6 Korean Rock Bands You Must Know

Kapanlagi.com - This article was written by Aricha Safira Rachma

When we talk about South Korea, we immediately think of the phenomenal and worldwide famous girlgroups and boygroups. The Korean music industry has been filled with dynamic girlgroups/boygroups since the 1990s.

In addition to KPop, there is also K-HipHop which is currently being listened to by music lovers in Korea. This genre first entered Korea in the 1980s or early 1990s. The popularity of K-HipHop is no less explosive than KPop. In fact, the Korean HipHop Awards have been held.

However, Korean music genres are not only that, there are still other genres that you must explore. For those of you who claim to be Korean music lovers, you must explore Korean rock music. This genre is rarely discussed in the Korean music entertainment world. Even though there are many Korean rock musicians who produce incredible music. Here are 6 Korean rock bands that you must know.

1. NELL

Credit: Instagram.com/@spacebohemians

Nell is an indie rock music group from South Korea formed in 1999. The group consists of four members, Kin Jong Wan who holds the position of vocalist, keyboardist, and guitarist, Lee Jae Kyung as lead guitarist, Lee Jung Hoon as bassist, and Jung Jae Won as drummer.  

One of their famous songs is a song titled Time Spent Walking Through Memories. This song went viral and has been covered by many famous idols such as Taeyeon Girls Generation, Doyoung NCT, and Sunggyu Infinite.

2. Guckkasten

Credit: Instagram.com/@guckkasten_official

Guckkasten is a four-member rock band currently under the management of Interpark Entertainment. They released their first single "Guckkasten" on December 29, 2008.

Actually, the band made their debut in 2003 under the name The C.O.M. Due to mandatory military service, The C.O.M. disbanded. In 2007, they reunited with a new member, Kim Ki Bum as the bassist, under the name Guckkasten. The band last made a comeback in 2022 with the song "Crack In The Ark".

3. Hyukoh

Credit: Instagram.com/@ hyukohofficial

This band is actually a little different from other rock bands. This is because all members of the band like various types of music. They incorporate elements from various genres into their music. Hyukoh makes music according to what they want, not based on what people like.

Hyukoh's songs sound more easy-listening than other rock music. One song that you must try to listen to is the song titled "LOVE YA!". The song, released in 2018, tells the story of someone expressing their feelings to someone they like.

4. SURL

Credit: Instagram.com/@surlofficial

SURL is a rock band from South Korea under the Happy Robot Records label. The band consists of four high school friends, Hoseung, Doyeon, Hanbin, and Myeongsuk. SURL means a band that tells stories, which can be connected by many people based on what they have gone through.

They won the grand prize at the Shinhan Card Rookie Award 2018 in September 2018. SURL debuted on July 7, 2018, with their first live performance in Seoul, Korea.

The band has a distinctive feature of imaginative music videos and beautiful guitar melodies when combined with the vocals of Hoseung.

5. Jaurim

Credit: Instagram.com/@jaurim_official

Jaurim, which means "Purple Rain Forest," is a Korean rock band consisting of three members, Kim Yuna, Lee Sunkyu, and Kim Jinman. The band debuted on November 1, 1997, under the Nanjang Music agency. From 2007 to 2009, they stood on their own without an agency, and from 2010 to 2015, they were under the Soundholic label until finally, in 2015, they joined the Interpark Entertainment agency.

Initially, they were criticized for their lack of originality until they began to strengthen themselves in the Korean rock world. Jaurim has developed and deepened their own music and made the music they create sound unique.

6. Bursters

Credit: Instagram.com/@bursters_official

Bursters is a rock/metal band from South Korea under the management of Evermore Music. The band has been active since 2012 but officially debuted on February 16, 2015 with the mini album Independent. They are known for participating in Super Star K6.

This band is dedicated to those who love rock music with heavy instruments and loud screams. Yes, Bursters is a metalcore band. Not everyone might be suitable for this singing style, but Bursters successfully express the emotions in every song lyric.

(kpl/mag)