Biography
Industrial rock and nu metal outfit D'espairsRay originated in Japan, where the group first built its following, yet devoted extended effort to attracting listeners in the West and achieved measurable results there. Most of the members who had played in the now-defunct Le'Veil—Hizumi, Karyu, Zero, and Tsukasa—assembled the band in 1999, and that same quartet remained intact for the entire following decade. Although D'espairsRay initially operated within the indie visual kei circuit, the musicians gradually developed a distinct profile centered on sound rather than visual presentation. Several years of steady activity on the domestic circuit were required for this shift; during that period the band advanced through successive tiers of releases, beginning with three demo tapes issued between 1999 and 2000, followed by two maxi singles, one of which appeared in a pressing limited to 1,000 copies, and then the EPs Terrors in 2001 and Sexual Beast in 2002.
The single Maverick, released in 2003, marked a decisive turn by confirming the quartet’s deepening engagement with nu metal. That orientation bore fruit when the track “Maverick” reappeared on the third EP, Born, in 2004, and the band secured its first performances beyond Japan that same year in Berlin and Paris. A live DVD followed before the group could commit to a debut full-length, Coll: Set, which appeared in 2005 and reached European stores the next year, thereby establishing the pattern for most later releases. A combined North American and European tour ensued, highlighted by a slot at Wacken Open Air, after which the second album, Mirror, arrived in 2007. D'espairsRay also appeared at the 2007 J-Rock Revolution festival in Los Angeles, and when Mirror received its U.S. release in early 2008 the band joined the Taste of Chaos package alongside Bullet for My Valentine and Avenged Sevenfold. Between 2007 and 2008 three additional DVDs were issued, comprising one documentary and two concert recordings.
The single Maverick, released in 2003, marked a decisive turn by confirming the quartet’s deepening engagement with nu metal. That orientation bore fruit when the track “Maverick” reappeared on the third EP, Born, in 2004, and the band secured its first performances beyond Japan that same year in Berlin and Paris. A live DVD followed before the group could commit to a debut full-length, Coll: Set, which appeared in 2005 and reached European stores the next year, thereby establishing the pattern for most later releases. A combined North American and European tour ensued, highlighted by a slot at Wacken Open Air, after which the second album, Mirror, arrived in 2007. D'espairsRay also appeared at the 2007 J-Rock Revolution festival in Los Angeles, and when Mirror received its U.S. release in early 2008 the band joined the Taste of Chaos package alongside Bullet for My Valentine and Avenged Sevenfold. Between 2007 and 2008 three additional DVDs were issued, comprising one documentary and two concert recordings.
Albums
Singles
