Malice Mizer
MEMBERS
Klaha (vocal) - PRIDE OF MIND -> MALICE MIZER -> Solo Project
Mana (guitar) - Ves:tearge -> GIRL'e -> matenrou -> MALICE MIZER -> Moi
dix Mois
Közi (guitar) - GIRL'e -> Beyond the Reinsight -> matenrou -> MALICE
MIZER -> Eve of Destiny -> Solo Project
Yu~ki (bass) - ze:ro -> MALICE MIZER
FORMER MEMBERS
Gackt (vocal) - cains:feel (drummer then vocal) -> MALICE MIZER -> Solo
Project
Tetsu (vocal) - Ner-vous -> MALICE MIZER -> MEGA 8 BALL -> nil -> ZIGZO
-> nil -> Solo
Kami (drum) - 3P mayonaise -> Kneuklid Romance -> MALICE MIZER ->
[deceased]
GAZ (drum) - DATURA -> MALICE MIZER -> KneuKlid Romance (support) ->
KneuKlid Romance -> the Night Breeze Zinnia -> DOVERMAN
Shue (support drum) - Virus -> 女的 -> AION -> Virus -> AION -> MALICE
MIZER (support) -> CRAVE, -> S.Q.F
DISCOGRAPHY
CD:
07/24/1994 memoire
12/24/1994 memoire DX
12/10/1995 麗しき仮面の招待状 (uruwashii kamen no shoutaijou)
06/09/1996 Voyage
10/10/1996 ma cherie ～愛しい君～ (itoshii kimi)
07/19/1997 ヴェル・エール ～空白の瞬間の中で～ de l'image (bel aire ~kuuhaku no shunkan no
naka de~)
08/06/1997 ヴェル・エール ～空白の瞬間の中で～ (bel aire ~kuuhaku no shunkan no naka de~)
12/03/1997 au revoir
02/11/1998 月下の夜想曲 (gekka no yasokyoku)
03/18/1998 merveilles
05/20/1998 ILLUMINATI [P-type]
09/30/1998 Le ciel ～空白の彼方へ～ (~kuuhaku no kanata~)
11/03/1999 再会の血と薔薇 (saikai no chi to bara)
05/31/2000 虚無の中での遊戯 (kyomu no naka de no yuugi)
07/26/2000 白い肌に狂う愛と哀しみの輪舞 (shiroi hada ni kuruu ai to kanashimi no rinbu)
08/23/2000 薔薇の聖堂 (bara no seidou)
05/30/2001 Gardenia
06/21/2001 Beast of Blood
10/30/2001 真夜中に交わした約束～薔薇の婚礼～ (mayounaka ni kawashita yakusoku ~bara no
konrei~)
11/30/2001 Garnet～禁断の園へ～ (~kindan no sono e~)
VIDEO/DVD:
06/30/1997 sans retour Voyage "derniere" ~encoure une fois~
09/03/1997 ヴェル・エール ～空白の瞬間の中で～ de l'image
10/28/1998 merveilles ～終焉と帰趨～ (~shuuen to kisuu~)
02/24/1999 merveilles -cinq parallele-
12/21/1999 再会の血と薔薇 ~de l'image~ (saikai no chi to bara)
02/01/2000 神話 (shinwa)
05/31/2000 虚無の中での遊戯 ~de l'image~ (kyomu no naka de no yuugi)
11/22/2000 薔薇に彩られた 悪意と悲劇の幕開け (bara ni irodorareta akui to higeki no
makuake)
04/18/2001 ~encoure une fois~
04/25/2001 薔薇の軌跡 (bara no kiseki) ~de l'image~
07/11/2001 Beast of Blood ~de l'image~
10/30/2001 薔薇の婚礼～真夜中に交わした約束～ (mayonaka ni kawashita yakusoku - bara no
konrei)
09/29/2004 La Collection des Singles -L'edition Limitee
BIOGRAPHY
08/??/1992 MALICE MIZER was formed by members Mana and Közi.
03/17/1993 drummer Kami joined.
12/27/1994 vocalist Tetsu left the group.
10/10/1995 vocalist Gackt joined.
01/??/1999 vocalist Gackt left the group.
06/21/1999 drummer Kami died.
08/23/2000 vocalist Klaha joined
12/11/2001 MALICE MIZER disbands.
Malice Mizer was a Japanese band in the visual kei music scene, active from
August 1992 to December 2001. Formed by Mana and Közi, the band's name stands
for malice and misery – their answer to the question "what is human?". Malice
Mizer were as famous for their one-of-a-kind music as for their spectacular live
shows, featuring lavish historical costumes and stage sets, whimsical dance
routines and band members flying suspended from wires. During their rocky
history, the band went through several different lineups and three drastic image
changes but their work always maintained the highest professional standards. On
December 11, 2001, it was announced that Malice Mizer would begin an indefinite
hiatus, and the members went their separate ways - effectively disbanding the
group.
Tetsu era (1992 – 1994)
Malice Mizer was formed in 1992 by Mana and Közi with Tetsu on vocals, both
Mana and Közi on guitar/synthesizer, Yu~ki on bass and Gaz on drums. From the
outset, the band established their trademark 'twin guitar' sound, whereby two
guitars play different melodies that, together, become the actual guitar part of
a song. Malice Mizer's sound during the Tetsu era was a mixture of early 1980s
goth and strong classical influences. Their first official release was the song
Speed of Desperate on the 1993 compilation Brain Trash. Before this they had
released a demo tape called Sans Logique which contained no vocals. Shortly
after the release of Brain Trash, Gaz left the band to join Kneuklid Romance,
while Kneuklid Romance's drummer Kami in turn joined Malice Mizer. In 1994, the
band released their first album, memoire, on Mana's newly founded Indie music
label, Midi:Nette, and shortly after re-released it with an additional bonus
track (Baroque) under the title memoire DX. Only days later, singer Tetsu left
the band. While the exact reasons are unknown and subject to a great deal of fan
speculation, it is likely that it was simply a matter of creative differences;
Tetsu went on to take a different direction in his subsequent work, and
demonstrated his own strong vision and leadership.
Gackt era (1995 – 1999)
In 1995, after a year of inactivity, Malice Mizer recruited Gackt as their
new vocalist. Under his influence, the band's music became more wistful and
romantic in its mood, incorporating even stronger classical influences as well
as French pop music. Visually, the band abandoned their 1980s goth look for
colorful historical costumes. In 1996, Malice Mizer released their second
album, Voyage ~sans retour~. The band became increasingly popular and in 1997
signed with the major label Nippon Columbia, where they released a number of
successful singles, a short film (Verte Aile, also called Bel Air de l'image),
and, in 1998, their first and only major label album, the hugely popular
Merveilles. They even had their own radio show. In January 1999, at the height
of Malice Mizer's success, Gackt left the band to start a solo career, taking a
substantial part of their fan base with him. Malice Mizer left Nippon Columbia
and returned to Mana's Indie music label, Midi:Nette. It has been speculated
that Gackt left willingly, but in an interview he has stated that he was asked
to leave, and wished he could have stayed in the group.
A few months after Gackt's departure, drummer Kami died of a subarachnoid
hemorrhage, leaving behind a handful of songs, which the band eventually
released as part of the mini-album/video box set Shinwa ~ Kami's Memorial Box ~.
Kami was never replaced. From that point on, Malice Mizer would only use support
drummers (namely Shue-- whom is not shown in the band's later and final music
videos, nor credited) and Kami would be credited as 'eternal blood relative' on
all their future releases.
Klaha era (2000 – 2001)
In the second half of 1999 and the beginning of 2000, Malice Mizer – still
without an official vocalist – released a number of singles and began to work on
a new album. Eventually, they recruited Klaha, previously known as "Masaki
Haruna", vocalist of visual kei/Darkwave band Pride of mind. By then the band
had abandoned the lighter pop music sound of the Gackt era for a dramatic
mixture of classical music, Goth and heavy metal music, and adopted an elaborate
funereal Goth look. In the summer of 2000, they released what would be their
last album, Bara no Seidou, followed by a very spectacular and theatrical live
show, featuring pyrotechnics, a choir of veiled nuns and a scaled-down cathedral
as stage prop. In 2001, Malice Mizer starred in a feature length vampire movie,
Bara no Konrei ~Mayonaka ni Kawashita Yakusoku, and released three more singles,
Gardenia, Beast of Blood, and Garnet ~Kindan no Sono e~, but eventually the band
members decided to go their own separate ways leaving disband messages on Miroir
(Official Web Site) which can still be viewed today.
Post projects
After his departure in early 1999, Gackt started a solo career which has
been enormously successful; he is now one of Japan's top entertainers and TV
personalities. Klaha started a solo career as well in December 2002; as of 2005
the status of his project is uncertain. Mana has formed his own solo project,
Moi dix Mois, and simultaneously pursues a career as fashion designer for his
Gothic Lolita fashion label, Moi-même-Moitié. He continues to also run his Indie
record label, Midi:Nette, and is looking for bands to sign and produce. Közi has
joined Haruhiko Ash's Industrial band Eve of Destiny and also has a solo
project. After his departure in 1994, Tetsu has subsequently taken part in a
series of bands such as Zigzo and Mega 8 Ball; his most recent being the
independently released band nil. The whereabouts of Yu~ki were unknown until he
briefly resurfaced in 2004 as lyricist for Közi's solo release "MEMENTO".