DAISUKE KIKUCHI Special to The Japan Times

Who says Halloween isn't popular in Japan? The Burning Spirits Halloween 2011 event will rock Shinjuku Antiknock on the scariest night of the year, with acts hand-picked to create a creepy but fun atmosphere. Expect bands and DJs made up like corpses, all offering themselves up to the night of the living dead. And it goes without saying that you can wear a costume yourself, with discounts available for those dressed to celebrate the night.

The event is organized by Tokuyuki Katsuta, singer of punk band PIMP, who will also perform. He wears his influences on his sleeve (and on his spiky red hair, and on the tattoos crawling all over his body). His taste is pure hardcore punk, raw and fast, and the event will center around veteran punk acts such as Hat Trickers and Worms' Meat. But the bill also includes bands with a Goth and industrial flavor, perfectly suited to Halloween.

One of the highlights will be Baal, which transcends these genres by mixing heavy rock and electro sequencers. The band members call it "cybernetic heavy industrial rock," and their unusual sound attracts many non-Japanese fans. The band has performed overseas in Germany and the Netherlands, and has even graced the cover of German Goth magazine Astan.