JAPANESE BAND PROFILES [G]

(ガチャリック・スピン)

Genre: Rock / hard rock / J-rock / entertainment rock

Origin: Tokyo, Japan

Formed: 2009

Status: Active

Bitesize Overview:

Gacharic Spin are a Japanese rock band who have built their identity around big energy, strong musicianship and a highly visual live show. Their music can move between hard rock, catchy melodies and more playful moments, while their performances bring an added sense of theatre and personality.

It is that combination of music and entertainment that has remained at the heart of Gacharic Spin throughout their career. They have spent years developing their sound and live presence, building a following in Japan while also taking their music overseas.

Key Facts:

Formation & Early Years: Gacharic Spin was formed in 2009 by bassist F Chopper KOGA and Hana, who had been high-school classmates. Guitarist EITA subsequently joined the developing band, followed by vocalist Armmy, completing the original four-piece lineup.

Their first tour, "Across the now!!", began in October 2009, with the opening show taking place at ell.FITS ALL in Nagoya on October 8. EITA left the band in November 2009 and was replaced by TOMO-ZO. The band's early years were marked by extensive live work as they built their audience across Japan.

Live & Performance: Live performance has remained central to Gacharic Spin's identity. The band have regularly maintained demanding touring schedules, at times performing more than 100 shows in a year. 

Their shows combine rock musicianship with choreography, visual elements and audience interaction, giving the band a distinctive stage presence.

International Reach: Gacharic Spin first performed outside Japan in 2011, appearing at Anime Matsuri in Houston, Texas, followed later that year by the Soyo Rock Festival in South Korea. 

International appearances have continued alongside their extensive activity in Japan, taking the band's live-focused approach to audiences outside the country.

Dragon Ball Kai: In 2015, Gacharic Spin provided the ending theme for the Fuji TV anime Dragon Ball Kai with "Don't Let Me Down". The song was subsequently included on their album MUSIC BATTLER and became one of the band's best-known tracks.

Major-Label Career: Gacharic Spin's first full album, Delicious, was released through Universal D in March 2013, followed by WINNER in April 2014. They subsequently moved to Victor Entertainment, releasing MUSIC BATTLER, G-litter, Gold Dash and Gacharic Spin before moving to Nippon Crown. Their albums W and Feast were released through the label.

DOLL$BOXX Connection: DOLL$BOXX is a side-project band formed by members of Gacharic Spin and vocalist Fuki of Unlucky Morpheus. Fuki joined Gacharic Spin's tour as a support vocalist in March 2012, bringing her powerful vocals together with the band's musicians. 

The collaboration developed into DOLL$BOXX, with the band releasing their debut album Dolls Apartment through King Records in December 2012. DOLL$BOXX has remained a separate project from Gacharic Spin, with its own releases and activities. 

Tokyo Noizu previously interviewed DOLL$BOXX about their return and new chapter, giving us a direct connection to the project.

(ガルハンマー)

Genre: Doom metal / black metal / crust

Origin: Tokyo, Japan

Formed: 2003

Status: Inactive

Bitesize Overview:

Gallhammer emerged from Tokyo's underground in 2003 with a sound built from doom, black metal and punk influences. The band began with Vivian Slaughter, Mika Penetrator and Risa Reaper, three musicians who were all previously vocalists and who learned their instruments as Gallhammer took shape.

What started as a small, raw experiment quickly developed into something much bigger. Early demos and shows around Tokyo led to a deal with British extreme-metal label Peaceville Records, taking Gallhammer from the Japanese underground to European stages. Across three studio albums, their sound became progressively darker and more experimental, eventually reaching its starkest form on 2011's The End.

Key Facts:

Formation & Early Years: The idea for Gallhammer began with Vivian Slaughter in 2002. Inspired by the dark and morbid atmosphere of Swiss extreme-metal pioneers Hellhammer, Vivian wanted to create a band with a similarly raw approach. Mika Penetrator and Risa Reaper joined in 2003 and Gallhammer was formed in February that year. All three had previously been vocalists, and none had yet learned to play their instruments. By March 2003 they had recorded their first demo, limited to 30 copies and given away at their first show at Koiwa Death Fest Vol.2 in Tokyo.

Tokyo Underground: Gallhammer spent their early years playing around Tokyo while developing their sound through demos, compilation appearances and live shows. Their debut album, Gloomy Lights, was released by Hello From The Gutter Records on November 11, 2004. The eight-track album brought together reworked and re-recorded material from their earlier releases and established the bleak, raw sound that would become associated with the band.

Peaceville Records: Gallhammer signed to Peaceville Records in 2006. The label released The Dawn of... in early 2007, collecting earlier demo recordings alongside a DVD of live performances in Japan. Their first Peaceville studio album, Ill Innocence, followed in September 2007. The release marked an important step for the band internationally and was followed by their first European tour.

Europe & Touring: Gallhammer's move onto the international stage continued with a full UK tour in 2008, followed by an appearance at Norway's Inferno Festival. Their European activity helped establish the band outside Japan, while their live performances became an important part of their growing reputation within the underground metal scene.

From Trio to Duo: Guitarist Mika Penetrator left Gallhammer in 2010 to pursue her other band, leaving Vivian Slaughter and Risa Reaper to continue as a duo. Rather than replacing Mika, the remaining members built the next phase of Gallhammer around bass, drums and vocals, taking the music further towards doom and drone.

The End: Gallhammer entered Void)))lab studios in Japan in October 2010 to record their third studio album. Released in 2011, The End pushed the band further into dark, experimental territory, combining blackened metal with drone and more psychedelic elements. With the lineup reduced to Vivian and Risa, the album became a markedly different chapter from the band's earlier black metal and punk-driven material.

(ガルネリウス)

Genre: Power metal / melodic metal / J-METAL

Origin: Japan

Formed: 2001

Status: Active

Bitesize Overview:

GALNERYUS is a Japanese power metal band formed in 2001 by guitarist SYU. Emerging from the Kansai scene, the band developed a sound built around rapid guitar work, strong melodies, prominent keyboards and powerful vocals, combining the precision of neoclassical metal with the scale and drama of power metal.

After beginning independently, GALNERYUS moved into Japan's major-label system in 2003 and have continued to develop their sound across more than two decades of releases and live performances. 

Their music has also travelled well beyond the metal scene, with anime themes, international touring and appearances at overseas festivals helping introduce the band to audiences outside Japan.

Key Facts:

The Early Years: GALNERYUS began by establishing themselves through live performances in the Kansai region before releasing "REBEL FLAG" independently in 2002. The following year brought their major-label debut, "THE FLAG OF PUNISHMENT", through VAP. Keyboardist YUHKI joined the band in 2003, becoming an important part of the layered arrangements that would become characteristic of GALNERYUS.

A New Era: 2010 brought a significant change when vocalist Masatoshi "SHO" Ono and bassist TAKA joined the lineup. Their arrival began a particularly productive period for GALNERYUS, starting with "RESURRECTION" and establishing the vocal and instrumental lineup that would carry the band through much of the following decade.

Anime & Oricon: GALNERYUS reached listeners far beyond the conventional metal audience through anime. "A FAR-OFF DISTANCE" was used as the ending theme for RAINBOW -Nisha Rokubo no Shichinin-, while "HUNTING FOR YOUR DREAM" became an ending theme for HUNTER × HUNTER. The latter reached No. 30 on Oricon's weekly singles chart, while "ANGEL OF SALVATION" subsequently reached No. 17 on the weekly album chart.

Taking It Overseas: International performances became an increasingly important part of GALNERYUS' story. The band toured Europe for the first time in 2014, performing in Germany, France and Spain, before appearing at ProgPower USA in 2019. Their subsequent overseas activity has included performances in Latin America and China, extending a career that began in a regional Japanese metal scene into a genuinely international touring circuit.

The Concept Years: GALNERYUS began experimenting with longer-form storytelling on "UNDER THE FORCE OF COURAGE" in 2015, their first album constructed as a continuous suite. "ULTIMATE SACRIFICE" followed in 2017, continuing the story and demonstrating how the band could use their technical musicianship for something more expansive than a collection of individual metal songs.

A Changing Lineup: Drummer LEA joined GALNERYUS in 2020, completing the current five-piece alongside SYU, SHO, TAKA and YUHKI. The new lineup emerged during the pandemic period before returning to live performance and beginning another chapter in the band's recording career.

20 Years & Beyond: GALNERYUS marked the 20th anniversary of their major debut across 2023 and 2024, with anniversary tours and the album "THE STARS WILL LIGHT THE WAY". Their story has continued into 2026 with "A CRY FROM THE SKY ABOVE", their 14th full-length album, released on July 15.

(ガランド・テンビュランス)

Genre: Melodic death metal / symphonic metal / deathcore / metalcore

Origin: Japan

Formed: 2020

Status: Active

Bitesize Overview:

Galundo Tenvulance is a Japanese melodic death metal band formed in 2020 by guitarist and composer ASUKUN. Their sound brings together melodic death metal, symphonic arrangements and modern elements of deathcore and metalcore, balancing detailed guitar work and orchestration with heavier, breakdown-driven passages.

What began as a recording project gradually developed into a full band, with early independent releases leading to their first album, "Lunar Eclipture", through SPIRITUAL BEAST in 2023. Following another change behind the microphone, vocalist SAO joined in 2024, opening the next chapter with "Insomnis Somnia" in 2025.

Key Facts:

From Recording Project to Band: Galundo Tenvulance began in September 2020 when ASUKUN brought together guitarist DERA, keyboardist KEN and vocalist CHIAKI to make demo recordings. The project was initially intended to focus on recording rather than live activity, but the response to their first material encouraged the members to develop it into a full band. "Genesis" followed in November 2020, with the four-track EP "Tenvulancy" arriving in June 2021.

Finding the Formula: The early releases established the musical ingredients that remain central to Galundo Tenvulance. ASUKUN's guitar writing provides the melodic death metal foundation, while keyboards and orchestration add a symphonic layer and the arrangements draw on the heavier vocabulary of deathcore and metalcore. The band have described the challenge as making these contrasting elements work together without allowing the songs to become too similar.

A Difficult Transition: While preparing their first full-length, original vocalist CHIAKI left the band for health reasons. With material already completed, ASUKUN took over vocal duties and the band released the six-track "The Disruptor Descends" independently in June 2022. The EP became an important bridge between the band's early recordings and the more developed lineup that followed.

Lunar Eclipture: MARCHO joined as vocalist in 2023, allowing Galundo Tenvulance to move forward with their first full album. "Lunar Eclipture" was released through SPIRITUAL BEAST on August 23, 2023, with Zack Ohren handling mixing and mastering. The 11-track album expanded the band's use of orchestration while retaining the twin-guitar focus established in their earlier work.

A New Voice: In July 2024, SAO joined Galundo Tenvulance as the band's new vocalist. Her arrival began a new formation and was followed by "Sweet Suffering", released in October 2024 as the first single from the new lineup. The track kept the band's symphonic and melodic death metal foundation while placing SAO's vocal performance at its centre.

Insomnis Somnia: The new lineup's first full-length, "Insomnis Somnia", arrived on September 17, 2025. The 13-track album was mixed and mastered by Finnish engineer Saku Moilanen, and continued the band's combination of melody, orchestration and modern extreme-metal influences.

Looking Ahead: Galundo Tenvulance remain a relatively young band, but their development has already taken them from self-produced recordings to a recognised Japanese metal label and two full-length albums. With SAO now established as the vocalist, "Insomnis Somnia" represents the latest stage of a band that has continued to reshape its lineup without abandoning the musical combination that brought the project together in the first place.

(ガゼット)

Genre: Visual kei / alternative metal / industrial rock / hard rock

Origin: Kanagawa, Japan

Formed: March 10, 2002

Status: Active

Bitesize Overview:

the GazettE emerged from Japan's visual kei scene in 2002, bringing together vocalist RUKI, guitarists URUHA and AOI, bassist REITA and drummer KAI. Their music has continually shifted between melodic rock, metal, industrial textures and electronic elements, while their visual identity and theatrical approach have remained a constant.

What began with independent releases and small-venue shows developed into major Japanese tours, a Tokyo Dome performance and eventually worldwide touring. More than two decades later, the GazettE remain active, although the band has entered a very different chapter following the death of REITA in 2024 and the departure of AOI in 2026.

Key Facts:

The Beginning: the GazettE formed on March 10, 2002, with RUKI, REITA and URUHA joined by AOI and drummer YUNE. They quickly established themselves through Tokyo's live-house circuit, releasing their first single, "Wakaremichi", in April 2002. YUNE left the following year and was replaced by KAI, who would become the band's drummer and leader.

Finding Their Audience: The band's early years were built through a steady run of independent releases and live performances rather than an overnight breakthrough. Their move to PS Company and later King Records provided a larger platform, with "NIL" in 2006 becoming an important turning point. The album reached No. 3 on the Oricon weekly chart and was followed by the band's first headline performance at Nippon Budokan.

Getting Bigger: The GazettE continued moving into larger venues without abandoning the visual kei scene that had formed their audience. "STACKED RUBBISH" reached No. 3 on the Oricon weekly album chart in 2007, while the following years brought increasingly ambitious tours. On December 26, 2010, the band reached the Tokyo Dome for the first time with "THE NAMELESS LIBERTY SIX BULLETS -02-", a significant step from the live houses where their career had begun.

Changing the Sound: As their profile grew, so did the band's willingness to experiment. The albums "TOXIC" and "DIVISION" moved further into electronic and industrial territory, adding programmed sounds and darker textures to the band's rock and metal foundations. It was a natural progression for a group that had never treated visual kei as a single fixed musical style.

Beyond Japan: International interest had been building before the band formally began touring the world. By the release of "DIVISION" in 2012, the album was being distributed across 62 countries and regions. Their first world tour followed in 2013, taking the GazettE through Latin America and Europe, and later international tours expanded that reach further. By 2019, their overseas schedule covered 22 cities across 13 countries.

DOGMA & NINTH: The middle of the 2010s brought another change in direction. "DOGMA" arrived in 2015 with a particularly dark and heavy sound, followed by the "NINTH" project beginning in 2018. Rather than simply repeating the formula that had taken them to the Tokyo Dome, the band continued using each new release to alter the balance between heaviness, melody, electronics and atmosphere. Both "DOGMA" and "NINTH" reached No. 3 on the Oricon weekly album chart.

MASS & Twenty Years: After the disruption caused by the pandemic years, the GazettE returned with "MASS" in 2021. The album reached No. 4 on the Oricon weekly chart and was followed by a 20th-anniversary period in 2022, including "HETERODOXY-DIVIDED 3 CONCEPTS-", a three-part collection of 47 remastered tracks representing different periods of the band's catalogue.

REITA: On April 15, 2024, REITA died at the age of 42. As one of the musicians who had been present from the band's formation, his role in the GazettE extended across their entire history, from the earliest live shows and independent releases through their major-label career and international tours. The band subsequently announced that it would continue, while a memorial performance, "SIX GUN'S", was held at Toyosu PIT on May 27, 2024.

Continuing Forward: The GazettE did not end with REITA's death. The band returned to live activity and continued into their 23rd-anniversary year in 2025. A further change came on March 10, 2026, when AOI was removed from the band. The circumstances surrounding his departure have been publicly disputed, so there is no need to speculate beyond the confirmed change in lineup. The GazettE has stated its intention to continue, leaving the band once again facing a new chapter in its long history.