Malice Mizer

Malice Mizer (stylized as MALICE MIZER) was a Japanese visual kei rock band active from 1992 to 2001. The band was notable for their music and their live shows, featuring lavish historical costumes and stage sets, with short silent theater pieces preluding various songs. Formed by guitarists Mana and Közi, throughout their history, the band has gone through several different lineups and three drastic image changes, with Mana, Kozi, and bassist Yu~ki being the band's sole consistent members. Their earlier music and themes were characterized by their strong French and classical influences, later moving away from deliberate French romanticism and incorporating Gothic aspects after several difficulties befell the band. At their peak in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the "Gackt era", they were considered one of the "Four Heavenly Kings of visual kei" alongside La'cryma Christi, Fanatic Crisis and Shazna. Their third and most successful studio album Merveilles (1998) was included in 2021 by Kerrang! on a list of 13 essential Japanese rock and metal albums. However, their success was short-lived, and in late 2001 it was announced that Malice Mizer would go on an indefinite hiatus. Mana, Közi and Yu~ki have performed together several times since 2010.