After taking some time to rest, I’ve finally begun to recover from what felt like a dream.
We traveled from Yokohama to Nagoya, then on to Kyoto, moving through Osaka and ultimately standing on the stage of Asakusa Deathfest 2025. Right at the start of the tour, we were hit by the flu—every member of AOHEN went on stage seriously ill, yet we still managed to complete all 10 shows from beginning to end.
Every performance, every sound, every person we encountered is still etched in my mind. I’ve spent months trying to put it into words, but never quite knew where to begin.
Watching AOHEN perform at Asakusa Deathfest alongside the legends I grew up dreaming of, I feel the greatest gratitude should be given to myself and my bandmates:
Shao Heng
@forensickhuang , Vackson
@peager_v , Vigo
@fuckingslayer_vigo , SG
@sghang11 , Mike
@daameebao .
To our brothers in Ripped to Sherds
@rippedtoshredsdeathmetal , who shared this entire journey with us;
To Naru-san
@galeriademuerte , who made all of this possible and runs Asakusa Deathfest
@asakusadeathfest ;
To our family in Japan—Invictus
@invictus_death_metal , Parasitario
@parasitariodm , Takah-san
@takah_stckinc ;
And to Cenotaph
@cenotaph_mx , who shared the stage with us at Asakusa Deathfest and later closed this chapter together in Taiwan.
I also want to give special mention to Hagamoto-san, a legendary goregrind musician who has known me the longest and witnessed my growth over the years;
And to finally meeting my longtime idols Antimo (Disgorge (Mex)) and Jero (Dead Infection);
As well as Kandarivas
@kandarivas_ , Funeral Moth
@funeral_moth_doom , Presence of Soul
@presence_of_soul , Caassimolar
@kxjx_grind666 , and many more.
There are still so many names I can’t recall right now, but their faces and sounds remain vividly in my memory.
I didn’t capture much footage during this tour, but I’ve chosen a few clips that still make me smile—something to hold onto and remember this warmth.
Stay Underground, Stay DEATH METAL.
— Shao Heng
Final clip filmed by silenthymn666
