MALICE MIZER is a legendary Japanese visual-kei rock band that existed from August 1992 to December 2001.

MALICE MIZER was formed in August 1992 by guitarists Mana and Közi. The name means ‘Malice and Misery’ in French. The band quickly formed their own independent record label, ‘Midi:Nette’, for just themselves.

They had their first live in October that year, after they were joined by vocalist Tetsu, bassist Yu～ki and drummer GAZ. After GAZ got replaced by drummer Kami in 1993, they held their first tour in small venues all across Japan. In July of 1994, they released their first mini-album (EP), ‘memoire’, which sold very well for a small band. The rest of the year was filled with concerts, a deluxe-release of the EP called ‘memoire DX’, and it ended with Tetsu leaving the band.

A little over a half year later, vocalist Gackt joined the band. The band quickly rose to popularity again, but this time even more. And after two singles, and one full album, ‘Voyage sans retour’, all released independently with great success, they were able to sign a major record deal with the label Nippon Columbia in 1997. Thanks to some amazing high-budget singles, music videos, and the masterpiece that is the album ‘merveilles’ from 1998, their popularity peaked, turning them into a nationwide phenomenon. They were considered one of the ‘big four’ bands of the late-90s visual-kei boom in Japan.

Their vocalist Gackt left the band in January 1999 after various frictions, and started a solo career. This was followed by the tragic passing of the drummer Kami in June of that year. After these events, the band went back to its darker, and classically-inspired roots, releasing a final album in 2000, back under the original, independent Midi:Nette label.

After the mysterious vocalist of the final album, Klaha, officially joined the band, things started looking up again, but after just three singles with him in 2001, they disbanded, or as they called it, went on an ‘indefinite hiatus’.