Biography
Following the 2006 dissolution of visual kei icons Pierrot at the peak of their popularity, vocalist Kirito along with bassist Kohta and drummer Takeo, dissatisfied by prior developments, chose to establish a fresh outfit preserving the identical aesthetic and sonic approach. Kirito resumed guitar duties, a role he had held in Pierrot prior to assuming vocal responsibilities; live performances incorporated support guitarist Toru, previously a member of techno-metallers the Mad Capsule Markets, resulting in the formation of Angelo.
The group aligned at once with Sony Music, launching their career via an initial free performance in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, then issuing the debut single “Reborn” in November, a mere seven months after Pierrot’s end. Paired with the subsequent single “Winter Moon,” this release established Angelo’s core identity through propulsive, driving rock built on straightforward structures, insistent aggressive riffs, and an industrial edge. The resulting dark atmosphere, combined with the band’s ominous visual presentation, retained Pierrot devotees while attracting fresh listeners.
April 2007 brought their first full-length, Rebirth of Newborn Baby, accompanied by a nationwide Japanese trek; though somewhat uniform, the record achieved solid sales. Four months afterward Kirito delivered his second solo effort, Negative, exhibiting the pop-leaning character already evident on his 2005 debut Hameln. That earlier release had arguably precipitated Pierrot’s split, notwithstanding Kirito’s contemporaneous pledges of continued commitment; guitarists Jun and Aiji, having launched parallel ventures Alvino and LM.C. respectively, prioritized those projects and sustained prosperous paths thereafter.
Kirito once more affirmed his primary allegiance, and the solo album produced no negative repercussions this time. Four months later Angelo unveiled the mini-album The Freak Show, featuring a coarser, more industrial texture than the preceding LP yet criticized by portions of the fanbase as hastily assembled. Undeterred, the band concentrated on live activity throughout most of 2008, pausing solely to record and release two additional singles. The following year saw the arrival of Metallic Butterfly, extending the established direction with modestly expanded variety and refined production.
Their subsequent single “Hikari no Kioku” (“Memory of Light”), a ballad, signaled an intentional stylistic pivot—possibly influenced by relocation within the Sony family—to melodic, accessible, pop-oriented composition aligned with conventional visual kei expectations. Both this track and the follow-up “El Dorado” received licensing as anime themes, a strategy frequently adopted by major-label visual kei acts for broad visibility. The third album, Design, emerged in October 2010 in accordance with the revised approach, alienating some longtime supporters for whom earlier material had seemed excessively abrasive or limited, while simultaneously drawing an expanded audience.
The next year Angelo attained genuine visual kei supergroup stature through the addition of guitarists Giru (ex-Vidoll) and Karyu (ex-D’espairsRay), whose recently disbanded outfits had ranked among the scene’s prominent forces. Their integration infused fresh dimensionality into Angelo’s sound, evident on the fourth album Babel. Over the ensuing three years the band maintained an annual album schedule—Retina (2012), Faith (2013), and Psyche (2014)—without notable decline in caliber, as the new members integrated fully and contributed more substantially. In 2015 they issued the mini-albums Factor and Result; their eighth studio release, Cord, followed in 2016, displaying an intensified hardness and weight.
The group aligned at once with Sony Music, launching their career via an initial free performance in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, then issuing the debut single “Reborn” in November, a mere seven months after Pierrot’s end. Paired with the subsequent single “Winter Moon,” this release established Angelo’s core identity through propulsive, driving rock built on straightforward structures, insistent aggressive riffs, and an industrial edge. The resulting dark atmosphere, combined with the band’s ominous visual presentation, retained Pierrot devotees while attracting fresh listeners.
April 2007 brought their first full-length, Rebirth of Newborn Baby, accompanied by a nationwide Japanese trek; though somewhat uniform, the record achieved solid sales. Four months afterward Kirito delivered his second solo effort, Negative, exhibiting the pop-leaning character already evident on his 2005 debut Hameln. That earlier release had arguably precipitated Pierrot’s split, notwithstanding Kirito’s contemporaneous pledges of continued commitment; guitarists Jun and Aiji, having launched parallel ventures Alvino and LM.C. respectively, prioritized those projects and sustained prosperous paths thereafter.
Kirito once more affirmed his primary allegiance, and the solo album produced no negative repercussions this time. Four months later Angelo unveiled the mini-album The Freak Show, featuring a coarser, more industrial texture than the preceding LP yet criticized by portions of the fanbase as hastily assembled. Undeterred, the band concentrated on live activity throughout most of 2008, pausing solely to record and release two additional singles. The following year saw the arrival of Metallic Butterfly, extending the established direction with modestly expanded variety and refined production.
Their subsequent single “Hikari no Kioku” (“Memory of Light”), a ballad, signaled an intentional stylistic pivot—possibly influenced by relocation within the Sony family—to melodic, accessible, pop-oriented composition aligned with conventional visual kei expectations. Both this track and the follow-up “El Dorado” received licensing as anime themes, a strategy frequently adopted by major-label visual kei acts for broad visibility. The third album, Design, emerged in October 2010 in accordance with the revised approach, alienating some longtime supporters for whom earlier material had seemed excessively abrasive or limited, while simultaneously drawing an expanded audience.
The next year Angelo attained genuine visual kei supergroup stature through the addition of guitarists Giru (ex-Vidoll) and Karyu (ex-D’espairsRay), whose recently disbanded outfits had ranked among the scene’s prominent forces. Their integration infused fresh dimensionality into Angelo’s sound, evident on the fourth album Babel. Over the ensuing three years the band maintained an annual album schedule—Retina (2012), Faith (2013), and Psyche (2014)—without notable decline in caliber, as the new members integrated fully and contributed more substantially. In 2015 they issued the mini-albums Factor and Result; their eighth studio release, Cord, followed in 2016, displaying an intensified hardness and weight.
Singles