Representative bands of the Nagoya-kei scene in 90s Visual Kei
Among visual kei, there’s a subgenre and scene known as “Nagoya-kei,” distinguished by its especially underground aesthetic and a large cult following.
Do you know this term?
Its origins are debated, but Kuroyume and Silver-Rose, who began their activities in the early 1990s, are regarded as the two leading pillars.
Back when the term “visual kei” itself was not yet in use, bands active in Nagoya’s indie scene gradually came to be called “Nagoya-kei.”
This article introduces the bands from the 1990s that were known as Nagoya-kei.
Whether you want to dig deeper into visual kei or learn about a crucial part of Japanese indie music history, take this opportunity to get to know the indispensable presence of Nagoya-kei.
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[1990s Visual Kei] Representative Nagoya-kei Bands (1–10)
HEART ACHE…LONELINESSof-J
Another band whose name you might not know how to read… If you’re new to the Nagoya-kei scene, you might be thinking that, but “of-J” is pronounced “Obuje.” of-J is known as one of the earliest bands in the ’90s Nagoya-kei movement.
It featured guitarist Kaoru Mamiya, who played with Kiyoharu from Kuroyume in bands like SUS4 and GAENET, and vocalist Masatoshi Yasuda, who was active with Shin from Kuroyume in GERACEE.
Other members included Junna, who later became the bassist of Merry Go Round, and Tetsu, the drummer who would join FANATIC◇CRISIS—essentially a Nagoya-kei all-star lineup.
So it’s a band you absolutely need to know when tracing the history of Nagoya-kei.
With members boasting such rich careers, they left behind many high-quality tracks, armed with solid musicianship and strong songwriting.
While many Nagoya-kei bands broke up after releasing only demo tapes, of-J released their debut full-length album “anamorphosis” in 1993 on Kuroyume’s label La†miss, followed by their second album “FLAT” in 1996.
So even if they’re not as widely known compared to other bands, they’re definitely one you should keep in mind—both for understanding Nagoya-kei and for understanding ’90s visual kei.
Unlike the shock-oriented side of Nagoya-kei—marked by bleak worldviews and provocative performances—of-J has a different appeal: they’re a band that can compete on the strength of their songs themselves, with melodies that leave a faint sense of melancholy lingering in your ears.
Their songwriting, which hints at an ’80s beat-rock influence while still feeling distinctly visual kei with its not-quite-straightforward structures, is intriguing and compelling.
Under a cherry tree in full bloomMerry Go Round
For those hearing Merry Go Round’s music for the first time, its exceptionally dark and underground musicality and worldview—remarkable even within the Nagoya-kei scene—may be frightening.
A kind of far-northern outlier in the histories of Nagoya-kei and visual kei, Merry Go Round formed relatively early for Nagoya-kei in 1991, paused activities in 1994, and only truly ramped up in 1995.
Led by Shin, the frontman who defined the band’s concept, their sound vividly rendered his inner world.
Aside from Shin, the lineup was fluid, but it’s worth noting the participation of Nagoya-kei all-stars like Hideno (after leaving Laputa), Kyo from Silver-Rose, and Junna from Of-J.
While pushing to the extreme the madness and darkness early Kuroyume had suggested, they pursued experimental sound-making that seemed to eliminate anything “catchy” or “melodic,” weaving spoken-word-like melodies and lyrics with a literary sensibility.
The musical style these distinctive musicians forged was so singular that it was hardly something many people could accept.
Precisely for that reason, they had many ardent fans, and not a few musicians openly cite their influence.
Though their sound was something only possible in the indie sphere, note that some of their works have actually had major distribution.
That said, many titles are hard to obtain.
Currently, Shin is active in gibkiy gibkiy gibkiy alongside renowned musicians such as aie—known for Lamiel and deadman—and sakura, who supported L’Arc-en-Ciel in their early major-label days.
If you’re intrigued by the fathomless darkness they embody, be sure to check them out.
White DarknessROUAGE
Formed in 1993, ROUAGE are also an indispensable and crucial presence when talking about the Nagoya-kei scene.
Centered around guitarist RIKA, they began activities as a four-piece with vocalist KAZUSHI, guitarist RAYZI, and drummer SHONO.
The following year, Kaiki—formerly the bassist of Silver-Rose—joined, and during their indie period they continued as a five-member band.
Often mentioned alongside Laputa as the most famous band of the second generation of Nagoya-kei, their sound is steeped in underground-tinged darkness and aggression, overflowing with decadence derived from goth and post-punk.
Built around the twin-guitar ensemble of two distinctive guitarists, the world conjured by KAZUSHI’s low, vibrato-rich vocals and enigmatic lyrics is uniquely theirs, and as a standard-bearer of Nagoya-kei they inspired many followers.
The sole full-length they left in their indie era, the 1994 album “ROUAGE,” stands as their pinnacle—an essential masterpiece that anyone interested in Nagoya-kei should hear at least once.
The inclusion of catchy tracks like the anthemic “Cry for the moon” is another highlight.
Before their major-label debut, Kaiki departed; afterward, they never settled on a permanent bassist, and ultimately disbanded in 2000 with the original four members.
Even so, the works they released after going major are uniformly fascinating; while the singles tended to be relatively catchy, the albums pushed a more esoteric musical direction.
Despite their fervent popularity—enough to headline a solo show at Nippon Budokan in 1999—they never quite achieved major commercial success, which somehow feels quintessentially Nagoya-kei.
[1990s Visual Kei] Representative Bands of the Nagoya-kei Scene (11–20)
Ask for EyesSleep My Dear
Sleep My Dear, regarded as one of the “Big Three bands” alongside PENICILLIN and media youth under Tears Music Office—a highly influential agency in the history of ’90s visual kei—and a leading force of the Nagoya-kei scene.
Formed in 1991, they were contemporaries of Kuroyume and were assembled mainly around members who had worked as roadies for Silver-Rose, making them a 120% pure Nagoya-kei band.
In 1992, their first vocalist Toshiya left, and KöHey, who had been the band’s roadie, took over as the second vocalist and remained until their breakup in 1998.
They built popularity through steady activity at Nagoya MUSIC FARM, a venue considered sacred ground for Nagoya-kei bands, and notably, Kiyoharu of Kuroyume contributed chorus vocals on their early demo tapes—an important detail that sheds light on the connections within the scene at the time.
Musically, while they possessed the intensity and darkness characteristic of Nagoya-kei, a key point is that they also boldly embraced catchy, melodic songs.
Produced by EBY of Zi:KILL, their 1995 major-label debut “SHAPE” showcases their stylistic range.
Unfortunately, “SHAPE” was discontinued due to disc defects; the band was somewhat unlucky, with “CODE” subsequently released as a sort of reset, featuring track replacements and a revised running order.
As an aside, it’s still fresh in memory that in 2018, KöHey appeared on television as a manager/store manager of a yakiniku restaurant chain, causing a stir among visual kei fans familiar with that era.
CharismaLamiel
Lamiel inherited the quintessential Nagoya-kei sound forged by bands like Kuroyume, LAPUTA, and ROUAGE, debuting in the late 1990s and attaining a charismatic following.
As I mentioned when introducing Lustair, the band was formed around vocalist Iina and bassist Ruka from Lustair, along with guitarist Sho, and is also known for having aie—who would later join kein and then DEADMAN—among its early members.
They instantly sold out three demo tapes—Aoi (Blue), Shu (Vermilion), and Kuro (Black)—which conveyed a consistent aesthetic, and in 1998 they achieved what hadn’t been possible during the Lustair era: a CD release, realized in the classic album Kaigan (Opening Eyes).
It’s fascinating that, while the late ’90s saw an unprecedented commercial boom in visual kei—with many bands advancing to major labels and charting on Oricon with a more sophisticated sound for better or worse—the underground scene was flourishing with bands expressing the pitch-black darkness and despair characteristic of Nagoya-kei.
Although you can sense how strongly they revered their predecessors, it’s undeniable that Lamiel were great for carrying the Nagoya-kei tradition into the next generation and projecting it into the world through their own interpretation.
Their ensemble, built on the interplay between clean tones and distorted guitars, is quintessentially visual kei: from staple tracks that are dark, aggressive, and melodic, to arrangements reflecting Western alternative rock influences, and even the occasional oriental-tinged phrases reminiscent of early L’Arc-en-Ciel—these all became hallmarks of their style.
All of their recordings are now out of print, but ideally you’d want to collect everything they released.
CHAOSDIE-ZW3E
There’s probably no one who can read the band name DIE-ZW3E correctly at first glance.
Pronounced “Dizai,” DIE-ZW3E are another crucial presence when digging into the Nagoya-kei scene of the ’90s.
In terms of Nagoya-kei connections, members from MANICURE—a group active in the very early days of the scene—were involved, as were guitarist YUKI (who joined ROUAGE as a bassist right after their major debut) and bassist TOMOKI from GERACEE, which featured Kuroyume’s Shin and OF-J’s MASATOSHI.
For that matter, even Yoshio Kuroyanagi, famed as the bassist of SOPHIA, was in the band for a time.
As for Dizai’s musical style, while their early mini-album “Di·es I·rae” certainly carries ’90s visual kei traits—like contrasting twin-guitar textures and urgent beats—you’ll quickly hear a distinct appeal different from the characteristic darkness of Nagoya-kei.
The lyrics, delivered by vocalist Takashi Yuki with a resonant, powerful voice, depict things like youthful conflict and delicate inner landscapes, setting them apart from the decadent, shadowy tone often associated with visual kei.
Their 1994 full-length “SIDE-B” is a masterpiece where their unique sound fully blossoms, even as it clearly shows influences from Nagoya-kei visual kei and bands like LUNA SEA.
If you spot it at a secondhand shop, don’t hesitate to pick it up!
MARIAs DESPAIRGARNET
If we consider Kuroyume and Silver Rose to be the practical beginnings of the Nagoya-kei scene, then we can’t avoid mentioning GARNET, the predecessor band to Kuroyume.
They only left behind two demo tapes before disbanding, making their recordings extremely hard to obtain, but they’re a band you should know if you’re tracing the history of Nagoya-kei.
Guitar was handled by Kaoru Mamiya—who had been bandmates with Kiyoharu since the SUS-4 days and would go on to form Of-J after the breakup—while Hitoki was on bass and Aoi Mei on drums.
The fact that three of the four members, excluding Mamiya, would evolve into Kuroyume is quite dramatic, or at least very intriguing.
Although they were active for only about a year, their musical style had a post-punk-like sterility and a decadent worldview.
Considering that Kiyoharu and Hitoki were already thinking about shifting toward a heavier sound, you could say their music was like early Kuroyume with the aggressive edge removed—Kiyoharu himself reportedly described it as “mechanical.” That said, it’s impressive that Kiyoharu’s voice already had a distinctive character you could recognize instantly at that point.
As an aside, several songs written during the GARNET era were performed in the Kuroyume period as well.
In particular, “MARIAS DESPAIR” was later reworked with different lyrics and provided to Sayaka Yamaguchi under the title “Lilia.”