In 1992, a pair of very talented musicians gathered together a small Indies rock band of five members. This early band consisted of Tetsu, Yu~ki, Gaz, co-founder Kozi and was led under the direction of the mysterious Mana. Within the year, they had released their first single under the name, "Malice Mizer." Although this name would stay with them throughout the years, the band itself would undergo many drastic changes.
Indeed, their first album hadn't even been recorded when Gaz left the group, and was replaced with the drummer we will always associate with the band, Kami, the next day. The musical style was still the same, despite this change of members, and the first album, Memoire, was put out as planned. However, this was not the only member the early Malice Mizer would lose: due to certain "musical differences," Tetsu broke from the group at their Meguro Rokumeikan show on December 27, 1994, leaving them to continue without his highly unique vocals.
...As fans know, this was far from Malice Mizer's end. Tetsu's vocals were replaced with those of the rising star, Camui Gackt, and he recorded his first single with the band, Uruwashiki Kamen no Shoutaijou, in all of his eerie splendour.
With Gackt's arrival, the band put out their second album, Voyage. Although it didn't produce the same chart-topping hits as their later albums, fans got a taste of what the new vocalist was to bring to Malice Mizer's music and what was to bring them further than most other bands ever dream of. In the spring of 1998, their third and perhaps most acclaimed album was released with the title, Merveilles. No longer did the music have the same Indies sound that it had begun with, but a theatrical pop-rock sound that was to distinguish them not only musically, but visually. From the intricate guitar melodies of Bel Air to the tango beat of Gekka no Yasoukyoku, Merveilles presented a whole new image, one that people would follow as it changed with every single.
The World of Wonders was not to last much longer, sadly. Camui Gackt left Malice Mizer on January 19, 1999 to start a solo career and his first single, Mizérable, was met with great praises from fans worldwide. As wonderful as his career was, Malice Mizer was once again missing a vocalist... but that wasn't the extent of their problems. In June of 1999, their beloved Kami passed away quite suddenly. Band members and fans alike were devistated by the loss of their perky, playful drummer. However, they commemorated him by releasing Shinwa, Kami's Memorial Box, containing such songs as Unmei no Deai which had been written by the late member, but never before recorded. Kami was never replaced, nor forgotten.
Now consisting of only three members, Malice Mizer continued to write songs until enough had been compiled for their fourth album, Bara no Seidou. Like the releasing of Merveilles, the new album brought image and musical changes, introducing the highly theatrical and operatic nature that distinguished the band's later pieces. Even though they no longer had a vocalist, the tracks were recorded with the talents of Youko Takai, Maki Okada and the man who would later become the third and final singer, Klaha. In addition to the new sound, numerous pages of full-color photographes were included in the album's hardcover book-style casing.
2000 brought many new oppurtunities for both the band and their fans, including the opening of Mana's own Lolita clothing store, Moi-Meme-Moitie, on October 18th. It was in this year that Klaha officially joined Malice Mizer on August 23rd and the production of Bara no Konrei, the band's first and only full-length movie, began. The film came out in the spring of 2001, telling the story of love, darkness and vampirism in the setting of eighteenth century London.
Although they recorded quite a few singles in this year (Gardenia, Beast of Blood, Garnet), a full album was never put out. Unfortunately, December of 2001 brought the disbanding of Malice Mizer in favor of solo projects. However, the changes in musical style and image of Visual Kei were permenant.
History of Malice Mizer written by Naz. Quite moving, was it not? ^.~ There is no way I could've EVER worded this as perfectly as she has. Thank you Naz-chan! ^.~ |
