What are the best Japanese bonus tracks?

[Random Axe]

Among our progpower, melodic metal genre, most bands that have international distro have to include bonus material. I know Kamelot had a few. What are the best?

[GaetanL]

The release of Circus Maximus - "The 1st Chapter" is a bit crazy. There is a different bonus track for US, Europe and Japan.
To me, the best bonus track of the three is the one from Japan:

Marion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFv0jAIkI7o

[introclaus]

Ahhh the dreaded Japanese bonus tracks... this is a fucking hassle to deal with for any band.

The reason, in case you were wondering:
Due to taxes etc, domestically printed CDs in Japan are more expensive than import CDs, so in order for the Japanese labels to be able to sell their releases they typically demand a release a week prior to all other territories and a bonus track. That way they can make people buy their release and combat the imports. Funny enough, for the big releases this often ends up with two versions of same album (the domestically and the import) hitting the Japanese charts at same time.

It makes it difficult as an artist as you have to prepare an extra song just for Japan (for concept albums this really sucks), and then sometimes your other partners around the world bitches as well and demands their own bonus tracks too.

[Hearing Aid Man]

I know Kamelot had a few. What are the best?

Lol. I'd say they have a few. When I was on a big Kamelot kick I actually found 15 bonus tracks from their discography I had never heard. I thought almost all of them were amazing too! Found it funny one was even a vinyl only track.

[Alberto]

Fun thread!

I love "Honeyflow" by Amorphis (from Queen of Time):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICGJOv5h2jo

Sonata Arctica had a few good ones, like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ocVb9z5F-E off "Winterheart's Guild".

[ToddinMN]

I love "Honeyflow" by Amorphis (from Queen of Time):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICGJOv5h2jo

This is awesome! Thanks for the link!

[Mardoch]

Ahhh the dreaded Japanese bonus tracks... this is a fucking hassle to deal with for any band.

The reason, in case you were wondering:
Due to taxes etc, domestically printed CDs in Japan are more expensive than import CDs, so in order for the Japanese labels to be able to sell their releases they typically demand a release a week prior to all other territories and a bonus track. That way they can make people buy their release and combat the imports. Funny enough, for the big releases this often ends up with two versions of same album (the domestically and the import) hitting the Japanese charts at same time.

It makes it difficult as an artist as you have to prepare an extra song just for Japan (for concept albums this really sucks), and then sometimes your other partners around the world bitches as well and demands their own bonus tracks too.

I'd always casually wondered what Japan always got bonus cuts so thanks for this explanation.

[Sir Exar Kun]

Wasn't truly a Japanese-only track, but this still ranks as one of the most FITTING.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3c2bihXXBs

[Mardoch]

Wasn't truly a Japanese-only track, but this still ranks as one of the most FITTING.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3c2bihXXBs

I love that stupid song so much, lol.