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D'espairsRay (formerly stylized as DéspairsRay or +DéspairsRay+) was a Japanese
visual kei , abbreviated , is a category of Japanese musicians that have a strong focus on extravagant stage costumes that originated in Japan during the early 1980s. Koji Dejima of '' Bounce'' wrote that visual kei is not a specific sound, but rather it " ...
heavy metal 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 having released four full-length records, three EPs and thirteen singles. Outside Japan, D'espairsRay have toured Europe and North America and had domestic releases in those territories. They performed at the
Wacken Open Air Wacken Open Air (, abbreviated as W:O:A) is a Heavy metal music, heavy metal music festival, held annually since 1990 on the first weekend of August in the village of Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Almost all ...
festival in 2006, to several thousand people, and a second album, titled ''
Mirror A mirror, also known as a looking glass, is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror forms an image of whatever is in front of it, which is then focused through the lens of the eye or a camera ...
'' was released on April 11, 2007. They also performed during Jrock Revolution 2007 held on Memorial Weekend in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. In 2008 they performed at the Taste of Chaos tour in the United States. On March 11, 2009, their third album '' Redeemer'' was released. In the summer of 2010, the band had a world tour entitled Human-Clad Monsters in which they performed in Japan, the US, Canada and Europe. After the last show of the tour, on December 30, the band went on an indefinite hiatus so Hizumi could recover from a rare throat condition. However, on June 15, 2011, D'espairsRay announced that they had no choice but to disband, due to Hizumi's health having no recovery in sight. D'espairsRay reunited for a one-night performance on July 29, 2014.


History


1999–2001: Early career

D'espairsRay was formed on September 9, 1999, by Hizumi (ex-Le'veil), Karyu (ex-Dieur Mind), Zero and Tsukasa (ex-Le'veil). They released their first demotape, ''Ao'', in December of that year. 2000 began with the release of two more demotapes, and during the rest of the year they gained popularity, eventually leading to the release of their first
maxi-single A maxi single, maxi-single, or maxi CD (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. Maxi singles are often mistaken for extended plays (EPs), especial ...
in October, ''Kumo''. With only 1000 copies pressed, the CD sold out immediatrely. In April 2001, they released their second maxi-single, "Genwaku", along with a second press of their first maxi-single. Because it had sold out through web-ordering, a second press was released the same day as the first. This was followed by the release of their first EP, '' Terrors'', in July. Their popularity rose after the release of this album and they started to move out of the local scene.


2002–2004: The road to success

Following the success of their previous releases, D'espairsRay wanted to give their fans an insider's look into their music, so they released their final demotape, ''Ura Mania Theatre'', which was sold at several stores only. They then released their second EP, ''
Sexual Beast D'espairsRay (formerly stylized as DéspairsRay or +DéspairsRay+) was a Japanese visual kei heavy metal 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 t ...
'' in June 2002, along with a second press of their first EP. Once again the CD sold out, so another 2000 copies of their second EP were pressed in July. At the end of 2002, they released another single, titled ''Ori no Naka de Miru Yume'', which came in two editions: a regular edition and a special edition with a bonus track by their alter-ego band ''Animalmania'', which was only available through web-ordering. In January 2003, they gave out a "secret CD" titled ''tanji'', with an unnamed song, to the people who attended one of their live shows. The song would later be renamed '' Maverick'', which was also their next maxi-single, released in February. The CD was reissued in March because of high sales. At the end of 2003, yet another single was released, ''
Garnet Garnets () are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. Garnet minerals, while sharing similar physical and crystallographic properties, exhibit a wide range of chemical compositions, de ...
''. In April 2004, the band released their third EP, '' Born''. It featured a DVD with the video for the song "Garnet". In July, a second press of the album was released, but without the DVD. Two months later, they released another maxi-single, called '' Gemini''. A limited edition of the CD came with a DVD with the video for the song '' Born''. In 2004 they also played outside Japan for the first time, in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
and
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, gaining them some international fans. Footage for their first live DVD was also shot at the end of 2004.


2005: ''Coll:set''

2005 began with the release of their first live DVD, ''Murder Day Live''. A video for the song " Reddish: Diva Version" was included as a bonus. Soon after, they released their first full-length album, '' Coll:set''. It contained two previously released songs, " Fuyuu Shita Risou" and "
Garnet Garnets () are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. Garnet minerals, while sharing similar physical and crystallographic properties, exhibit a wide range of chemical compositions, de ...
", which were not on the initial limited edition of the album. Their maxi-single "Garnet" was reissued for promotion of their album later that year.


2006–2008: Going international & ''Mirror''

In 2006, they went international with the European release of '' Coll:set'' in January. 2006 also marked the start of their international career, as they began touring in Europe and the United States afterwards. A documentary-DVD was released in March, with the title ''The World Outside the Cage'' (as a reference to their song ''The World in a Cage''), with footage from their last tour. Soon after that, they released another single, '' Kogoeru Yoru ni Saita Hana''. At the end of 2006, they released their second live DVD, ''Liquidize'', which would also be released in Europe the following year. 2007 began with the release of their latest maxi-single, ''
Squall A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed lasting minutes, as opposed to a wind gust, which lasts for only seconds. They are usually associated with active weather, such as rain showers, thunderstorms, or heavy snow. Squalls refer to the ...
'', in March. One month later, they released their second full-length album, ''
Mirror A mirror, also known as a looking glass, is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror forms an image of whatever is in front of it, which is then focused through the lens of the eye or a camera ...
'', which was also released in Europe in June. The year ended with the release of yet another live DVD, ''Spiral Staircase #15'', with footage from their latest tour. The DVD was also released in Europe in January 2008. D'espairsRay participated in the Taste of Chaos 2008 tour, along with fellow Japanese bands
Mucc is a Japanese visual kei Rock music, rock band, formed in Ibaraki Prefecture in 1997. The classic line up of Tatsuro (singer), Tatsuro on vocals, Miya (musician), Miya on guitar, Yukke on bass, and Satochi on drums was solidified in 1999 foll ...
and the Underneath. On May 4, 2008, they performed at the hide memorial summit at
Ajinomoto Stadium The , currently known as for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan. The stadium was founded at Kantō Mura, the redevelopment area formerly used by United States Forces Japan, in March 2001. It was the first s ...
, along with bands such as
X Japan is a Japanese Rock music, rock band from Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, formed in 1982 by drummer and pianist Yoshiki (musician), Yoshiki and lead vocalist Toshi (musician), Toshi. Starting as a predominantly power metal, power/speed metal band with ...
,
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 makeup and costumes early in their career and their widespread popularity, they are considered one of the most successf ...
,
Maximum the Hormone is a Japanese heavy metal music, heavy metal/hardcore punk band from Hachiōji, Tokyo. Their lineup consists of vocalist Daisuke-han, drummer Nao, guitarist Maximum the Ryokun, and bassist Ue-chang. Each member alternates singing lead vocals, of ...
and
Marbell Marbell (stylized as MarBell) was a Japanese rock band active from 2006 to 2010 and signed to their own independent label, N-Records. The band's clothes and outfits were all designed by famed fashion designer H. Naoto. History Marbell was form ...
. Their album ''Mirror'' was released in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, and their new single " Brilliant" was released on 14 May.


2008–2010: ''Redeemer'', ''Immortal'' & ''Monsters''

A new single titled "Kamikaze" was released August 6, followed by their "88-99" anniversary tour in Japan. The band announced a winter tour and a new release titled "Horizon", which was released December 3. During the same month, D'espairsRay also announced a new album titled '' Redeemer'', through Delicious Deli Records, a label under
Universal Music Japan , often referred to as just Universal Music Japan or UMJ, is a Japanese subsidiary of the Universal Music Group founded in 1990. It is the largest subsidiary for a foreign company in Japan regarding music distribution. The company is responsible ...
. The first reported release date was March 4m 2009, however the date was pushed back one week, and was released March 11. The band embarked on a nationwide tour of Japan in promotion of ''Redeemer'' named "Psychedelic Parade", and then during July its European brother, "Psychedelic Parade in Europe" began, a tour which included often multiple stops in seven different countries. They were set to release their first "best of" compilation album, ''
Immortal Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life. Immortal or Immortality may also refer to: Film * ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film * ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film '' The Wisdom of ...
'', and a live DVD of their Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall performance on December 16, but the release date was pushed back to December 29. ''Immortal'' was then released in the United States on April 20, 2010, through Maru Music. During January 2010, the band began recording for a new single. At an instore event during this month, Karyu and Zero briefly and ambiguously told fans that the single would be "dance style". The new single was titled " Love Is Dead" and was released on April 14, 2010. The band's fourth full-length album entitled ''
Monsters A monster is a type of imaginary or fictional creature found in literature, folklore, mythology, fiction and religion. They are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive, with a strange or grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
'' was released in Japan on July 28, 2010. Just five days after the album was out, D'espairsRay began their "Human-Clad Monsters World Tour" starting in Los Angeles, California on August 3.


2010–2011: Hiatus and disbandment

On September 20, 2010, D'espairsRay announced on thei
Facebook page
that they would be going on an indefinite hiatus following the conclusion of the "D'espairsRay World Tour 2010 "Human-clad Monsters"". This was due to Hizumi having a rare throat condition which he has suffered with for some time. Although he has undergone treatment for it in the past, he has not been able to find a permanent fix. The band mentioned that the first half of the year was to be focused on Hizumi's recovering, and it was said that Karyu would be writing songs during this time. The band's last show of the world tour (and last show ever) was held on December 30, 2010. They released a live DVD of said show, titled ''Human-Clad Monsters Final'', on March 30, 2011, along with a compilation album titled ''Antique''. The album features 17
B-Sides The A-side and B-side are the two sides of vinyl records and cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a single usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or ...
, the limited edition contained a DVD with every music video the band has made, from "Garnet" to "Death Point". On June 15, 2011, it was announced that due to Hizumi's health having no recovery in sight, D'espairsRay had no choice but to disband. There was no farewell concert or tour. The band posted the following note on their official Facebook page on Wednesday, June 15, 2011, at 5:02am: ''Thank you for your continued support of D'espairsRay. Due to Hizumi's throat troubles, we had decided to take a hiatus immediately following our show at Yokohama Blitz on 30 Dec. 2010. However, after further discussions amongst the four members, we have decided to disband as of 15 June 2011 and cease all activities under the name D'espairsRay. To our loving fans and supportive staff members, who have followed us diligently from our founding on 9 Sept. 1999 until now, we deeply apologize for such a sudden and troubling announcement. All four members are deeply thankful, from the bottom of our hearts, for your enthusiastic support and encouragement. Thank you, D'espairsRay: Hizumi, Karyu, Zero, Tsukasa.''


Post D'espairsRay and reunion concerts

Hizumi started a design company called Umbrella, where he works as an illustrator and in other aspects of design. In May 2019, he formed the band NUL. with guitarist Masato (
Defspiral Defspiral (stylized as defspiral, and briefly existing under the name Wilma-Sidr) is a Japanese visual kei alternative metal band composed of most of the former members of the Underneath. When the Underneath disbanded in 2010, January 23rd, 201 ...
) and programmer Toshiyuki Kishi ( Abingdon Boys School). Karyu joined Angelo in August 2011, which includes Kirito, Kohta, Takeo (all three ex:
Pierrot Pierrot ( , ; ), a stock character of pantomime and commedia dell'arte, has his origins in the late 17th-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne. The name is a hypocorism, diminutive of ''Pierr ...
) and Giru (ex:
Vidoll was a Japanese visual kei Rock music, rock band formed in 2002. Their concept was "Occult Romance".
). In 2022, Karyu formed the trio H.U.G with vocalist Ryo (Hollowgram) and manipulator and percussionist Kazutoshi Yokoyama. On August 24, 2011, Zero and Tsukasa formed The Micro Head 4N's with Kazuya and Shun (both ex: Fanatic Crisis), and Ricky (Dasein). They had their first live show on December 1 at Shibuya O-East. Ricky left the group in 2015 and was replaced by Nimo. However, Nimo also left after four years, and vocalist Ameno joined the band in 2019. In 2021, Zero, Kazuya and Shun formed OFIAM as a side project outside of The Micro Head 4N's. Tsukasa acts only as a support member. Tsukasa also started a solo career as an
enka is a Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern ''enka'', however, is a relatively recent musical form which adopts a more traditional musical style in its vocalism than ''ryūkōka'' music, pop ...
singer in 2014. He is known as the first visual kei enka singer under the name . D'espairsRay reunited for a performance at Angelo's The Intersection of Dogma event on July 29, 2014, at Zepp Diver City, which also featured
Rize Rize (; ; ; ka, რიზე}; ) is a coastal city in the eastern part of the Black Sea Region of Turkey. It is the seat of Rize Province and Rize District.lynch. and
Fake? Fake? is a Japanese rock musical project led by vocalist Ken Lloyd. Originally a duo, guitarist Inoran left in 2005. Lyrics are mainly in English and sometimes in Japanese. History In late 2001 Oblivion Dust vocalist Ken Lloyd joined up with L ...
. In 2022, Karyu, Zero and Tsukasa revived Luv Parade, originally a cover band they created for D'espairsRay's 2009 Psychedelic Parade tour in order to give Hizumi a short rest during concerts. With Taka from
Defspiral Defspiral (stylized as defspiral, and briefly existing under the name Wilma-Sidr) is a Japanese visual kei alternative metal band composed of most of the former members of the Underneath. When the Underneath disbanded in 2010, January 23rd, 201 ...
as support vocalist, they performed at Devil's Party 2022 at Spotify O-East on June 20. Luv Parade released their first mini-album, ''Joker'', on June 1, 2024. D'espairsRay is scheduled to reunite to perform at the first day of the Cross Road Fest, which will take place at the
Makuhari Event Hall is a convention center in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, located just outside of Tokyo. Designed by Fumihiko Maki, it is accessible by Tokyo's commuter rail system. '' Makuhari'' is the name of the area, and Messe is a German language w ...
on November 15, 2025.


Members

* Hizumi – lead vocals * Karyu – guitar, programming, backing vocals * Zero – bass, backing vocals * Tsukasa – drums, percussion, programming


Discography

Studio albums *2005: '' Coll:set''
Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that ...
Weekly Album Chart Top Position: 97www.oricon.co.jp
''D'espairs Ray Oricon CD Album Rankings'' Retrieved February 20, 2011
*2007: ''
Mirror A mirror, also known as a looking glass, is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror forms an image of whatever is in front of it, which is then focused through the lens of the eye or a camera ...
'' Oricon Weekly Album Chart Top Position: 36 *2009: '' Redeemer'' Oricon Weekly Album Chart Top Position: 39 *2010: ''
Monsters A monster is a type of imaginary or fictional creature found in literature, folklore, mythology, fiction and religion. They are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive, with a strange or grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
'' Oricon Weekly Album Chart Top Position: 49 EPs *2001: ''Terrors'' *2002: ''Sexual Beast'' *2004: ''Born'' Compilation albums *2009: ''
Immortal Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life. Immortal or Immortality may also refer to: Film * ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film * ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film '' The Wisdom of ...
'' *2011: '' ntique' Demo tapes *1999: "Ao" ��*2000: "System" *2000: "Sakura" (さくら) *2000: "Razor" *2002: "Ura Mania Theatre" (裏マニアシアター) Singles *2000: "Kumo" (蜘蛛) *2001: "Genwaku" (眩-げんわく-惑) *2002: "Ori no Naka de Miru Yume" (檻の中で見る夢) *2003: " Maverick" Oricon Weekly Single Chart Top Position: 70www.oricon.co.jp
''D'espairs Ray Oricon CD Single Rankings'' Retrieved February 20, 2011
*2003: "Garnet" Oricon Weekly Single Chart Top Position: 70 *2004: "Gemini" Oricon Weekly Single Chart Top Position: 46 *2006: "Kogoeru Yoru ni Saita Hana" (凍える夜に咲いた花) Oricon Weekly Single Chart Top Position: 41 *2007: "Squall" Oricon Weekly Single Chart Top Position: 42 *2008: "Brilliant" Oricon Weekly Single Chart Top Position: 30 *2008: "Kamikaze" Oricon Weekly Single Chart Top Position: 30 *2008: "Horizon" Oricon Weekly Single Chart Top Position: 47 *2009: "Final Call" Oricon Weekly Single Chart Top Position:16 *2010: "Love Is Dead" Oricon Weekly Single Chart Top Position: 16 Videos *2002: ''Ura Video'' *2005: ''Murder Day Live'' *2006: ''The World Outside the Cage'' *2006: ''Liquidize: Live Tour '06'' *2007: ''Spiral Staircase # 15'' *2009: ''10th Anniversary Live Closer to Ideal: Brandnew Scene'' *2011: ''Human-clad Monsters: Final''


References


External links

*
Old official website
{{Authority control Gan-Shin artists Universal Music Japan artists Visual kei musical groups Japanese alternative metal musical groups Japanese gothic metal musical groups Japanese nu metal musical groups Japanese industrial rock musical groups Musical groups established in 1999 Musical groups disestablished in 2011 Japanese musical quartets 1999 establishments in Japan