is 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 formed in Tokyo in 2001. The current member lineup consists of Gara on vocals, Yuu on guitar, Tetsu on bass, and Nero on the drums.

History

2000~2004

In late 2000, after the disbandment of their bands After effect and Shiver respectively, vocalist Gara and guitarist Yuu, only briefly acquainted through a few live events, contacted each other in hopes of a fresh beginning. In the following months of 2001, a series of meetings and discussions over the phone eventually led to the recruitment of the three other members, Tetsu, Nero and Kenichi in that order, and the five of them formed in October 2001 what was to be known as Merry today. Early activities as an obscure indies band included the distribution of 500 copies of a 2-track MD in

indie Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Gaming *Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies *Indie game, any game (board ...

CD stores nationwide, accompanied by a number of secret live shows held in Tokyo and

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...

. Regular "serious" activities only began in 2002. Following more live shows, the band created their own

independent label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

Gekiyaku records and released their first

maxi-single A maxi single or maxi-single (sometimes abbreviated to MCD or CDM) is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an A-side song and a B-side song. The first maxi singles Mungo Jerry's first single, "In the Summertime" was the ...

titled "Haikarasan ga tooru" in February. There were three versions of this single – gold, silver and bronze – each one limited to 1000 copies. Gold and bronze versions were only available through

mail order Mail order is the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote methods such as: * Sending an order form in the mail * Placing a telephone call * Placing a ...

through the rock magazine ''Fool's Mate'', while the silver version was available in stores. All were sold out at

pre-order A pre-order is an order placed for an item that has not yet been released. The idea for pre-orders came because people found it hard to get popular items in stores because of their popularity. Companies then had the idea to allow customers to r ...

. In March, the band had their first one-man live at Meguro Rockmaykan. A second press of ''Haikarasan ga tooru'', which included a new song "Tokyo Telephone", was then later released in May. In mid to late 2002, a pair of maxi-singles were released, "Koseiha Blend ~Tasogare-hen~" and "Koseiha Blend ~Junjou Jounetsu-hen~", containing three new tracks each and packaged in LP-sized sleeves illustrated by infamous

EroGuro is an artistic genre that puts its focus on eroticism, sexual corruption, and decadence.Silverberg, Miriam Rom. "By Way of a Preface: Defining ''Erotic Grotesque Nonsense''". Galley copy of the preface for ''Erotic Grotesque Nonsense: The Mass C ...

comic artist

Suehiro Maruo (born January 28, 1956 in Nagasaki, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist, illustrator, and painter. Biography Maruo graduated from junior high school in March 1972 but dropped out of senior high school. At the age of 15, he moved to Tokyo and began ...

. Both were limited to 3000 copies and were once again sold out at pre-order. The band also contributed to two omnibus compilations. These releases were accompanied by numerous live events. In March 2003 the band released their first full album ''Gendai Stoic'' on

Kiyoharu , better known by his stage name . is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter, known for his work with Kuroyume and Sads. In 2003, he began his solo career, performing as both a singer and guitarist. Music career Independent career and K ...

's (leader and singer of

Kuroyume is a Japanese rock band formed in Nagoya in May 1991, initially with the vocalist Kiyoharu, bassist Hitoki and guitarist Shin. The group had a definite influence on the visual kei scene, being credited as inspiration to many bands of the late 1 ...

and Sads) Fullface records, selling over 10,000 copies on the day of its release. In June Merry opened for Sadd at

Zepp The Zepp music halls are a group of Japanese music venues covering every area of the country. They play host to many international tours and are a popular stop among Japanese musicians. Each venue takes the Zepp name, along with the city in which ...

Tokyo, and in August released a third press of "Haikarasan ga Tooru" entitled "Haikarasan ga Toorisugita Ato...", which contained re-recordings of the original songs and a secret track. In the same month the band were working on their first

promotional video In video production, a promotional video is marketing or advertising: Arts, media and entertainment * Promotional recording, an audio or video recording distributed to publicize a recording * Trailer (promotion), a commercial advertisement for a ...

(PV) of "Violet Harenchi", which was then released on a DVD limited to the one-man live at Shibuya Koukaidou on 29 August. The closing months of 2003 saw a live tour and the band's participation in "Beautifool's Fest '03", a live event organized by ''Fool's Mate''. 2004 began with the release of a pair of maxi-singles in February before the band went into a brief hiatus, working on their second full album. ''Modern Garde'' was finally released on 30 June, accompanied by a live tour "New Standard Renaissance." In September Merry participated in a large-scale event, "Kingdom Rock Show 2004", held at the

Nippon Budokan The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts con ...

, performing beside major bands like

Psycho le Cemu Psycho may refer to: Mind * Psychopath * Sociopath * Someone with a personality disorder * Someone with a psychological disorder People with the nickname * Karl Amoussou or Psycho, mixed martial artist * Peter Ebdon or Psycho, English snooker pl ...

Janne Da Arc Janne Da Arc was a Japanese visual kei rock band, formed in Hirakata, Osaka in 1991. Although inactive since 2007, Janne Da Arc officially announced that they disbanded on April 1, 2019. The band's name is often seen shortened to either or "JD ...

and

Sex Machineguns Sex Machineguns (stylized as SEX MACHINEGUNS) is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in 1989. Their music is characterized by a heavy focus on bass as well as extremely fast guitar and bass solos. The band uses the image of " shoc ...

2005~2008

March 2005 saw the release of "Sakashima End Roll ~The Phantom of the Gallery~", a brand new maxi-single and DVD on reverse sides of single disc – it was to be one of Japan's first titles on the new

DualDisc The DualDisc is a type of double-sided optical disc product developed by a group of record companies including MJJ Productions Inc., EMI Music, Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and 5.1 Entertainment Group an ...

formAt. First press was sold out at pre-order, and the release itself quickly made it to the 2nd spot 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 ...

indies chart. The sold-out and highly successful one-man live at Shibuya Koukaidou on 31 March saw the long-awaited announcement of the band's major contract with JVC's

Victor Entertainment , also known as in Japan, is a subsidiary of JVCKenwood that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It is known as JVC Entertainment in countries where Sony Music Ent ...

– home to artists such as

Buck-Tick Buck-Tick (stylized as BUCK-TICK) is a Japanese Rock music, rock band, formed in Fujioka, Gunma in 1983. The group has consisted of lead vocalist Atsushi Sakurai, lead guitarist Hisashi Imai, rhythm guitarist Hidehiko Hoshino, bassist Yutaka Hig ...

Boøwy Boøwy ( ; stylized as BOØWY) was a Japanese rock band formed in Takasaki, Gunma in 1981. The classic lineup of vocalist Kyosuke Himuro, guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei, bassist Tsunematsu Matsui, and drummer Makoto Takahashi reached legendary status ...

Cali≠Gari Cali Gari (stylized as cali≠gari) is a Japanese visual kei experimental rock band formed with the concept erotic grotesque.

The Back Horn is a Japanese Rock music, rock band, formed in Tokyo in 1998. History The band got started around April in 1998, when the original members all came to Tokyo from the countryside where they all lived, all for different reasons. They met, and de ...

and

Love Psychedelico is a Japanese rock band, often called Delico for short. They are popular not only in Japan but also Hong Kong and Taiwan. Members * Kumi (Born April 11, 1976, in Chiba Prefecture) – lead vocals, guitars, etc. ** Kumi speaks English because ...

– much to the tearful elation of loyal fans. It is also worth noting that the record company was the one to offer a proposal to the band first and not the reverse. The transition to a major label prompted the release of a

best-of A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

album – ''Koseiha Blend Classic ~Oldies Tracks~'' – which contained re-recorded and remastered tracks off the older releases, together with two new songs; first press came with a new PV of "Tick-tock" and second press with the rare "Violet Harenchi" video previously released only at a live show. ''Fool's Mate'' published a pair of history books documenting the band's appearances in the magazine, coupled with long interviews and a special CD and DVD. From July to August, Merry set out on their "Last Indies Tour", which finally culminated at the Hibiya outdoors music hall on 10 September – their first major one-man show. The band's major debut album, ''Nu Chemical Rhetoric'', made it to the 10th spot on the Oricon daily album chart a day before its official release. Concert footage of the Hibiya live was later released on a DVD entitled ''Sci-fi Nu Chemical Rhetoric ~First Cut~'', which similarly made it to the top of the charts. A pair of DVDs documenting the "Last Indies Tour" were released at the beginning of 2006. ''Nu Chemical Rhetoric'' was then released all over Europe, specifically Germany, Austria,

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

, France,

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

and

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. In the meantime, Merry filmed two promotional videos while working on their upcoming album; the first major single "Sayonara Rain" successfully made it to the 24th spot on the Oricon weekly top 30 singles chart (5 June) while the second one titled "Ringo to Uso", released a month later, was No. 25. Merry once again played at the Hibiya outdoors music hall on 30 July, following the release of their 2nd major album ''Peep Show'' on 19 July – footage of the concert will be released on DVD on 20 December. A nationwide one-man tour then took place in August and September. In late October, the band filmed the video for upcoming single "Calling" at

Izu Ōshima is an inhabited volcanic island in the Izu archipelago in the Philippine Sea, off the coast of Honshu, Japan, east of the Izu Peninsula and southwest of Bōsō Peninsula. As with the other islands in the Izu Island group, Izu Ōshima form ...

, enduring stormy weather. At the same time ''Peep Show'' had a European release. At the start of December, Merry traveled to Europe to perform overseas for the first time in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

and Paris on 1 and 3 December respectively. Their third major single "Calling" was released on 6 December and featured collaborations with Balzac and

The Mad Capsule Markets The Mad Capsule Markets (originally known as The Mad Capsule Market's and Berrie) were a Japanese band that formed in 1985 and were active until 2006. The band became known for their experimental style, which melded various kinds of electronic m ...

Takeshi Ueda is the bassist, programmer, additional vocalist and songwriter for The Mad Capsule Markets.Over Drive'' anime. In May, Merry went on the brief "Oriental Circus" tour, playing in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. On 26 May, Merry performed at the ''J-Rock Revolution Festival'' held in Los Angeles, America, alongside artists such as

Mucc is a Japanese visual kei rock band, formed in Ibaraki Prefecture in 1997. The classic line up of Tatsuro on vocals, Miya on guitar, Yukke on bass, and Satochi on drums was solidified in 1999 following the departure of original bassist Hiro. Af ...

Girugamesh is a Japanese rock band, formed in 2003. Their name is sometimes stylized with a metal umlaut as girugämesh and is derived from the ''Final Fantasy'' character. They disbanded on July 10, 2016, although announced a new song, to celebrate labe ...

and

D'espairsRay D'espairsRay (formerly stylized as DéspairsRay or +DéspairsRay+) was a Japanese visual kei rock band active from 1999 to 2011. The lineup of Hizumi on vocals, Karyu on guitar, Zero on bass and Tsukasa on drums remained the same, with the group ...

. Another tour went through the late summer of 2007.

2009~Present

MERRY released the single "Identity" on 7 November 2009. The release marked the band's return to an independent label. Merry have participated on two tribute albums which are scheduled for release on 10 November & 1 December 2010. The first being ''Pierrot to Suika to Yayauke Rider Subete wa World Peace no Tame ni – Saikyo Senshi-tachi ga Koko ni Shuketsu -'' which is a tribute to Atsushi Inoue, vocalist of punk rock band New Rote'ka. The second is ''Romantist – The Stalin, Michiro Endo Tribute Album -'' which is a tribute album celebrating the 60th birthday of

The Stalin were a Japanese punk rock band formed in June 1980, by leader and vocalist Michiro Endo. After numerous member changes, he disbanded the group in February 1985. In May 1987 Michiro formed a group called Video Stalin, which mostly made vid ...

front man, Michiro Endo. Many prominent artists pay their tributes to the founder & front man of the influential 80s punk band, including

Group Tamashii is a Japanese comedy rock band. It was started by actors in a theatrical company called "Otona Keikaku" (Project Adult) in 1995. Its original members were Hakai (Sadao Abe), Boudou (Kankuro Kudo), and Baito Kun (Seminosuke Murasugi). When it st ...

Dir en grey Dir En Grey (stylized as DIR EN GREY and previously as Dir en grey) is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in February 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. With a consistent lineup of guitarists Kaoru and Die, ...

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, Wagdug Futuristic Unity, Yuki etc. Merry covered

's song "Schwein no Isu" for the compilation ''Crush! -90's V-Rock Best Hit Cover Songs-'', the album was released on 26 January 2011 and features current

bands covering songs from bands that were important to the '90s visual kei movement. Their 7th album "Beautiful Freaks" was released on 27 July 2011. They covered Buck-Tick's "

Aku no Hana is the fifth studio album by the Japanese Rock music, rock band Buck-Tick. It was released on cassette and CD on February 1, 1990, through Victor Entertainment. It peaked at number one on the Oricon charts and is the group's best-selling album ...

" for ''

Parade II -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick- ''Parade II -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-'' is the second tribute album to Japanese rock band Buck-Tick, released on July 4, 2012. The album reached number 14 on Billboard Japan Top Albums and number 16 on the Oricon chart. Produced in cele ...

'', released on 4 July 2012. The band went on hiatus in February 2013 due to vocalist Gara's need for hernia treatment. The band resumed activities in August. However, in October bassist Tetsu was involved in an onstage accident with a stage diver that resulted in him receiving a severe neck injury. Tetsu would spend the next two and a half years out of the eyes of the public, focusing on rehabilitation. Initially the band performed with supporting bassists, but eventually settled on playing along to Tetsu's bass lines from the studio recordings. On 24 December 2014, MERRY released its new studio-album titled "NOnsenSe MARkeT". For the first time in the band's history, frontman Gara wrote all the lyrics before writing the music, as he confessed in a
interview for VerdamMnis Magazine
As the name of the album suggests, th
concept of the album
is based on the criticism of Japan and more generally modern societies. Singer Gara discusses Japan's politics and societal issues with French reporter Mandah Frenot in a
in-depth interview for VerdamMnis Magazine
On 2 January 2015, MERRY performed at Shibuya Kokaido, where during the double encore Tetsu made his first stage appearance since his accident. He joined the band for the song "Gunjou", playing whilst having his bass on a stand (as opposed to a strap) and wore a neck brace. This marked the beginning of Tetsu's gradual return to the band full-time. Throughout the year Tetsu would join the band for encores, gradually increasing the number of songs he performed with them. In November 2015, the band launched "Lamb Fest", a two-day festival hosted by MERRY. As VerdamMnis Magazine stated in live report article, "the two-day festival was an opportunity for the Japanese quintet to celebrate its 14th anniversary". On 7 February 2016, MERRY performed the final show of their tour in support of "NOnsenSe MARkeT". The show marked Tetsu's return as full-time bassist, albeit still using a stand and neck brace. On 27 January 2017, MERRY released a new single titled "Heijitsu no Onna". On 5 May, the band performed at the Hibiya Yagai Ongakudo. During the encore, Tetsu performed without a neck brace or stand. Since this, Tetsu has begun to occasionally perform encores in the same way. They released a new studio album titled "M-ology" on 6 September. They also covered " So..." by

D'erlanger D'erlanger (stylized as D'ERLANGER) is a Japanese rock band from Kyoto Prefecture, formed in 1983 by guitarist Cipher and bassist Seela. While they originally played speed and power metal, after recruiting drummer Tetsu and vocalist Kyo they s ...

for the ''D'erlanger Tribute Album ~Stairway to Heaven~''. Beginning on 3 September, MERRY commenced their 47-prefecture tour in support of "M-ology" titled "System M-ology". They also covered "Ieji" by MUCC for their tribute album. In May 2020, guitarist Kenichi left the band.

Members

* – vocals **Ex-Visage (as Makoto); Ex-

roadie; Ex-After effect (as Makoto); Born 6 July in Gunma prefecture * – guitar **Ex-Shiver; Born 2 April in Ehime prefecture. Also in the

X Japan was a Japanese rock band from Chiba, formed in 1982 by drummer and pianist Yoshiki and lead vocalist Toshi. Starting as a predominantly power/speed metal band with heavy symphonic elements, they later gravitated towards a progressive soun ...

cover band X Suginami with Dancho (

Nogod Nogod (stylized as NoGoD) is a Japanese visual kei heavy metal band formed in 2005 by vocalist Dancho. Originally named , the band has been using simply Nogod since signing to the major label King Records in 2010. History 2005–2009: Formati ...

), Miya (

), Akane (ex- The Scanty) and Daisuke (

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but ...

). * – bass **Ex-ACiD; Born 21 November in Aichi prefecture. Has acted as live support for

Deadman Deadman or Deadman's may refer to: * "Deadman" or "dead man", are alternative terms for a dead man's switch * "Deadman's foot" is another name for a Salamander in metallurgy * "Deadman anchor" is a buried object (log, concrete, block, etc.) used ...

since 2019. * – drums **Ex-Smoky Flavor (as Kuni); Ex-After effect (as Kuni); Born 11 February in Saitama prefecture

Past members

* – guitar **Ex-Crescent (as Ken); Ex-Syndrome (as Ken); Born 14 July in Gunma prefecture

Musical style

Merry mainly blend the genres of classical

rock 'n' roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

and

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...

, occasionally experimenting with undertones of heavy metal, surf,

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...

ballads A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

and more. Though some may not find this entirely appealing, the result is undeniably "totally fresh", as former

Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...

guitarist

Marty Friedman Marty Friedman (born December 8, 1962) is an American guitarist, best known for his tenure as the lead guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth from 1990 to 2000. He is also known for playing alongside Jason Becker in Cacophony from 1986 until ...

put it. Like many others, the members themselves were influenced by Japanese pioneer rock bands of the 80s and early 90s such as

Luna Sea Luna Sea (stylized as LUNA SEA) is a Japanese Rock music, rock band formed in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1986. Due to the use of make-up and costumes early in their career and their widespread popularity, they are considered one of the most success ...

The Blue Hearts was a Japanese punk rock band active from 1985 to 1995. They have been compared to such bands as the Sex Pistols, The Clash and the Ramones.

and

. The main songwriters are the two guitarists Yuu and Kenichi, the former writing majority of the slower, groovier songs and the latter composing faster, catchier melodies. Not afraid to experiment with their musical ability, Merry delivers a full spectrum of brand new tunes with the release of every anticipated album. The band's music and lyrical imagery are likely influenced by the liberal Taisho and early Shōwa era, a period of significant artistic and musical movement when Japan shifted further towards Western concepts. It was the time of

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

; industrialisation saw the introduction of jazz and blues to

Japanese culture The culture of Japan has changed greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period, to its contemporary modern culture, which absorbs influences from Asia and other regions of the world. Historical overview The ance ...

, bringing about the rise of music cafes, bars and clubs. Similarly Merry fuse these genres with modern rock music to create a whole new style – a "modern avant-garde", or rather "modern-garde" as their second album is named. Lyrics-wise, vocalist Gara writes on a broad variety of topics, ranging from themes of war & patriotism (Rest in peace, Japanese modernist, 愛国行進曲 "Patriot march"), politics & society (迷彩ノ紳士 "Gentlemen in disguise", ニセモノ天国 "Fake heaven", Lost generation) to those of dreams, life, love and hate (窓 "Window", 恋愛交差点 "Intersection of love"). Some of these carry a

retro Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from history, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. In popular culture, the "nostalgia cycle" is typically for the two decades that begin 20–30 ...

feel in their imagery (黄昏レストラン "Sunset restaurant", 薔薇と片隅のブルース "Blues of the rose and corner", 東京テレホン "Tokyo telephone" and R-246), once again attributed to the influence of Taisho era romanticism.

In-depth information

External relationships

Merry is most notably connected to the popular

– the band's name never fails to appear in the "very special thanks" credits in every release. Before forming his own band, Gara was a

roadie The road crew (or roadies) are the technicians or support personnel who travel with a band on tour, usually in sleeper buses, and handle every part of the concert productions except actually performing the music with the musicians. This catc ...

for Dir en grey, forming a close bond with vocalist Kyo, whom he still considers his senior and mentor. Gara is also known to hold a lot of respect for

(solo artist and vocalist for Sads and

)

Horror punk Horror punk is a music genre that mixes punk rock and 1950s-influenced doo-wop and rockabilly sounds with morbid and violent imagery and lyrics which are often influenced by horror films and science fiction B-movies. The genre was pioneered by ...

band Balzac has also been very supportive of Merry. In 2006 the two bands combined efforts in a reconstruction of one of Merry's songs "Hi no Ataranai Basho". They have also previously performed together at several live events. Merry are also closely related to

, Kagerou and Craze, the members being good friends with each other.

Super Merries

スーパーメリーズ (Suupaa Meriizu) Super Merries is the alter-ego band of Merry. The members all dress differently and play under the following stagenames: *Gara – *Yuu – *Kenichi – *Tetsu – *Nero – Very little is known about them as they have only appeared in a few live shows and a special feature in Fool's Mate. They seem to be currently defunct, though there's no telling when they may spring up again.

Discography

Albums

*13 April 2003 – '' Gendai stoic'' *30 June 2004 – '' Modern garde'' *7 September 2005 – '' nu chemical rhetoric'' *19 July 2006 – ''

Peep Show A peep show or peepshow is a presentation of a live sex show or pornographic film which is viewed through a viewing slot. Several historical media provided voyeuristic entertainment through hidden erotic imagery. Before the development of the ci ...

'' *7 November 2007 – '' M. E. R. R. Y.'' *25 February 2009 – '' Under-World'' *27 July 2011 – '' Beautiful Freaks'' *24 December 2014 – '' NOnsenSe MARkeT'' *6 September 2017 – M-OLOGY

EPs

*4 July 2009 – BURST EP *7 November 2009 – BURST EPDVD/Live at Shinjuku LOFT

Singles & maxi-singles

*23 February 2002 – Haikarasan ga tooru (gold/silver/bronze versions) *23 May 2002 – Haikarasan ga tooru. 2nd press ni ano meikyoku tsuika *31 July 2002 – Untitled single (livehouse limited) *15 September 2002 – Koseiha blend ~Tasogare-hen~ *17 November 2002 – Koseiha blend ~Junjou jounetsu-hen~ *6 August 2003 – Haikarasan ga toorisugita ato... *1 December 2003 – Japanese modernist / R-246 (livehouse limited version) *9 January 2004 – Tamerai shuffle / T.O.P (livehouse limited version) *11 February 2004 – Tamerai shuffle / T.O.P *11 February 2004 – Japanese modernist / R-246 *13 July 2004 – New standard Renaissance (tour limited) *16 March 2005 – Sakashima end roll ~phantom of the gallery~ (DualDisc) *24 May 2006 – Sayonara rain *21 June 2006 – Ringo to uso *6 December 2006 – Calling *18 April 2007 – Blind Romance / Saihate no Parade *8 August 2007 – Komorebi ga boku wo sagashiteru... *16 April 2008 – Tozasareta rakuen *27 August 2008 – Gekisei *26 November 2008 – Fuyu no Castanet *4 August 2010 – The Cry Against... / Monochrome *6 October 2010 – Crisis Moment *1 December 2010 – Yakou *4 June 2011 – Hameln *2 May 2012 – Gunjou *6 February 2013 – Fukurou *10 August 2013 – Mado -replay- *6 November 2013 – Zero *5 August 2015 – Happy life *27 January 2016 – Heijitsu no onna *1 February 2017 – Kasa to Ame *7 November 2018 – Sheeple

Compilations

*25 June 2005 – '' Koseiha blend classic ~Oldies Tracks~'' (Re-recordings album) *7 November 2009 – ''Identity'' (Live album) *26 September 2012 '' MERRY VERY BEST ～白い羊/黒い羊～ (Best-of album)''

DVDs

*29 August 2003 – Violet harenchi ~030829 Limited Edition~ (PV) *16 March 2005 – Sakashima end roll ~phantom of the gallery~ (DualDisc) (concert footage, PV & documents) *7 September 2005 – nu chemical rhetoric first press (PVs and making-of) *21 December 2005 – Sci-Fi nu chemical rhetoric ~first cut~ (concert footage) *1 February 2006 – Last Indies Tour documents DVD ~Part 2 of 2~ "Shambara to the Core～Act 2～" *31 March 2006 – Last Indies Tour documents DVD ~Part 1 of 2~ "Shambara to the Core ～Act 1～" *19 July 2006 – Peep Show first press (PVs and making-of) *20 December 2006 – Many Merry Days No. 1 – Peep Show (concert footage & documents) *7 November 2007 – M.E.R.R.Y. first press (PV and concert footage) *25 December 2007 – Many Merry Days 5th Anniversary Special 2night – Shiroi hitsuji / Kuroi hitsuji (concert footage) *23 July 2008 – Many Merry Days FINAL Yokohama Bunka Taiikukan *25 February 2009 – Under-World DVD (Limited Edition) *22 April 2009 – VIC -VIDEO ID COLLECTION- *26 August 2009 – TOUR09 under-world I・GO(Regular/CORE Limited Edition) *8 August 2012 – MERRY 10th Anniversary NEW LEGEND OF HIGH COLOR "6DAYS" *31 July 2013 – MERRY VERY BEST 20121130 Akasaka BLITZ 〜Special 2night uroi Hitsuji�� *31 July 2013 – MERRY VERY BEST 20121130 Akasaka BLITZ 〜Special 2night hiroi Hitsuji�� *31 July 2013 – MERRY VERY BEST 20121130 Akasaka BLITZ 〜Special 2night hiroi Hitsuji uroi Hitsuji�� *22 June 2016 – NOnsenSe MARkeT FINAL -最終階- 2016.2.7 EX THEATER ROPPONGI *23 May 2018 – CORE LIMITED LIVE DVD「47都道府県TOUR システムエムオロギー～AGITATE FINAL「禁断」 2018.2.3 日本青年館」

MDs

*October 2001 – Untitled MD

Omnibus

* ''Stand Proud! III'' (11 December 2002) **(With the track " Strength Beyond Strength" by

Pantera Pantera () is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas formed in 1981, and currently comprised of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-kn ...

) * ''Yougenkyou II'' (29 May 2002) **(With the track "Rojiura Melancholy Remix") * '' Luna Sea Memorial Cover Album -Re:birth-'' (19 December 2007) **(With the track " Precious") * ''The Blue Hearts "25th Anniversary" Tribute'' (24 February 2010) **(With the track " Minagoroshi no Melody") * ''Pierrot to Suika to Yayauke Rider Subete wa World Peace no Tame ni – Saikyo Senshi-tachi ga Koko ni Shuketsu -'' (10 November 2010) * ''Romantist – The Stalin, Michiro Endo Tribute Album -'' (1 December 2010) ** (With the track "Odyssey・1985・Sex" by Michiro Endo) * ''Crush! -90's V-Rock Best Hit Cover Songs-'' (26 January 2011) ** (With the track " Schwein no Isu" by

) * ''

'' (4 July 2012) ** (With the track "

") * ''D'erlanger Tribute Album ~Stairway to Heaven~'' (13 September 2017) ** (With the track " So...")

Books

*October 2005 – Official history book, vol. 2 ''Haikara kaitai shinsho ~gekan~'' (with DVD) *June 2005 – Official history book, vol. 1 ''Haikara kaitai shinsho ~joukan~'' (with CD)

References

External links

Official Site
– Official site in Japanese
Merry special site
– Official site on Victor Entertainment {{DEFAULTSORT:Merry Gan-Shin artists Visual kei musical groups Japanese alternative rock groups Japanese hard rock musical groups Japanese heavy metal musical groups Japanese punk rock groups Musical groups from Tokyo