The real gem on the single is “Aurora.” Unlike the band’s usual material, it taps into a melancholy and structure typical of the shoegazer sound. “ Ledger” has an almost Gothic mood with whispery vocals and minor-key melodies, and “Insight” is a more fan-friendly track that is fast paced, indulges in guitar riffs and is over in about three minutes. While “Insight/Ledger” is getting a lot of attention because of its use in the “Metal Gear Solid” commercial, the single’s other three tracks are by no means throwaways. I’m singing on behalf of a soldier who is about to hit the battlefield.” “This time, though, the song is connected to a video game that has fans worldwide, so I decided to write lyrics that listeners might be able to connect with emotionally. Nobita’s vocals are crystal clear, though, standing out from the instrumentation and sung dramatically in a higher pitch. Comparing the two in detail, however, “The Phantom Pain” amps up the sludge with distortion and is performed at a slower tempo. Its style is similar to “Orpheus,” the opening track from the band’s most recent album, “The Dark Black Groove,” which came out in March. The track features White Ash’s signature fuzzed-up guitar grunge, and heavy drums and bass. The mastering for “Insight/Ledger” had already been completed and the band had to extend its recording schedule to get “The Phantom Pain” out in physical form. “The Phantom Pain” just barely made the cut, though. It’s the seventh single from White Ash, who has also released three albums. “The Phantom Pain” is a B-side on the group’s “Insight/Ledger” single, which was released last month. “So our style was already established by the time we started writing our own songs.” “We were into the cool British bands of the era, and also covered The Subways, Block Party and Swedish rockers Mando Diao,” Nobita says. They started out as an Arctic Monkeys cover band. Nobita and Go formed White Ash with guitarist Yama-san and bassist Aya while attending college together in 2006. The ninth installment takes place during the Cold War with the player taking the role of a soldier who wakes up from a coma and must rescue his former partner from Soviet forces. The “Metal Gear Solid” franchise, directed by Hideo Kojima, is one of game company Konami’s most successful series. “I’d love to be able to tell junior high school me that I’m doing this.” “I can still remember playing the original game and the first sequel,” says Nobita, who also appears alongside his bandmates in a commercial for the game.