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 by 90s Visual Kei Bands (41–50)
inspireLa’Mule
This is the title track from La’mule’s album Inspire, with which they made their major-label debut in 1998 alongside X, produced by Dynamite Tommy of COLOR, a pioneering visual kei band.
Although they debuted as the visual kei boom was losing momentum, La’mule are considered an important band that helped bridge the scene to the next generation of neo-visual kei.
SkYLastier
This is “SkY,” the 1998 debut single by Lastier, a visual kei band from Niigata.
The band was introduced on a TV program that featured visual kei indie bands at the time, which led to their debut.
On the show, their melody and vocal ability were praised, and they made an unusual debut with two producers attached.
HANABI-la Grand RotationSEX MACHINEGUNS
This is SEX MACHINEGUNS, a bona fide heavy metal band that promoted themselves as a visual-kei heavy metal band.
Back then, it seems they could get gigs at live houses by calling themselves visual-kei, whereas they wouldn’t have been accepted as just a metal band.
Red ZoneJanne Da Arc
Janne Da Arc, led by yasu—who also performs solo under the name Acid Black Cherry.
While their foundation is metal and rock, many of their melodies are catchy and pop-oriented.
Once you listen to their songs, it’s easy to see why they’re so popular.
Their debut track, “Red Zone,” is a good example of that style.
Ivory TreesLa’cryma Christi
La’cryma Christi was known as one of the “Big Four of Visual Kei,” along with MALICE MIZER, FANATIC◇CRISIS, and SHAZNA.
Even within the visual kei scene, they were considered a technically skilled band, and later they increasingly released songs with complex arrangements reminiscent of progressive rock.
In conclusion
Visual kei bands of the ’90s each established their own distinctive sound and worldview. From DIR EN GREY, who debuted under YOSHIKI’s production, to FANATIC◇CRISIS with their unique atmosphere, and Eins:Vier with a strong UK rock influence—their music remains captivating even today. Why not revisit the brilliance of the ’90s visual kei scene, which has had a profound impact on contemporary artists?