Tetsu era
Malice Mizer is rooted in Mana & Kozi. Mana had been trying to form a band that would cater to his creative ideals when he met Kozi. Kozi became attracted to Mana's interest in making guitars sound like harpsicords. The two began playing together, & recruted drummer Gaz. Yu~ki was then asked to join the band, but declined at first. After a little persuasion by Kozi, he became a member. Malice Mizer's first vocalist, Tetsu, was then recruited. Soon after, Gaz was sacked, apparently for tardiness- turning up late for rehersals- & a replacement drummer, Kami, was found. Malice Mizer began playing in indies clubs, sometimes playing in venues so small they had to set up their staging & instruments themselves. However, they always incorporated something personal into their shows- elaborate dress & glitter powder thrown into the crouds to ensure the audience remembered them. Malice Mizer's sound at this point was heavily influenced by classical music such as Beethoven (they covered his infamous 'Fur Elise' in their song 'Baroque'). However, this sound was unusual as it was translated into a distinctive 'twin guitar' sound. Tetsu's vocals were also extrodinary, usually producing extreme reactions in the audience- either great appreciation or distaste. The lyrics, written usually by Mana told dark, poetical stories of vampires and imagery from the Romantic movement. Malice Mizer's first demo tape featured two instrumentals, Speed of Desperate and Saddness. It's rumoured they were only instrumentals due to shortage of funds. However, Speed of Desperate was given lyrics by Tetsu at a later date. Malice Mizer released one album with Tetsu- Memoire- in July 1994, releasing it again in December of the same year with an additional slip case and 'visual story' booklet. After the 2nd pressing of Memoire, Tetsu left the band due to creative differences, & is now in the band NIL (see 'Tetsu' section).

Gackt era
When the vocalist Camui Gackt joined the band, is, for many people, where Malice Mizer really begun to solidify. Gackt had recently moved to the city, when he met Mana. Apparently they were both a bit thrown by each other at first, & sat in silence until they went back to Mana's apartment & begun talking about what it means to be human. The first single released with Gackt was 'Uruwashi kamen no no shotaijo'. Malice Mizer was still very much an indies band at this moment. Gackt's vocals differed from Tetsu's, and, indeed, jrock/pop at that time. Gackt's voice was low & operatic, however he could reach a fast range of notes from very high to very low, & hold them beautifully. With Gackt Malice Mizer shot to widespread fame and went on the Major label, Columbia Records. The first single after signing with Columbia was Bel Air. Unusually the band's costumes became more extravagent after going major, and fans began to cosplay members of the band, especially Mana. With Gackt Malice Mizer performed two tours, Voyage, and their infamous tour Merveilles, both of which are available on DVD & VHS. They also released many photobooks, and their fanbase was very high at this point.
However, there became a problem between Gackt and the band, which is still unclear even when Gackt dedicated a chapter to it in his biography. It seems to be linked by Gackt feeling the band was not responsible with money. :/ After Gackt left to persue his solo career, many fans left with him.

Klaha era
Soon after Gackt left, further tragedy befell Malice Mizer when drummer Kami was found dead in his apartment due to a brain hemmorhage. The band were shaken by this, & refused to recruit another drummer, naming Kami their 'eternal blood relative'. With Klaha Malice Mizer released their last album, Bara no Seidou, reverting back to their Mana-run indie label Midi:Nette. The album featured Klaha & female vocals. Soon after this release Klaha became an official member, & brought deeper operatic vocals to the band. During their last year together Malice Mizer released 4 more singles, a number of photobooks, a memorial box for Kami, & a film, Bara no Konrei. The film was a take on Dracula & Interview with the Vampire. It features only music from Bara no Seidou, Kozi as a vampire, Klaha as a prince, Yu~ki as a vampire hunter, & Mana as a number of female roles. Malice Mizer continued to appear on TV shows & perform lives, including their Gardenia tour & a fanclub-only event, Societie de Parente, in which the band performed skits & contests. However, Malice Mizer seemed to wearing out in their later days, & the members gracefully decided to step down.
Malice Mizer (1992-2001)