Formed back in 2013, PassCode joined the slowly growing kawaii metal genre that was made popular by Babymetal. With five studio albums to their name and multiple festival appearances, the band decided to head to the United States for the first-ever with a trio of shows. After performances in Dallas and New York City, they concluded their three-day trek with a stop at The Echo in Los Angeles last Thursday.

The long line of fans waiting to get inside minutes before doors opened was a mixed variety of metalheads, punk enthusiasts, and anime fanatics. While the crowd mostly featured Los Angeles folk, a handful of people drove from further away to finally get a glimpse of the act live. A handful of fans gave out bracelets to random people before the band took the stage. When 8 p.m. hit, the crowd was greeted by the group, which features Nao Minami, Kaede Takashima, Hinako Ōgami, and Emily Arima, kicking off their set with the title track of their new Groundswell EP.

Any unsuspecting metalhead who witnessed PassCode for the first time via a last minute invitation was probably taken aback by the act's stage performance. With a four-piece backing band delivering a bevy of riffs and breakdowns, PassCode brought some eye-catching dance moves fit for stadium gigs. The dancing wasn't only on stage, however, as several fans bounced around to the EDM-laced rhythms and engaged in some moshpit tactics during songs like "Taking You Out" and "Tonight."

When it came to the vocal performance, all four members delivered exquisite melodies both seperately and as a collective. Emily, who previously performed with Ladybeard, brought some spine-tingling growls mixed with a hip hop-tinged flow especially during the songs "Dive Into The Light" and "Melody from the Bumbling Clash."

PassCode's overall setlist featured a mixed selection of fan favorites from their catalog. As expected, a good chunk of the set focused on their 2019 breakthrough record Clarity and their new EP. With 10 years worth of music, they couldn't hit everything. While their 2014 debut album All Is Vanity didn't land on the set, they did touch upon the invigorating "Ninja Bomber" from their 2016 sophomore studio album Virtual.

PassCode's interaction with the fans was playful with members often thanking the crowd for coming out. At one point, Nao took a selfie with a fan's phone in the front row. During small breaks between songs, the fans didn't stay silent with joyful screams engulfing the 350-cap venue.

For the encore, PassCode tackled "Starry Sky" and "One Step Beyond" before bidding farewell to the ecstatic crowd. With interest in kawaii metal getting a rise in the States, it won't be long until the four-piece act comes back, but this time, with a bigger crowd awaiting them each night.

PassCode setlist

Groundswell

Ray

Dive Into The Light

Ichika Bachika

Melody from the Bumbling Clash

Flavor of Blue

Myth

Clouds Across The Moon

Seize Approaching Brand New Era

Miss Unlimited

Ninja Bomber