For over fifteen years, Dizzy Sunfist has been one of Japan’s most reliable exports in melodic punk, building a catalog and a live reputation that never quite got the attention overseas that it deserved. That changes on September 18, when the Osaka trio releases “Our Dream Is Not Dead” through Fat Wreck Chords, the label that basically wrote the rulebook this band has been playing from since 2009.
This isn’t a new album in the traditional sense. It’s a curated set of 12 songs pulled from across the band’s discography, re-recorded with English lyrics and billed as “Fat Wreck Versions.” Half the tracklist comes from 2023’s “Punk Rock Princess” EP, with the rest gathered from other releases spanning the band’s history. Frontwoman Ayapeta has talked about the challenge of rewriting these songs in English while trying to hold onto what made them work the first time, and that tension between the band’s original intent and this new international pitch is what makes the record interesting.
The lineup has changed since some of these songs were first written. Bassist MEG officially joined in September 2025, rounding out the current trio alongside Ayapeta and moAi. Ayapeta has described the current chemistry as a kind of rejuvenation, with the band playing these songs with the same hunger they had a decade ago. You can hear that on opener “Going Psycho,” a track that clocks in at almost exactly a minute and doesn’t waste a second of it. It’s blunt, fast, and mean in a way that sets the tone for the whole record without overstaying its welcome.
“Punk Rock Princess” and “Carry On” are probably the two songs that’ll do the heaviest lifting for new listeners. Both lean into the kind of huge, singable choruses that made Fat Wreck a destination label in the first place, and both sound like they were built for a room full of people losing their minds in unison. “Shooting Star,” the song the band used to tease this release, splits the difference between speed and hook in a way that feels effortless, even though it clearly isn’t.
Elsewhere the record slows down just enough to breathe. “そばにいてよ (Sobaniiteyo)” keeps its original Japanese lyrics blended with English, and it’s one of the more emotionally direct moments on the album, dealing with loneliness and distance in a way that doesn’t need translation to land. “The Magic Word” and “So Beautiful” push toward something more anthemic and openly hopeful, which tracks with a band whose entire mission statement is right there in the album title.
Closer “The Dream Is Not Dead” has apparently been a live staple for years now, and it’s easy to hear why. It’s built as a rallying cry, the kind of song meant to be shouted back at the band by a room of sweaty strangers, and as the title track it carries the emotional weight of everything the record is trying to say about persistence and payoff.
Fat Wreck is also pressing a limited pink and orange split vinyl, capped at 300 copies, which will likely move fast given how little physical Dizzy Sunfist material has made it to North American shelves.
What “Our Dream Is Not Dead” ultimately represents isn’t a new artistic chapter so much as a long overdue introduction. This is a band that’s been playing SATANIC CARNIVAL and SUMMER SONIC and headlining sold out shows in Tokyo for years, finally getting a proper vehicle to reach the audience that’s been sleeping on them. Ayapeta has said the real goal isn’t streaming numbers but getting people into a room for one of their shows, and after spending time with this record, that makes total sense. These songs sound like they were built for a stage, and now more people outside Japan are finally going to get the chance to find that out.
Our Dream Is Not Dead is out September 18 via Fat Wreck Chords.
I’m Drew, the founder and editor of Front of the Stage. I have a strong love for music and photography, which started at a very young age. There’s just something I love about experiencing live music and capturing memories that will last a lifetime, and that’s how Front of the Stage came to be.
