Niche Syndrome kicked off Tokyo band ONE OK ROCK’s trajectory toward rock icon status in the 2010s. Formed in 2005, the quartet spent the latter half of the 2000s refining their live-wire punk inspired by the likes of RIZE and Linkin Park. On Niche Syndrome, the band settle into a sound of their own. Frontman Taka sings as though he’s willing their later international successes into existence, shouting the chorus of “Yes I Am” with conviction—“Say my name/I’ve got to take my chance to change your heart”—as though he’s already commanding thousands of fans to scream back at him. On the band’s breakout song, “Kanzen Kankaku Dreamer”, he sounds unstoppable, riding the sheer exuberance of the punk riffs as he lets his naivete become a source of invincibility. As Taka wrings out the emotion from his words, the lyrics on Niche Syndrome often communicate a sense of ambivalence. He’s figuring it all out in real time alongside his listeners, constantly searching for his very purpose while standing as the centre of attention. Yet he rarely sounds insecure: on “Jibun Rock”, he contemplates the meaninglessness of life, only to come up with a solution as swift as the high-velocity riffs. “Konzatu Communication” shrugs off the overwhelming pressure in writing his future to instead embrace the present, the all-consuming intensity from the guitars focusing on losing yourself in the now. On Niche Syndrome, ONE OK ROCK’s fierce punk is in lockstep with their lyrics full of faith in your own abilities—and this strong interplay lays the foundation for greater successes to come.