Meet Alex: a die-hard metalhead who, after getting electrocuted during his band's farewell gig, wakes up in a world full of dragons, werewolves, and monsters that are just begging for a guitar solo. And no, the “shock” he gets entering this new world isn't from the electrocution at his gig—it's from realizing that, somehow, the afterlife isn't quite as he imagined. Instead of a peaceful resting place, he's been dropped into a land where metalheads would die for the chance to live in.

With his trusty “Flying V” guitar, a level 999 power boost, and a heart full of rock ‘n’ roll, Alex decides it's time to crank the volume up to eleven and save this crazy new world. Dragons? Perfect for a shredding solo. Werewolves? Time to headbang into battle.

Isekai Metaller is written and drawn by Ryo Kasuga. English translation by Motoko Tamamuro and Jonathan Clements. Lettered by Tom Williams. Published by Titan Manga (October 14, 2025).

Kevin Cormack
Rating:

Dying in Japan seems like an incredibly dangerous business. Whether you're a victim of voracious serial-killer Truck-kun or a hapless heavy metal guitarist shocked to death by a faulty amp, it seems that a simple sojourn to a standard afterlife is out of the question. No, die within internationally-recognized Japanese borders and you're liable to be immediately reincarnated to another world, adherence to creed or religion be damned. (Or not damned, as the case seems to be.)

Alexi (real name Yamada) is a thirty-year-old metal guitarist, abandoned by the other members of his band who want to grow up and become boring. Not Alexi, though; his life's purpose is to save the world through heavy metal music. Despite his lank hair, scary eyes, and threatening demeanor, Alexi's an idealistic kind of guy who believes that if everyone could get along and headbang together to the loudest, most bowel-thunderingly heavy metal, then the world would be a better place. Sadly, he never gets to spread the word of his screamingly intense new gospel, as he suddenly finds himself zapped into a new existence as a “metaller” class mage in a fantasy world.

Quickly partied up with towering lycanthrope Tyro and cute, floppy hat-wearing mage Lizzy, Alexi begins a journey to fight monsters with the power of music, with the ultimate intent of reaching the Demon Lord and ending all hostilities between peoples by hosting the biggest metal concert of all time on his front lawn. It's probably not the most serious isekai adventure I've ever read, but props to the author for trying something a little different with an oversaturated genre.

Fans of Detroit Metal City might get a kick out of this, as it features a nice guy who deliberately affects an off-putting persona (though in this case it's mainly because he's as chuuni as they come when it comes to heavy metal). It seems almost every page is packed with references to big metal acts, some of which are obvious even to a non-metalhead like myself, and others reference more obscure metal bands I've never heard of. Most references seem fairly surface-level, like “wow, this skull-covered pyramid looks like an Iron Maiden album cover”.

The characters are mostly simple archetypes so far, save for the unusual protagonist. Mage Lizzy is a typical young, inexperienced caster who is drawn to Alexi's strength, while stoic lycanthrope Tyro respects him for his inspiring drive. Later, we're introduced to a scamp of a young thief, and also Metaller Alexi's natural nemesis: Reylo the Glam Rocker. Their argument about which bands are truly rock and which are truly metal is just the right kind of absurd to illustrate just how dorky both characters are.

It's a fun, if slight volume with reasonably expressive but cartoonish art, sometimes with odd character proportions that look awkward. I don't think I'm likely to pick up any further volumes, but I enjoyed this daft fantasy well enough. Add an extra star if you're a die-hard metal fan.

Erica Friedman
Rating:

Aww yeah! Metal is life, Metal is LIFE! At least for “Alexi” Yamada, metal is life. When he wakes up in another world, surrounded by magic and monsters, his guitar has become a weapon, and his music has become his skill.

This book was everything I hoped it would be. Surrounded by people who also don't feel truly part of their own narratives, Alexi and his party are almost instantly a classic manga-style found family. They take on vastly overpowered creatures and people with the power of friendship...and Heavy Metal, of course.

The story moves as hard and fast as a shredding guitarist, the beats come pounding down like a drummer with an agenda. Everything is exactly as soppy and ridiculous and lovable as it ought to be, and everything is taken quite seriously —even the endless references to well-known heavy metal musicians. Many of these names are so famous they surely don't need explanation. Nonetheless, we are given glosses for the random reader who inexplicably has never heard of Rob Zombie (who famously toured with Baby Metal and is surely known even in Japan). Every detail is treated with reverence; Alexi's guitar, even the monsters he encounters—and often seeks out—are given their place in Heavy Metal history.

Kasuga Ryo's art is likewise serious about the scene, while giving us plenty to headbang to. Battle scenes are filled with lightning and thunder from Alexi's music, as if they were stage effects at a metal concert.

The energy and music crackle on every page, as Alexi takes on dragons and thieves and even another isekai-ed rock musician, all while believing deeply that Heavy Metal is the best way for him to live.

Some heroes might believe in love and justice, others in their level 900 powers, but for “Alexi” Yamada, Heavy Metal is everything, and with it, he will bring peace to the world… …by running a Heavy Metal concert with the Dragon King.

Honestly, I cannot wait for Volume 2. This is exactly what I needed to read today.

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

If there is any justice in this world, Isekai Metaller will be the next inevitable isekai series to get animated. Not because it's incredibly different or clever, but because this is the most fun I've had with an isekai series since Life with an Ordinary Guy Who Reincarnated into a Total Fantasy Knockout, albeit for a completely different reason. Isekai Metaller knows its genre and toys with it like my cat Lucinda with a random scrap of paper. It's dumb, but it's fun dumb.

Our hapless reincarnator is Alexi – or Yamada, if you must know the name on his birth certificate. A hardcore metalhead, Alexi is utterly devoted to his craft and lifestyle, and not even all of his bandmates quitting before a show can stop him. Hell, not even death can stop him, because when he's electrocuted on stage, he ends up in a boilerplate fantasy world and his beloved flying V guitar is now an awesome weapon of heavy metal destruction. Those legends about musicians meeting the devil at the crossroads have nothing on Alexi. (And yes, the story of Robert Johnson is mentioned here.) In part, that's because Alexi has his own plans for meeting the devil—or the Demon King. After all, this is still working within a familiar isekai framework: he'll introduce him to the cathartic power of metal and thereby save the world.

This is, perhaps, my favorite part of the story. Alexi doesn't just love metal in all its many forms because he loves the sound; it's soothing to him because it offers a way to scream out his anxieties and other emotions. Playing and singing metal is a form of therapy to him, and that's something he firmly believes in. Essentially, he plans to offer the Demon King a way to cope with his emotional pain, which is both very sweet and remarkably progressive. He's sending the big bad to therapy, metal-style, and I can really get behind that.

Creator Ryo Kasuga is clearly enjoying creating this story. There are little tidbits about metal and hard rock, album lore, and even jabs at how metal and its musicians can be misunderstood. Alexi is overpowered, but he's barely aware of the fact because he's loving getting to basically recreate album covers with his new magic. He earnestly wants to get along with everyone. This is isekai with a heart and a soundtrack, and even if you're not a metal fan yourself, it's a delight.