Beat Crusaders

Beat Crusaders (ビート・クルセイダース, Bīto Kuruseidāsu, often stylized as BEAT CRUSADERS) were a Japanese rock band active from 1997 to 2010. Throughout their career, the group members wore paper masks resembling dot-matrix prints of their own faces during media appearances and photo shoots.

History

Beat Crusaders—commonly abbreviated as BECR—debuted in late 1997 under the creative direction of founder Tōru Hidaka, who aimed for a U.S. lo-fi indie rock sound. Additional bandmates joined after Hidaka’s frequent experimental gigs in Tokyo’s Shimokitazawa area. Drawing on influences such as Weezer and The Rentals, while occasionally blending in a Snuff-inspired punk energy, Beat Crusaders evolved into a melodic guitar outfit. By 1998, their lively shows had made them a must-see act.

They released the single “E.C.D.T.” in mid-1999, pushing them onto independent charts across Japan. Soon after, the mini-album Howling Symphony of… came out, attracting praise from music press and cementing their status among the local alternative/independent scene. They followed up with more singles, including “Firestarter,” and dropped a full-length LP, All You Can Eat, further boosting their live performance schedule with a wide spectrum of Japanese rock peers, from pop punk to new wave. They contributed tracks to compilations and also issued a split EP, WXY, with Captain Hedgehog.

In August 2003, three of the founding members departed, and Hidaka recruited four new players. Despite the major lineup shift, the band’s comedic masked persona and spirited power-pop/punk style persisted. Beat Crusaders garnered mainstream notice after “Hit in the USA” was chosen as the opening theme for the anime BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad. Additional anime tie-ins—like “Tonight, Tonight, Tonight” in Bleach—further propelled them. They eventually recorded for the popular animated series Kappa Mikey (“Hey x 2 Look x 2”) and Hero Tales (“Winterlong”).

Albums EPopMaking (2007) and Popdod (2008) strengthened their foothold, blending pop-inspired melodies with punk-driven instrumentation. In 2010, frontman Tōru Hidaka confirmed the band’s breakup, culminating in a final album, Rest Crusaders, featuring 22 tracks—both new songs and re-recorded older hits—on October 6, 2010.

Band Members

• Tōru Hidaka – Vocals, Guitar
• Masahiko Kubota – Bass
• Tarō Katō – Guitar
• Mashīta (Hirofumi Yamashita) – Drums
• Keitaimo (Keita Tanabe) – Keyboard

Former Members:

• umu (Mitsutaka Umuyashiki) – Bass, Vocals
• araki (Takayuki Araki) – Drums, Vocals
• thai (Hiroyuki Tai) – Keyboard, Guitar, Vocals (died 2011)
• yukio Iwahara – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Programs

Discography

• All You Can Eat (2000)
• Foresights (2001)
• Sexcite! (2002)
• MUSICRUSADERS (2005)
• P.O.A. -POP ON ARRIVAL- (2005)
• EPopMaking: Pop to no Sōgū (2007)
• popdod (2008)