Debut song of an 80s visual-kei band
Visual kei bands, with their glamorous and sometimes decadent aesthetics that captivate many, have enduring popularity among both men and women.
Many visual kei bands debuted in the 1980s, but how much do you know about their debut songs?
Here, we’ve put together a roundup of debut songs from 1980s visual kei bands.
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Debut songs of 80s visual-kei bands (11–20)
LA VIE EN ROSED’ERLANGER
Their debut album “LA VIE EN ROSE” made headlines at the time for achieving an astonishing 30,000 sales as an indie release.
The debut single is a track that indeed possesses a noble quality befitting their solitary stature.
With its strongly stoic impression, the song continues to stand out as something distinct, setting them apart from bands that prioritize visuals.
BelieveLUNA SEA
LUNA SEA’s debut single, which reached No.
11 on the Oricon chart at the time, is a striking track featuring vocals rich in falsetto, a beautiful melody, and intertwining twin guitars.
Its intense yet cohesive beauty still sounds fresh when revisited today.
LA CADUTA DEGLI DEIThe Willard
At the time, The Willard, which reigned as one of the “Big Three” indie bands, released a first EP whose title means “the downfall of the gods” in Italian.
It’s a track that leaves a powerful impact, strongly projecting the band’s conceptual image.
Its timeless quality is truly striking.
LOVE GENERATIONAUTO-MOD
A legendary band that represents the ’80s “positive punk” scene and continues to perform today.
Their debut track, “LOVE GENERATION,” conveys a decadent, inorganic worldview and a dry, almost work-song-like feel.
It’s filled with an indescribable, peculiar languor that matched the mood of the era.
LONELYZI:KILL
Formed in 1987.
A powerhouse band that released music through YOSHIKI’s Extasy Records and successfully headlined the Nippon Budokan twice.
Their debut track, retaining its dark and weighty worldview, delivers a richly layered sound befitting a band that, in both name and substance, represents its era.
I’ll Kill YouX
Here is the indie debut song by X Japan, a band that can now be called a national presence and one of Japan’s most iconic groups.
It opens with a rather violent intro, and its beautiful yet powerful harmonies and sense of speed speak to the band’s unwavering stance that remains unchanged to this day.
Song of WaitingDER ZIBET
Wouldn’t issay’s translucent vocals and the group’s melancholic flavor be the standout points? This “Song of Waiting” also carries a singular sense of urgency and a dry atmosphere you won’t find elsewhere, drawing the listener into a dreamlike feeling, as if being led to the middle of a desert.
Mr. GazimeGASTUNK
They are true originators: a band that was pivotal in Japan’s hardcore scene and, at the same time, exerted enormous influence on numerous visual kei bands such as X JAPAN, DEAD END, L’Arc~en~Ciel, and Kuroyume.
Their debut track has a one-of-a-kind flavor that fuses metal and punk—a truly shocking release.
Crazy SadismGARGOYLE
Gargoyle’s debut track, whose grand thematic scale and dazzlingly diverse songwriting make it far too expansive to be simply categorized as “visual kei.” Its intensely passionate, straight-from-thrash-metal riffs and guitar solos—so fierce they can feel almost violent—whipped not only V-kei fans but also guitar kids into a frenzy.
ENDLESS RAINX
Released on April 21, 1989, X’s major-label debut album BLUE BLOOD.
Here’s a look at a track from that album.
This song is practically synonymous with X—a true masterpiece.
The album also sold over one million copies and became a huge hit.