art book, “B/W” (PIE International), released to widespread acclaim last
year, continues to captivate art enthusiasts worldwide. Building on its resounding
success, the book is poised to captivate a global audience, ensuring that art aficionados
worldwide can experience the brilliance of Acky’s work.

In addition to his extraordinary achievements above, Acky has embarked on an
exhilarating journey in commercial field with global corporations. In 2021, Acky began a
groundbreaking partnership with BMW of Germany, where he conceptualized and
brought to life a manga series inspired by a real-life esports professional team. The
following year, his artistic prowess shone through in his meticulous character designs
and artwork for the Japanese adaptation of the immensely popular German novel
“WOOD WALKERS.”

In 2023, he was entrusted with the remarkable task of creating the official coloring book
for NETFLIX‘s sensational Korean drama “Squid Game” (Penguin Random House).
Meta discovered Acky Bright for their new brand campaign, “It’s your world,” in
collaboration with Coi Leray to create a new manga to promote their project. In Japan, Acky drew a 22-page pilot manga titled “JERART” for one of the largest energy
companies, JERA, to convey the corporate message to their global future generations.

In 2024, Acky embarked on an illustrious collaboration with McDonald’s Japan, serving
as the principal character designer for the brand’s second music video campaign. This
campaign was highlighted by contributions from renowned Japanese artists YOASOBI
and VAUNDY. Concurrently, Acky led the charge for McDonald’s Global in a month-long
manga and anime-inspired promotion campaign named “WcDonald’s,” which spanned
over 30 territories, including the U.S. and Canada. This campaign showcased Acky’s
character designs across various mediums—advertising, packaging, digital manga, and
anime short videos. Launched in February 2024, the campaign received widespread
acclaim, with Acky’s characters and designs also laying the groundwork for an
“immersive dining experience” at a physical restaurant location in Los Angeles.

Demonstrating his versatility as an artist, Acky has mastered the art of live drawing,
enchanting audiences worldwide with his awe-inspiring performances on large
canvases. From Tokyo to Los Angeles and New York, his captivating live drawing
exhibitions have mesmerized fans. Building on his immense popularity, Acky was
honored as a Guest of Honor at Anime Expo 2023 and Anime NYC 2023, where he
graced the stage, captivating attendees with his remarkable live drawing performance.

Prepare to be spellbound as Acky Bright continues to push the boundaries of manga
artistry, leaving an indelible mark on the world stage.

Official Website: https://www.acky-bright.com
Twitter/X: https://www.twitter.com/aki001208
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acky_bright