Most of the time, when you read the name "Visual Kei" (ヴィジュアル系 or "bijuaru kei" romanized) your mind goes to outrageous outfits, incredibly styled and colored hair, makeup that is beyond crazy, and music that is not only catchy, but somewhat reminiscent to metal and rock music. X Japan, The GazettE, and maybe Dir En Grey pop into mind. Yet there are many genres of Visual Kei, and new ones pop up into existence every year.
Cue in the bands Memento Mori and Kiryu. Both bands active since around the late 00's, they alone have helped create an entirely new genre of Visual Kei that from what I know of, has no name. What this genre has though, is an interesting twist on Visual Kei style, by pulling from elements of Japanese culture, music, and dress while still incorporating the elements of rock, bizarre hairstyles, androgynous looks and crossplay in their videos and performances.
Memento Mori (
メメント・モリ) was a band formed back in October of 2010. When I first heard of them, I was certainly confused, since the only Memento Mori band I ever knew of was the Swedish Doom Metal band and so for sure I thought it was a mistake. But Memento Mori was for sure also a Visual Kei band, whose music certainly fit their Latin name's meaning; "Remember that you will die". Their music is interesting, and certainly a different sound from Kiryu, as they take more to the elements of death metal, such as the guttural growling and headbanging, the morbid makeup used such as fake blood, cuts, or scars, and a heavy guitar and bass focus. With the head of the band and vocalist Ai (哀), the strong guitar players Tsubaki (椿) and Jin (潯), and Yohan (夜半) as their bassist, their music is powerful and filled with dramatic images of a dark and dismal Feudal Japan. Dancers, women in masks, use of native instruments in the background, the traditional outfits, and the scenery itself all scream Japan.
Now, you're probably pausing here and asking, "Wait Liz, if you look at the music videos, or even listen to the music, they have a drummer. Why didn't you mention one?" Originally the drummer of the band's name was Karua (刈愛) but quickly left in 2011 and was replaced with Yue (悠依). However, in September of 2013, Yue also left the band, leaving them without an official drummer. Perhaps this is the reason behind their disbanding coming after their last performance on August 17th, held at Birth SHINJUKU.
Kiryu (己龍) is a little different from Memento Mori. Formed in the good old days of 2007, this band also incorporated the same elements of of dancers, use of native instruments, Japanese styled clothing, Japanese settings (such as sights that look like a shrine, or a town), all just once again giving us a feel of listening to Japan itself with their music. In fact, Kiryu's whole goal with their music was to make music that fit well with the prospect of an older era of Japan; meant to be more relaxing and calm over anything else, despite the occasional heavy metal tones in their music. Surprisingly, the leader of the band is not the vocalist, but rather one of the guitarists, and something rather interesting about the band is that each member each wears a corresponding color in most mvs. The main vocalist, Kurosaki Mahiro (黒崎眞弥) wears purple in nearly all music videos, while the band leader Sakai Mitsuki (酒井参輝) provides a guitar and only wears red. Kujo Takemasa (九条武政) also plays guitar for the group, and wears green while Isshiki Hiyori (一色日和) (who if I may say is not a girl despite appearances) wears pink and is the band's bass player. Finally the group is rounded out by drummer Tokai Junji (遠海准司), who wears the color blue.
One other thing I did not know until recently, was the fact that Kiryu has made an alter ego band called "My Dragon" (which is Kiryu translated into English), which more so focuses on fairy tale-esque characters singing and was thought up by Isshiki Hiyori, the bass player. Each band member (they are the exact same members of Kiryu itself), then takes a character, such as Isshiki being Snow White. Overall, they would be more of a Pop group rather than a metal or rock group, and really is just meant to be more so comedic rather than anything else. Only one single has been made as the band "My Dragon", the strange song being "Nijigen Complex" and it is...strange is a good way of putting it I think!
With both of these, a proper warning that sometimes these videos or songs can be gory is only proper to say, and with "My Dragon", their only single is...a little explicit appearance wise. Nonetheless, it is interesting how two bands can utterly help create an entirely new subgenre of Visual Kei with traditional elements of Japanese culture that somehow other bands did not come up with. My only hope is that more bands pour into this subgenre and more amazing music will be made!
Memento Mori (メメント・モリ) band members from left to right: Jin (潯), Ai (哀), Tsubaki (椿), Yue (悠依), and Yohan (夜半).
Kiryu (己龍) band members from left to right: Kujo Takemasa (九条武政), Isshiki Hiyori (一色日和), Kurosaki Mahiro (黒崎眞弥), Tokai Junji (遠海准司), and Sakai Mitsuki (酒井参輝).
My Dragon (Kiryu) band members from left to right: Kujo Takemasa (九条武政) as "Beauty Tama" the mermaid, Tokai Junji (遠海准司) as "Pretty JuJu" (Little Red Riding Hood), Kurosaki Mahiro (黒崎眞弥) as "Dandy Maro" the bee, Isshiki Hiyori (一色日和) as "Panty Hiwai" (Snow White), and Sakai Mitsuki (酒井参輝) as "Charity Miki" the witch.
