Kuroyume

Top-level figures from visual kei’s golden era, Kuroyume earned influence on the J-rock landscape of the 1990s and 2000s on a par with X-Japan and Luna Sea. Early recordings hovered near black metal, yet the group soon fused mainstream appeal with a persistent streak of sonic and visual provocation, shaping acts such as Merry and Dir en Grey; the latter’s vocalist Kyo, once employed as Kuroyume’s roadie, adopted fashion and makeup directly modeled on frontman Kiyoharu.

Kiyoharu, previously of Sus4 and Garnet, formed the band in 1991 with ex-Garnet bassist Hitoki; initial guitarist Masaru departed shortly afterward for Oblivion Dust and was replaced by Shin. Demo tapes appeared in 1991, and one of them, Ikiteta Chuuzetsuji, received a CD release in 1992 that highlighted the prevailing dark-metal aesthetic. The second album, Nakigara Wo (1993), moved toward rock while retaining gothic undertones and greater accessibility, supplying the track “Shinainaru Death Mask” for the band’s debut promotional video; extensive live work included bills shared with L’Arc-en-Ciel and Silver Rose.

Major-label affiliation began in 1994 with Toshiba EMI, whose first releases were the single “For Dear” and the album Mayoeri Yuritachi, both issued that year, followed by the EP Cruel, which signaled a pronounced pop turn. Displeased, Shin exited in 1995 to concentrate on Vinyl; Kiyoharu and Hitoki elected to continue as a duo, composing their own material. The new mainstream-rock direction yielded the commercially robust albums Feminism (1995) and Fake Star (1996), the latter earning an MTV Video Music Award for “Pistol.” Radical impulses resurfaced on the punk-rock album Drug Treatment (1997), which achieved million-seller status, and on the follow-up punk effort Corkscrew (1998). Activity ceased indefinitely in 1999, officially attributed to Hitoki’s health concerns yet widely understood as reflecting creative divergence; both musicians pursued solo paths, Hitoki most notably with Piranaheads and Kiyoharu first through SADS and subsequently under his own name.

Kiyoharu collaborated with Sugizo of Luna Sea and Kirito of Pierrot, established his own label that issued Merry’s recordings, and launched clothing and accessory lines. A single Budokan performance in January 2009 served as the official disbandment announcement. Several years afterward the pair reconvened, signing with Avex in 2012 and issuing the album Headache and Dub Reel Inch; despite mixed critical notices the release sold strongly. Early 2014 brought Kuro to Kage (“Darkness and Shadows”), an album whose clearer punk-metal orientation met wider approval. Kiyoharu meanwhile continued his solo work with the 2012 album Under the Sun.