La'cryma Christi (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

for "The Tears of

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...

") was a Japanese

visual kei is a movement among Japanese musicians that is characterized by the use of varying levels of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics, similar to Western glam rock. Som ...

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band originally active from 1991 to 2007. At their peak, they were considered one of "the big four of visual kei" alongside

Fanatic Crisis Fanatic Crisis (Japanese: ''ファナティック・クライシス'', often stylized as FANATIC◇CRISIS, and simply called FtC by fans) was a Japanese rock band active from 1992–2005. They were called "the big four of visual kei bands" alon ...

Malice Mizer Malice Mizer (stylized as MALICE MIZER) was a Japanese visual kei rock band active from August 1992 to December 2001. Formed by guitarists Mana and Közi, their earlier music and themes were characterized by their strong French and classical in ...

and

Shazna Shazna (stylized as SHAZNA) is a Japanese visual kei rock band originally active from 1993 to 2000. Originally having a strong gothic rock influence, the band's sound greatly shifted to a more new wave direction by 1996. At their peak, they were ...

. They reunited for a concert in 2009 at the V-Rock Festival, for their short reunion tour in 2010, and for a 15th anniversary tour in 2012.

History

The band was originally formed in 1991 under the name of Strippe-D Lady by vocalist and leader Taka with his college friend and neighbor, Hiro. The two friends held a small audition in

Kansai The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshu, Honshū. The region includes the Prefectures of Japan, prefectures of Nara Prefecture, Nara, Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Osaka Prefectur ...

to find new talent for the band. They recruited bassist Kita-J and drummer Sima-Chan, although Sima-Chan was later replaced by Levin, who invited his high school friend, Koji, to join the band as the second guitarist. This

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

based band played hard rock and heavy metal during this time period. In October 1994, Kita-J decided to leave the band and was replaced by Jun and later Shuse, who had played in the same band as Taka in the past. After this the band changed their name to La'cryma Christi before releasing their first single, "Siam's Eye", on a local indies label in 1994. The band moved to

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

in 1996, releasing their first mini album, ''Warm Snow'', which sold 15,000 copies. In 1997 they signed with a major label and debuted with "Ivory Trees". The album ''Dwellers of Sand Castle'' was named one of the top albums from 1989-1998 in a 2004 issue of the music magazine ''Band Yarouze''. Their single "Mirai Kōro" was used as the ending for the

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

'' Nightwalker: The Midnight Detective'' and reached No. 3 on the

Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...

singles chart. They founded their own label, Majestic Ring, in 2003. Koji left the band after a gig on March 21, 2005, and in September 2006 the band announced that they would officially disband in January 2007. Koji formed ALvino in 2006, with former

Pierrot Pierrot ( , , ) is a stock character of pantomime and '' commedia dell'arte'', whose origins are in the late seventeenth-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne. The name is a diminutive of ''P ...

member Jun. Taka and Hiro formed the band Libraian in 2007. In 2009, Hiro became a support guitarist for Creature Creature, the solo project of Morrie from

Dead End Dead End or dead end may refer to: * Dead end (street), a street connected only at one end with other streets, called by many other official names, including ''cul-de-sac''. Film and television * ''The Dead End'' (1914 film), directed by David ...

. He also contributes compositions to the band, including "Dream Caller", the lead track of their 2009 album ''Inferno''. Levin played with several artists including Toshi with T-Earth, while Shuse played with acts such as

Acid Black Cherry Acid Black Cherry (abbreviated as ABC) is the solo project of the former lead vocalist of Janne Da Arc, Yasu. The group was formed after Janne Da Arc announced their indefinite hiatus. Information Acid Black Cherry is the solo project of Yasunori ...

and

44Magnum 44 Magnum (stylized as 44MAGNUM) are a Japanese heavy metal music, heavy metal band, originally formed in Osaka Prefecture in mid-1977. They were one of the first Japanese metal bands. History 44 Magnum was originally formed in 1977 by vocalist ...

, and in 2010 formed †яi￠к. La'cryma Christi, including Koji, reunited for one night at the V-Rock Festival on October 21, 2009. There they announced their reunion tour, La'cryma Christi Resurrection ~Final Prayer~, which started on January 12, 2010 and ended on February 1. La'cryma Christi's song "With-You" was covered by DaizyStripper on the compilation ''Crush! -90's V-Rock Best Hit Cover Songs-'', which was released on January 26, 2011 and features current

bands covering songs from bands that were important to the '90s visual kei movement. Their song "Mirai Kōro" was covered by Blu-Billion on its sequel, ''Crush! 2 -90's V-Rock Best Hit Cover Songs-'', that released on November 23, 2011. In 2012, La'cryma Christi performed a 15th anniversary tour from May 8 to July 29. At the final show, another concert was announced for September 30 at Shibuya-AX. Rhythm guitarist Koji passed away on April 15, 2022 from

esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include difficulty in swallowing and weight loss. Other symptoms may include pain when swallowing, a hoarse voice ...

Members

;Former members * Taka –

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

(1991–2007, 2009–2010, 2012) * Hiro –

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...

(1991–2007, 2009–2010, 2012) * Koji –

rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...

, backing vocals (1992–2005, 2009–2010, 2012) * Shuse – bass, backing vocals (1994–2007, 2009–2010, 2012) * Levin –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

(1992–2007, 2009–2010, 2012) * Sima-Chan – drums (as Strippe-D Lady) * Kita-J – bass (as Strippe-D Lady) * Jun – bass (as Strippe-D Lady)

Influences

Shuse listed

Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums ...

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...

, U2,

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...

Foo Fighters Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Foo Fighters was initially formed as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Following the success of the eponymous debut album, Grohl (lead vocals, guitar) re ...

Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and drummer ...

, 44 Magnum,

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

Jellyfish Jellyfish and sea jellies are the informal common names given to the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals with umbrella- ...

and

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

in his favorite bands list. Hiro cited

as a favorite band. Koji's favorite was

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...

. Yomi from

Nightmare A nightmare, also known as a bad dream, Retrieved 11 July 2016. is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety or great sadness. The dream may contain situations of d ...

covered La'cryma Christi in his high school days.

Discography

Demo tapes

* "Stay Close Tonight" (October 9, 1993) * "Stripped-D Lady" (January 1994)

Singles

* "Siam's Eye" (October 7, 1994),

Singles Chart Peak Position: No. 25La'cryma Christiのシングル売り上げランキング
'' oricon.co.jp'' Retrieved 2011-05-12 * "Forest" (March 13, 1997) No. 50 * "Ivory Trees" (May 8, 1997) No. 22 * "The Scent" (July 30, 1997.07.30) No. 23 * No. 25 * "With-You" (May 8, 1998) No. 10 * No. 3 * "In Forest" (November 11, 1998) No. 8 * "Without You" (May 26, 1999) No. 8 * No. 9 * "Lime Rain" (January 19, 2000) No. 15 * "Life" (November 22, 2000) No. 27 * "Jump!!" (October 24, 2001) No. 27 * No. 26 * "Hirameki" (December 4, 2002) No. 26 * "Mystical Glider" (March 26, 2003) * "Groove Weapon" (July 30, 2003) No. 44 * "Cannonball" (April 21, 2004) No. 50 * "Hot Rod Circuit" (August 11, 2004) No. 65 * "Yesterdays" (March 23, 2005) No. 40 * "Sweet Lil' Devil" (June 6, 2006) * "Breaking" (August 23, 2006) No. 108

Studio albums

* ''Warm Snow'' (February 4, 1996) * ''Dwellers of Sand Castle'' (July 22, 1996), Oricon Albums Chart Peak Position: No. 71La'cryma Christiのアルバム売り上げランキング
'' oricon.co.jp'' Retrieved 2011-05-12 * ''Sculpture of Time'' (November 12, 1997) No. 8 * ''Lhasa'' (November 25, 1998) No. 8 * ''Magic Theater'' (March 15, 2000) No. 22 * ''&.U'' (March 6, 2002) No. 36 * ''Deep Space Syndicate'' (November 5, 2003) No. 42 * ''Zeus'' (May 25, 2005) No. 59 * ''Where the Earth is Rotting Away'' (September 27, 2006) No. 79

Compilation albums

* ''Single Collection'' (June 28, 2000) No. 9 * ''Greatest - Hits'' (September 8, 2004) No. 66 * ''Sound & Vision The Singles + Selection from Live "Decade"'' (June 28, 2006) No. 240 * ''La'cryma Christi Singles + Clips'' (January 1, 2010, CD and DVD)

Live albums

* ''The 10th Anniversary Live "Decade" 1st Day'' (October 7, 2009) * ''The 10th Anniversary Live "Decade" 2nd Day'' (October 7, 2009) * ''The 10th Anniversary Live "Decade" 3rd Day'' (October 7, 2009) * ''La’cryma Christi Tour Mirai Kouro 1998.8.28 Tokyo International Forum Hall A'' (October 7, 2009) * ''La’cryma Christi Live at Lhasa 1999.3.31 Nippon Budokan'' (October 7, 2009) * ''La’cryma Christi Tour Angolmois 1999.9.4 Yokohama Marina'' (October 7, 2009) * ''La'cryma Christi Resurrection -The CD Box-'' (April 21, 2010, 10-CD box set) ** ''2009.10.24 V-Rock Festival'09 at Makuhari Messe'' (1CD) ** ''2010.1.18 Final Prayer at Zepp Tokyo'' (2CD) ** ''2010.1.19 Final Prayer at Zepp Tokyo'' (2CD) ** ''2010.2.13 The Final at Shibuya C.C.Lemon Hall'' (2CD) ** ''2010.2.14 The Final at Shibuya C.C.Lemon Hall'' (3CD)

Home videos

* ''Glass Castle'' (March 1997) * ''4U'' (February 11, 1998) * ''Zero'' (December 24, 1998) * ''Live at Lhasa'' (June 30, 1999) * ''True Color'' (December 22, 1999) * ''4U・True Color'' (May 31, 2000) * ''Six Visions'' (June 30, 2004), Oricon DVDs Chart Peak Position: No. 65La'cryma ChristiのDVD売り上げランキング
'' oricon.co.jp'' Retrieved 2011-05-12 * ''The 10th Anniversary Live "Decade"'' (March 31, 2005) * ''Last Live "White Period"'' (August 8, 2007) * ''The 10th Anniversary Live "Decade" 1st Day'' (October 7, 2009) * ''The 10th Anniversary Live "Decade" 2nd Day'' (October 7, 2009) * ''The 10th Anniversary Live "Decade" 3rd Day'' (October 7, 2009) * ''La’cryma Christi Tour Mirai Kouro 1998.8.28 Tokyo International Forum Hall A'' (October 7, 2009) * ''La’cryma Christi Live at Lhasa 1999.3.31 Nippon Budokan'' (October 7, 2009) * ''La’cryma Christi Tour Angolmois 1999.9.4 Yokohama Marina'' (October 7, 2009) * ''La'cryma Christi Resurrection -The DVD Box-'' (April 21, 2010, 5 DVD box set) ** ''2009.10.24 V-Rock Festival'09 at Makuhari Messe'' (1DVD) ** ''2010.1.19 Final Prayer at Zepp Tokyo'' (2DVD) ** ''2010.2.14 The Final at Shibuya C.C.Lemon Hall'' (2DVD)

References

Barks Profile
(Japanese)

External links

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Universal Music page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lacryma Christi Toy's Factory artists Visual kei musical groups Japanese progressive rock groups Japanese hard rock musical groups Musical groups from Osaka Musical groups established in 1991 Musical groups disestablished in 2007 Musical groups reestablished in 2009 Musical groups reestablished in 2012 Musical quintets 1991 establishments in Japan 2012 disestablishments in Japan