Debut song of a 90s visual kei band
A visual kei band that revolutionized the Japanese music scene with their innovative musicality and glamorous looks.
Even major artists that everyone knows today—such as GLAY, L’Arc~en~Ciel, and DIR EN GREY—once took their very first steps as newcomers.
While influenced by X JAPAN, each established a uniquely rich musical identity and forged a new era.
Here, we introduce the debut songs that became their starting point, hidden behind the bold makeup and costumes.
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Debut songs of 90s visual kei bands (1–10)
GHOSTRIDERtoukyou yankii-su
This is the title track from Tokyo Yankees’ major-label debut album GHOSTRIDER, released in October 1993, by a band often described as the “Japanese Motörhead.” It portrays an outlaw tearing through the night alone, brimming with raw impulse.
The sound—a fusion of punk’s defiant spirit and metal’s heaviness—stirs the adrenaline on a gut level.
On nights when you want to blow away that helpless frustration and the suffocation of everyday life, blasting this record might just slam your heart’s throttle wide open.
Fantastic IdeaKneuklid Romance
A track from Kneuklid Romance that hits like a vivid flash of light piercing a creaking everyday life.
In the suffocating routine of each day, the impulse to grasp a ray of hope that cuts through the darkness rides on a powerful band sound and shoots straight to the heart.
That unforgettable, catchy guitar riff after just one listen is irresistible, isn’t it? This song is the lead track from their major-label debut, the mini-album “LINK,” released in March 1998, and it was used as the ending theme for All Japan Pro Wrestling broadcasts.
It’s sure to ignite the heart of anyone longing for change and give you the courage to take a new step forward.
SENSUAL WORLDnuvɔ:gu
A glossy guitar sound melded with body-shaking beats marks nuvɔ:gu’s major-label debut.
The songs here portray fleeting pleasure set in the “sensual world” of the title, and the yearning for true love that lurks beneath it.
That momentary loneliness felt at the heart of a glamorous scene is something that may resonate with anyone.
Released as a single in September 1995, this track was the long-awaited nationally distributed recording for a band that had steadfastly prioritized live shows.
Put it on when you want to sink into a slightly grown-up mood and let your thoughts drift back to the club culture of the time.
Debut songs by 90s visual kei bands (11–20)
BelieveLUNA SEA
LUNA SEA is a heavyweight in Japan’s visual kei scene.
They made their major-label debut with the album Image, released in 1992, and the following year they released Believe as their first single.
Blurry EyesL’Arc〜en〜Ciel
This is L’Arc~en~Ciel, led by vocalist HYDE, who is also active in VAMPS.
They made their major debut in 1994, releasing the song “Nemuri ni Yose te” as a video single, and in the same year they released their first album and this song as their first single.
KissBAISER
This is BAISER’s first single released in July 1998, marking a fresh start after their lineup change.
Many fans were likely surprised by the dramatic shift from their early dark aesthetic to a lavish pop-rock sound richly colored by synthesizers.
The song expresses a single-minded love and possessiveness—the desire to protect a precious person seen in a dream—sung in YUKARI’s sweet, entwining vocals.
If you listen while harboring growing feelings for someone you love, you may find your emotions overlapping with the protagonist’s, making your heart burn even more intensely.
MELODIESDIE IN CRIES
It’s a song that strikes the heart with an overwhelming sense of loss and bittersweet longing.
As DIE IN CRIES’s major-label debut, it brings together top-tier talent: Kyo’s decadent, shadow-laden lyricism fuses with Fukashi Murohime’s futuristic guitar sound, awakening memories that lie deep within the listener.
Everyone has moments when they drift into sentimentality, thinking of precious times that will never return.
Released as a single in February 1992, the track reached No.
24 on the Oricon chart.
It’s also included on the album “VISAGE,” marking the band’s point of origin.