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is 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 " ...
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 Wale ...
band, formed in
Ibaraki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,828,086 (1 July 2023) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...
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. After 24 years, Satochi retired from the music industry in October 2021, leaving Mucc a trio. They have released 17 studio albums, with 2020's '' Aku'' being their highest-charting. Although predominately a heavy band both lyrically and musically, Mucc is known for switching between music genres and styles frequently. ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'' included their fourth studio album '' Kuchiki no Tō'' (2004) on a list of 13 essential
Japanese rock , sometimes abbreviated to , is rock music from Japan. Influenced by American and British rock of the 1960s, the first rock bands in Japan performed what is called group sounds, with lyrics almost exclusively in English. Folk rock band Happy End ...
and
metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
albums.


History


Early years and releases (1997–2005)

Mucc was formed in 1997 by guitarist Miya, vocalist Tatsuro (then called "Tattoo"), bassist Hiro, and drummer Satochi. High school students who had been friends since primary school. They had their first concert at the Shimamura Music store in
Mito, Ibaraki is the capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 268,036 in 126,055 households and a population density of 1,233 persons per km2. The percentage of the population aged ...
on May 4. Satochi was only a support musician, but decided to officially join after the concert because of how much fun he had. The name Mucc is often believed to have been taken from a character in the children's TV show '' Hirake! Ponkikki''. However, Miya stated he chose the name because it is easy to remember and is not something you associate with music. When he later learned that the English word "muck" means "filth", he thought that was also good. The band is also known by the nickname " 69" since the numbers six and nine can be pronounced "mu" and "ku", respectively, in Japanese. They have played with this number throughout their career, such as dubbing June 9 "Mucc Day", and providing live broadcasts that last 690 minutes. Fans of the band are known as . Originally playing covers of bands such as The Blue Hearts and
Glay Glay (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese Rock music, rock band formed in Hakodate in 1988. The core four members, vocalist Teru (singer), Teru, guitarists Takuro (musician), Takuro and Hisashi (musician), Hisashi, and bassist Jiro (musician), ...
,
Malice Mizer Malice Mizer (stylized as MALICE MIZER) was a Japanese visual kei Rock music, 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 ...
and The Mad Capsule Markets Mucc handed out their first demo tape, ''No!?'', in December 1997. After graduating high school, the band moved to Tokyo. On March 3, 1998, they handed out copies of their second demo tape, ''Aika'', and on December 1, they gave out a limited 100 copies of their third, ''Tsubasa wo Kudasai''. In 1999, Hiro left the band on February 14 and was replaced on bass by Miya's childhood friend Yukke on February 22. In July, Mucc had their first tour, where they handed out demo tapes of ''Aka'' at every venue. On December 25, they had their first official release, the EP ''Antique''. On June 8, 2000, Tattoo changed his stage name to his current name of Tatsuro. They released their first album, '' Tsūzetsu'', on January 7, 2001. It was followed by the EP ''Aishū'' on December 25. In 2002, the band signed to Danger Crue, establishing their own sublabel , and released their second album, '' Hōmura Uta''. That year they held a concert titled , which featured acts from different genres. They have continued to hold En events sporadically since. Mucc signed to Universal in 2003, and released their major label debut single "Waga, Arubeki Basho" on May 3. Third studio album '' Zekū'' followed on September 3. Their first live DVD, ''Nihon Rettou Konton Heisei Kokoro no Naka'', was released on December 10. The band held a guerrilla live at
Shinjuku Station is a major railway station in Tokyo, Japan, that serves as the main connecting hub for rail traffic between central/eastern Tokyo (the Special wards of Tokyo, special wards) and Western Tokyo on the inter-city rail, commuter rail, and rapid tr ...
on June 9, 2004, in front of an estimated 5,000 people. Their fourth studio album '' Kuchiki no Tō'' was released on September 1 and supported by the Sōran Shūkyō fall tour, which ended on October 31 at Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall. In January 2005, Mucc held a joint tour with Balzac. ''Kuchiki no Tō Live at Roppongi'', their first live album, was released on January 26.


International activities (2005–2011)

Mucc debuted in Europe in August 2005, including a performance at
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 ...
. They released the album '' Hōyoku'' on November 23. Mucc released two albums in 2006, '' 6'' and '' Gokusai'', and performed in the United States at the
Otakon Otakon ( ) is an annual three-day anime convention held during July/August. From 1999 to 2016, it took place at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland's Inner Harbor district; in 2017, it moved to the Walter E. Washing ...
anime convention. They ended a world tour on June 6 with their first concert at the
Nippon Budokan The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. The Budokan was a popular venue for Japanese professional wres ...
. 2007 marked Mucc's 10th anniversary. They released two compilation albums, '' Best of Mucc'' and ''Worst of Mucc''; the latter includes rare songs from their indie years. In addition to opening for
Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 as a merger of local bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" line-up consisted of vocalist Axl R ...
on the Japanese leg of their 2007 World Tour, Mucc gave performances in
Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
, in Finland at Provinssirock, and in the US at JRock Revolution Festival. They also performed at the Abstinence's Door #001 event hosted 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 ...
, and their song "Chain Ring" was used as the ending theme to the ''
Zombie-Loan ''Zombie-Loan'' (stylized as ''ZOMBIE-LOAN'') is a Japanese manga series created by Peach-Pit (manga artist duo), Peach-Pit: Banri Sendo and Shibuko Ebara. It is published by Square Enix and is serialized in the Japanese manga magazine ''Mon ...
'' anime adaptation. They held a special 10th anniversary concert at the Ibaraki Prefectural Cultural Center in November. Throughout 2008, Mucc participated in the Taste of Chaos 2008 tour, which initially stopped at forty cities across the United States and
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
from February to May, along with fellow Japanese bands D'espairsRay and the Underneath. In March, they released the album ''
Shion Shion is a Japanese given name, and may refer to: Sportspeople *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese figure skater *, Japanese footballer Musicians *, a R&B singer *, a pop singer *, a singer-songwriter *Shion Tsurubo (鶴� ...
''. After returning to Japan, Mucc 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 ...
alongside groups 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 ...
and
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 ...
, and began their own nationwide Rainy Rave tour before performing at the
Sweden Rock Festival Sweden Rock Festival is a rock festival outside the town of Sölvesborg in Blekinge in southern Sweden. The festival offers the best possible mix of classic rock, hard rock, metal, blues and related genres. The first version of the festival, k ...
in June. The Taste of Chaos tour went to Europe in October, and then to Japan in November, where Mucc was the headliner. Mucc then performed at The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza on December 7, 2008 and the
House of Blues House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers (film), The Blues Brothers''. The ...
in Los Angeles on December 10. Following the March 2009 release of their ninth studio album '' Kyūtai'', Mucc held a sold-out 16-date nationwide tour from May to June. After performing in Sweden at Metaltown Festival in June, their Solid Sphere Tour began with a live in Russia on October 3, before featuring their first shows in Latin America (Chile and Mexico). The band completed the tour on November 16 in Japan at the JCB Hall. Mucc started 2010 with a concert on February 14 at the
NHK Hall The NHK Hall is a concert hall located at the NHK Broadcasting Center, the main headquarters of Japan's Public broadcasting, public broadcaster NHK. The hall is the main venue for the NHK Symphony Orchestra, but it has also played host to other e ...
, before traveling to Taiwan for the March 14 Megaport Music Festival. The single "Yakusoku" was used as the opening theme to '' Night Raid 1931''. The band performed at Summer Sonic on August 8. Returning to being an indie band on Danger Crue Records, Mucc released ''
Karma Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...
'' on October 6. Three days later, they performed at a
cultural festival A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival constitutes ...
at Yukke's
alma mater Alma mater (; : almae matres) is an allegorical Latin phrase meaning "nourishing mother". It personifies a school that a person has attended or graduated from. The term is related to ''alumnus'', literally meaning 'nursling', which describes a sc ...
Ibaraki Prefectural Ogawa High School, which was closing. The Chemical Parade tour took place between October and December. A European leg of the Chemical Parade tour was held in five countries throughout January 2011, while two Asian shows took place in April. At their May 21 and 22 Nippon Budokan shows, the band announced they would be signing to major label Sony Music Associated Records. The single "Akatsuki" was first sold exclusively at those concerts, before later being available as a digital download with all proceeds donated to aid the victims of the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a  9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...
. On July 15, Mucc performed at a concert commemorating the first anniversary of the death of Daisuke, former singer of the band Kagerou. They also performed at the V-Rock Festival '11 held at
Saitama Super Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Chūō-ku, Saitama, Chūō-ku, Saitama (city), Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It opened preliminarily on May 5, 2000, and then was officially opened on September 1 of the same year. Its maximum capa ...
on October 23, before releasing the single "Arcadia" which featured DJ
Daishi Dance Daishi Dance (born in 1976) is a male Japanese DJ and record producer. Summary Daishi Dance performs in the heart of Sapporo, creating melodious house mixes that feature vocals conveying grief and discontent, and using three turn tables in a hy ...
in November.


15th Anniversary and Six Nine Wars (2012–2016)

Mucc's next single, "Nirvana", was released on March 7, 2012 and used as the opening theme song for the '' Inu x Boku SS'' anime. They performed at all three dates of Cali Gari's Chikashitsu tour that same month, as well as an April 30
Jealkb Jealkb (ジュアルケービー ''juarukeebii'') is a Japanese visual kei rock band made up of seven members, all of them comedians including London Boots Ichi-go Ni-go's Atsushi Tamura. History Their debut single ''Metronome'' hit number 1 ...
concert. Mucc covered "
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 Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...
" for July's '' Parade II -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-''. On May 4 they performed a concert in front of 40 fans at Shimamura Music in Mito, the same location they played their first show 15 years earlier. Their 15th anniversary live, Mucc vs vs Mucc, took place at
Makuhari Messe is a convention center in Chiba (city), Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, located just outside of Tokyo. Designed by Fumihiko Maki, it is accessible by Transportation in Greater Tokyo#Railway and subway, Tokyo's commuter rail system. ''Makuha ...
's International Exhibition Halls 1–3 on June 9. The estimated four-hour show was separated into three parts; 1997–2002 -Misshitsu-, 2002–2007 -Shisei-, and 2007–2012 -Kodō-. An album titled ''Aishū no Antique'', composed of remastered songs from their early demo tapes and the EPs ''Antique'' and ''Aishū'', was sold at the show, but later received a nationwide release on August 22. Also in August 2012, the video game was released on the
App Store An app store, also called an app marketplace or app catalog, is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not i ...
. The band members took part it its creation, with Tatsuro drawing the characters. A 15th anniversary tour of
live house A is a Japanese live music club – a music venue featuring live music. The term is a Japanese coinage ( wasei eigo) and is mainly used in East Asia. It most frequently refers to smaller venues, which may double as bars, especially featuring ...
s took place throughout September. The single "Mother" was released on October 31, and was an ending theme of ''
Naruto Shippuden ''Naruto'' is a Japanese anime television series based on Masashi Kishimoto's 1999–2014 manga series ''Naruto''. It follows Naruto Uzumaki, a young orphan ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the l ...
'', while its B-side "Negative Dancer" features the audience of their September 13 concert singing the chorus. Mucc's eleventh studio album, ''
Shangri-La Shangri-La is a fictional place in Tibet's Kunlun Mountains, Uses the spelling 'Kuen-Lun'. described in the 1933 novel '' Lost Horizon'' by the British author James Hilton. Hilton portrays Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, gently ...
'', was released on November 28. Its song "Kyōran Kyoshō -21st Century Baby-" was remixed and used as the theme of the live-action film adaptation of '' Fuan no Tane''. The Shangri-La tour took place between December 2012 and March 2013, with a special concert on June 7 that marked the end of Mucc's 15th anniversary celebrations. Mucc also performed at Makuhari Messe for
Ozzfest Ozzfest was an annual music festival tour of the United States and sometimes Europe and later Japan, featuring performances by many heavy metal music, heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Sharon Osbourne and her husband O ...
on May 12. "G.G." by the band is the image song for the Japanese version of the 2012 film The Woman in Black. In 2013, Mucc began looking for two new members who would participate in recording, photo shoots and interviews. Applicants had to send in five stickers included with CDs, DVDs and other goods, released in commemoration of the band's 15th anniversary along with an application; it was noted that they did not need to know how to play an instrument. After interviews and reviewing resumes on a live broadcast on
Niconico , known before 2012 as , is a Japanese video sharing service based in Tokyo, Japan. "Niconico" or "nikoniko" is the Japanese sound symbolism, Japanese ideophone for smiling. As of 2021, Niconico is the 34th most-visited website in Japan, accordi ...
on July 26, the winners were selected by Mucc's four primary members themselves and given stage names. Hancho, a Hungarian female
study abroad International students or exchange students, also known as foreign students, are students who undertake all or part of their secondary or tertiary education in a country other than their own. In 2022, there were over 6.9 million international ...
student from the band's native Ibaraki, and Dean, a male office worker from
Chiba Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama ...
officially joined the band on August 17. However, on September 4, roughly two weeks later, it was announced that both had left the group. Dean left after his parents found out he had joined a rock band by seeing him on TV, and Hancho stated she had achieved her dream of joining Mucc and could now leave to become a fan once more. Mucc performed at
Shibuya-AX Shibuya-AX (stylized as SHIBUYA- AX) was a concert hall in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, near the Yoyogi National Gymnasium. Layout Shibuya-AX was the only purpose-built concert hall or "live house" in the Tokyo metropolitan area that could accommod ...
for Angelo's Intersection of Dogma event on August 16, and at
World Memorial Hall or World Hall is a multi-purpose arena located in the Chūō-ku Ward of Kobe, Japan. It has a maximum capacity of 8,000 people and is optimized for large-scale meetings, sport events, trade shows and concerts. It is located on the artificial isl ...
on October 20 for Vamps' Halloween Party 2013. The band held the 2 Days Circuit Hypnos & Thanatos tour, which featured two consecutive shows at seven venues between October and December. The October 30 single "World's End" was the opening theme song of '' Meganebu!''. On December 1, Mucc gave a free performance in Amerikamura's Triangle Park to an estimated 3,000 fans. Police stopped the show early due to the large number of people that gathered. On January 26, 2014, Mucc performed at SiM's Dead Pop Festival. For seven months beginning in March, the band held an installment in their Six Nine Wars -Bokura no Nana-kagetsu Kan Sensō- concert event series each month. Episode 1 MuP Lives were fan club-only and lives produced by each member. April's Episode 2 VS consisted of a two-man tour where each of the nine dates included another band; either The Telephones, The Back Horn, Rottengraffty,
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 ...
, Sebastian X, or Straightener. Episode 3 Thanatos & Thanatos Shi no Kami Sairin was a one-man tour in May. June's three-man tour, Episode 4 Triangle, featured three acts at each venue; Mucc and Merry were at each show, while the third was either Sug, LM.C, or Vistlip. With the release of Mucc's twelfth studio album, '' The End of the World'', on June 25, Episode 5 was the album's July tour. Armageddon was Episode 6 and consisted of a two-man tour with a different act at each venue; Alexandros, Kishidan, Granrodeo,
Buck-Tick Buck-Tick (stylized as BUCK-TICK) is a Japanese rock band formed in Fujioka, Gunma in 1983. The classic lineup of lead vocalist Atsushi Sakurai, lead guitarist Hisashi Imai, rhythm guitarist Hidehiko Hoshino, bassist Yutaka Higuchi and drum ...
, Sid, D'erlanger, Golden Bomber, Michael, and Geek Sleep Sheep. The September 10 single "Yueni, Matenrou" was the opening theme song of '' The Kindaichi Case Files R''. The Six Nine Wars event series finished with The End, a concert at the first gymnasium of
Yoyogi National Gymnasium Yoyogi National Gymnasium, officially is an indoor arena located at Yoyogi Park in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, which is famous for its Suspended structure, suspension roof design. The arena holds 13,291 people (9,079 stand seats, 4,124 arena sea ...
on September 23. Mucc's F#ck the Past F#ck the Future tour took place in April 2015, before its European leg was held in May. On June 9 and 10, Mucc and Rottengraffty held joint lives titled Mucc Day and Rotten Day. The two were joined by Cali Gari the first night and Alexandros the second. The EP '' T.R.E.N.D.Y. -Paradise from 1997-'' was released on June 15, and Mucc performed at the second day of
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 ...
's Lunatic Fest. on June 28. At Studio Coast on July 18, Mucc held a free live during the day, and the final of their F#ck the Past F#ck the Future tour at night. They held the three-date March on the Darkness joint tour with lynch. between August 31 and September 21, and performed at an event hosted by Plastic Tree on October 12. On December 27, Mucc faced Sid in the main event of Maverick DC's Battle Arena in Budokan, where each band alternated playing songs before joining together for the last two. Mucc made the song "Brilliant World" digitally available on December 24 for a limited time as a Christmas gift to fans. Between January 23 and April 1, 2016, Mucc and Aki (bassist of Sid) held a joint tour titled M.A.D, which also featured other acts and guests. Mucc performed at Dappe's Rock in
Jōsō is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 59,314 in 21,168 households and a population density of 480 persons per km2. The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 38.8%. The total area of t ...
on May 1, a concert organized by Toshi-Low of
Brahman In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' (; IAST: ''Brahman'') connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality of the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part XII In the ...
to help revitalize Ibaraki Prefecture after flooding the previous year. On June 25, 2016, Mucc launched a nationwide tour that ended in September but was an early lead up to their 20th anniversary the following year. After Ken took part in several shows on their M.A.D tour, Tatsuro conceived the Party Zoo ~Ken Entwines Naughty Stars~ tour centered around the guitarist. It took place between September 11 and October 9 and also featured Mucc, A9,
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
and others. Mucc released the single "
Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...
" on September 19, and it was used as the opening theme song of '' The Seven Deadly Sins: Signs of Holy War''. They performed at the visual kei rock festival Visual Japan Summit at Makuhari Messe on October 16, and at Knotfest Japan on November 6.


20th Anniversary and Satochi's departure (2017–2021)

2017 marked Mucc's 20th anniversary. After the release of their thirteenth studio album ''
Myakuhaku ''Myakuhaku'' (脈拍, lit. "Pulse") is the thirteenth studio album by the Japanese rock band Mucc, released on January 25, 2017 in Japan by Sony Japan and February 10, 2017 in Europe by Gan-Shin. It was produced by Ken from L'Arc-en-Ciel and Mi ...
'' on January 25, they gave a special free live performance on February 4, where only people who bought the special edition of the album were eligible to attend. On March 29, they released the compilation albums ''Best of Mucc II'' and ''Coupling Best II''. On May 1, Mucc were appointed ambassadors of both
Ishioka, Ibaraki 260px, Ishioka City Hall is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 70,124 in 28,892 households and a population density of 325 persons per km2. The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 33 ...
(where Miya and Yukke are from) and
Mito, Ibaraki is the capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 268,036 in 126,055 households and a population density of 1,233 persons per km2. The percentage of the population aged ...
(where Tatsuro and Satochi are from). They were tasked with promoting Ibaraki Prefecture after it ranked last four years in a row in a survey on the attractiveness of prefectures. Mucc sold the limited single "Ieji" at the concert at Ibarakiken Bunkacenter Large Hall on May 4, and their two 20th anniversary concerts at the Nippon Budokan that were separated by years; 97–06 on June 20, and 06–17 on June 21. They also released three self-cover albums, beginning with ''Shin Tsūzetsu'' and ''Shin Hōmura Uta'' on August 9. The third was September 13's ''Koroshi no Shirabe II: This is Not Greatest Hits'', the title of which was taken from
Buck-Tick Buck-Tick (stylized as BUCK-TICK) is a Japanese rock band formed in Fujioka, Gunma in 1983. The classic lineup of lead vocalist Atsushi Sakurai, lead guitarist Hisashi Imai, rhythm guitarist Hidehiko Hoshino, bassist Yutaka Higuchi and drum ...
's similar '' Koroshi no Shirabe: This Is Not Greatest Hits''. It was supported by a five-date tour that ended on October 10. Mucc covered "March 5" by Plastic Tree for the cover album ''Transparent Branches'' released on September 6, and "Crazy4You" 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 tribute album ''Stairway to Heaven'' released on September 13. A tribute album to Mucc titled and featuring 22 artists, was released on November 22. It was supported by the En 7 tour, which was held with bands that contributed to the album, such as Dezert, Flow, and
Band-Maid Band-Maid is a Japanese Rock music, rock band formed in 2013, comprising singer Saiki Atsumi, guitarist/singer Miku Kobato, lead guitarist Kanami Tōno, bassist Misa, and drummer Akane Hirose. The band combines hard rock music with costumes mode ...
. The tour ended on December 27, where Mucc hosted a special festival at the Nippon Budokan to end their 20th anniversary with eight of the other acts. They also hosted a year-end countdown event in Ibaraki on News Years Eve with many other artists. With the end of 2017, Mucc returned to being an independent band on Danger Crue Records yet again. They sold the cassette "Jiko Keno Demo ~Dirty Ver.~" at every night of their June 2018 Lock on Snipe Tour #1: Hokkaido-gata Shūkan 6 Days, while "Jiko Keno Demo ~Clean Ver.~" was released digitally on June 11. They released the single "Jigen Bakudan" on July 25, 2018. Mucc's Lock on Snipe Tour #2: Shikoku-gata Shūkan 4 Days took place in October, while #3: Hokuriku-gata Shūkan 6 Days took place in December. The members of the band were four of the 76 people to make cameo appearances in the music video for Flow's song "Oneness". Mucc held an eight-date joint tour with Dezert, titled Is This The "Fact"?, throughout January 2019. Under the name "DEZERMUCC", the two bands collaborated on a two-track CD sold on the tour. For February 13's
concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
''
Kowareta Piano to Living Dead ''Kowareta Piano to Living Dead'' (壊れたピアノとリビングデッド; ''Broken Piano and the Living Dead'') is the fourteenth studio album by the Japanese rock band Mucc, released on February 13, 2019 by Danger Crue. It is a " horror conc ...
'', Mucc recruited keyboardist Tooru Yoshida as a limited-time member. The album was based on 140 of the band's early demos. It was supported by a
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 whic ...
tour that ended on April 1, and a hall tour that took place between May and June. Throughout the second half of 2019, they held 33 concerts as part of Lock on Snipe Tours #4–8 and released four singles limited to 6,940 copies total. Each one was written by a different band member and released at a concert held on the 40th birthday of its songwriter. The three-date Lock on Snipe Tour #9 took the band to Shanghai and Taipei in December. On December 28, Mucc presented Trigger in the Box at Yoyogi National Gymnasium. It featured other acts such as Hyde,
44 Magnum The .44 Remington Magnum, also known as .44 Magnum or 10.9x33mmR (as it is known in unofficial metric designation), is a rimmed, large-bore cartridge originally designed for revolvers and quickly adopted for carbines and rifles. Despite the " ...
, Ling Tosite Sigure, and Oldcodex. From January 10 to February 9, 2020, Mucc performed the Lock on Snipe Tour #10. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, they had to cancel April's Lock on Snipe Tour #11 in Europe and their June 21 concert at Pia Arena MM. They contributed a cover of "Mezmerize" to the May 13 Granrodeo tribute album ''Rodeo Freak''. The band released the made-to-order single "Shōfu 2020", which contains four different recordings of their first single "Shōfu" from various points in their career, on June 9 to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Mucc's fifteenth studio album '' Aku'' was released the following day. They held ~Fight Against COVID-19 #2–3~ "Aku - The Broken Resuscitation" no-audience live streams on June 21 and September 20. Their December 27 show at the Nippon Budokan was the band's first concert with an audience in 10 months. On December 2, 2020, Mucc announced that Satochi, who had been their drummer for 23 years, would be leaving the band in spring 2021 and cease activities as a professional musician. His last tour with the band, Mucc Tour 202X Aku - The Brightness World, began in February 2021, but its final four shows were rescheduled to August after Japan declared a state of emergency as a result of the pandemic and Satochi tested positive for COVID-19. The final two concerts were postponed again due to the pandemic and took place on October 2 and 3 at The Hirosawa City Hall in the band's home prefecture of Ibaraki. The compilation album ''Myōjō'' was released on April 21 during the tour. All of its songs were either composed or co-composed by Satochi, with four of them newly re-recorded, while the lyrics to the new title track are credited to the whole band.


25th Anniversary (2021–present)

A day after Satochi's departure, Mucc released new artist pictures showing them as a trio. The double A-side single "Goner/World" was released in November 2021. 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of Mucc's formation. They began celebrating with an acoustic live on May 4. The band released their sixteenth studio album, ''Shin Sekai'', on June 9. Its tour, which has the subtitle Beginning of the 25th Anniversary, took place from June 11 to August 28. For the anniversary installment En event, En 8 on September 6, Mucc decided to choose The Back Horn and Cock Roach as the participates because they also have ties to Ibaraki. The first leg of Timeless, their 25th anniversary tour, took place from October 9 to December 14. They played a setlist centered on songs from their ''Zekū'' (2003) and ''Kuchiki no Tō'' (2004) albums. On December 21, Mucc released the mini-album ''Shin Sekai Bekkan'', which is composed of outtakes from ''Shin Sekai'' and songs written during its tour. They held two special 25th anniversary lives on February 6 and 14, 2023, which also marked the first time in about three years that the audience could cheer aloud, as it was previously not allowed due to COVID-19 guidelines. Three more legs of the Timeless tour also take place throughout 2023. From March 4 to May 6, Mucc played songs from their ''Hōyoku'' (2005) and ''Gokusai'' (2006) albums. Songs from ''Shion'' (2008) and ''Kyūtai'' (2009) were played from June 9 to August 21. From October 1 to November 11, they played a setlist centered on songs from ''Karma'' (2010) and ''Shangri-La'' (2012). Additionally, Mucc held a two-man live with
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 (metallurgy), Salamander in metallurgy * "Deadman anchor" is a buried object (log, con ...
at Spotify O-East on July 28. The two bands released a split single at the show, with Mucc's contribution being a song called "Shi no Ubugoe". Between August 17–24 Mucc held the three-date Akumu 69 two-man tour with
Nightmare A nightmare, also known as a bad dream, Retrieved 11 July 2016. is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety, disgust or sadness. The dream may contain situations o ...
. A grand final to their 25th anniversary tour was held at the
Tokyo International Forum The is a multi-purpose exhibition center in Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. The complex is generally considered to be in the Yūrakuchō business district, being adjacent to Yūrakuchō Station, but it is administratively in the Marunouchi district. Toky ...
Hall A on December 28, where they were joined by special guests Ken and
Sakura The cherry blossom, or sakura, is the flower of trees in ''Prunus'' subgenus '' Cerasus''. ''Sakura'' usually refers to flowers of ornamental cherry trees, such as cultivars of ''Prunus serrulata'', not trees grown for their fruit (although ...
. They also released the album ''Timeless'' on that same day. It features the singles they sold only at concerts on the tour, "Shi no Ubugoe", and self-covers of four older songs. In 2024, Mucc signed with major record label Tokuma Japan Communications. Their first release on the new label was the single "Ai no Uta" on June 4. From June 9 to August 4, they held the Love Together tour, with all but the first two dates featuring a support act; either Kizu, Nogod, Amai Bōryoku, Vistlip, Chaqla., Mama., Jiluka, Arlequin, Divers Croix, or Dezert. Before ending the tour with two solo concerts at Yokohama Bay Hall on August 10 and 11, Mucc performed at LuckyFes on July 14. They then hosted the Luv Together 2024 event at Ex Theater Roppongi on September 16, which featured
An Cafe is a Japanese pop rock band formed in 2003 and signed to Sony Music Japan. Their visual image is Japanese street fashion#Oshare kei, oshare kei,''Shoxx Bis'' No 3 October 2004 issue, pg 69 and they describe their music as "Harajuku Dance-rock, D ...
and Yuki from
Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), now generally known in English as Raphael ( , ), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of paintings by Raphael, His work is admired for its cl ...
among its performers, before beginning another tour titled Daydream, which lasted from November 5 to December 22. Mucc released the digital extended play ''Invader EP'' on December 4. They then released the album ''1997'' on April 2, 2025, and began the Daydream 1997 tour three days later.


Musical style

Mucc is known for switching between music genres and styles frequently. The February 2024 issue of ''
Rockin'On Japan ''Rockin'On Japan'', often stylized in all caps, is a monthly magazine that covers the Japanese music scene and various cultural events in Japan, such as art venues and culinary expos. History The magazine was founded in 1972, and focused on prov ...
'' wrote that, ever since their formation in 1997, they have "maintained their own aesthetic, while pursuing music and rock with intellectual curiosity, creative planning, and bold actions, all without being restrained by the boundaries of genres or scenes." Akane Ogawa of ''Real Sound'' wrote that this has brought the band recognition and fans outside of the
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 " ...
scene. As examples of their diversity, she cited "Utagoe" (2006) as a
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 ...
song, "Fuzz" (2007) as dance rock, "Arcadia" (2011) for incorporating EDM, and "Ender Ender" (2014) for combining
metalcore Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...
and
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
. Ogawa also noted use of
melody A melody (), also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combination of Pitch (music), pitch and rhythm, while more figurativel ...
lines that evoke melancholy such as those found in
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
and ''
kayōkyoku is a Japanese pop music genre, which became a base of modern J-pop. ''The Japan Times'' described ''kayōkyoku'' as "standard Japanese pop" or "Shōwa period, Shōwa-era pop". ''Kayōkyoku'' represents a blend of Western and Japanese musical s ...
'' songs. Miya, the principal songwriter of Mucc's music, said he personally likes bands that are ever-changing and play a wide variety of genres. When asked if they worry about this alienating fans, the guitarist has stated on a couple of occasions that they do not care and simply do what they want. When composing songs, Miya said he often starts with the beat. He then creates the basic outline of the
chords Chord or chords may refer to: Art and music * Chord (music), an aggregate of musical pitches sounded simultaneously ** Guitar chord, a chord played on a guitar, which has a particular tuning * The Chords (British band), 1970s British mod ...
and melody, before thinking of the overall
arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...
. Despite being a guitarist, Miya stated that he gives the instrument the least amount of thought. He has no particular connection to guitar, he just happened to choose it as the tool to express his music. He also explained that Mucc shapes songs together as a band, so any song he starts to write will end up different in the end. Tatsuro, one of the principal lyricists, said the band's lyrics are written after the music. He listens to a melody and takes inspiration from that, but is also inspired by everyday things; "what I see, what I feel and things like that." Miya cited Yōsui Inoue and
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 ...
as influences. Tatsuro named
Buck-Tick Buck-Tick (stylized as BUCK-TICK) is a Japanese rock band formed in Fujioka, Gunma in 1983. The classic lineup of lead vocalist Atsushi Sakurai, lead guitarist Hisashi Imai, rhythm guitarist Hidehiko Hoshino, bassist Yutaka Higuchi and drum ...
as a Japanese band he likes, while Yukke cited Anzen Chitai. Satochi cited
Helloween Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. The band has at times been called one of the most influential European heavy metal bands of the 1980s. Its first ...
drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg as an influence. After moving to Tokyo at the end of the 1990s, Miya started listening to Western music and became inspired by Slipknot and
Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, originally formed in 1993 by James Shaffer, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and David Silveria, who were members of the band ...
. Korn frontman
Jonathan Davis Jonathan Howsmon Davis (born January 18, 1971), also known as JD, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is the lead vocalist and frontman of nu metal band Korn, which is considered a pioneering act of the nu metal genre. Davis's ...
influenced him to pursue intense personal expressions in Mucc. According to Ed of ''Real Sound'', Mucc already had a unique musicality by the time of their 1999 demo "Shūka", where they fuse the
nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, with a metal umlaut) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop music, hip hop, funk, industrial music, industrial, and grunge. Nu ...
of Korn with
Shōwa era The was a historical period of History of Japan, Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) from December 25, 1926, until Death and state funeral of Hirohito, his death on January 7, 1989. It was preceded by the T ...
''kayōkyoku''. He also wrote that due to the weight of their lyrics, they were already recognized as one of the heaviest bands in visual kei. Miya said prior to '' Zekū'' (2003) and '' Kuchiki no Tō'' (2004), his lyrics were about past events and "traumas" he experienced, but with those two albums he wrote about present inner feelings within the band. Despite audiences loving the shows, he seems to regret having done this as he speculated that he drank a lot on those tours so he would not have to face what he was expressing on stage, and stated that there is one song on ''Kuchiki no Tō'' that he will no longer play. Speaking of his lyrics in 2009, Miya said "I used to write the lyrics only about the things that are totally disastrous, but now I'm not in the mood to write that kind of lyrics. I have grown out of that. As I've gotten older, I've figured out some solutions to the problem and I take that into the lyrics. Miya said he does not write English lyrics because he does not understand the language and using them for their sound alone would not be the same; "If the words I write don't have a soul, then they can't become a song". Tatsuro said that previously he wrote lyrics as a spokesman of the band, "I can't help but think about them and I think that those nuances were put in somewhere", but he did not think about that at all for ''
Shion Shion is a Japanese given name, and may refer to: Sportspeople *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese figure skater *, Japanese footballer Musicians *, a R&B singer *, a pop singer *, a singer-songwriter *Shion Tsurubo (鶴� ...
'' (2008) and its lyrics are more personal. '' Natalie'' described ''
Karma Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...
'' (2010) as featuring a new sound for the band that mixes
disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
and digital sounds with heavy rock. Miya said he became interested in folk music after focusing on melody, and that this led to Mucc including elements of
dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded dance musi ...
in their material. Miya described the 2015 EP '' T.R.E.N.D.Y. -Paradise from 1997-'' as a concept work because it features references to the music the members listened to in the 1990s. 2019's ''
Kowareta Piano to Living Dead ''Kowareta Piano to Living Dead'' (壊れたピアノとリビングデッド; ''Broken Piano and the Living Dead'') is the fourteenth studio album by the Japanese rock band Mucc, released on February 13, 2019 by Danger Crue. It is a " horror conc ...
'' is also a concept album, with the theme of horror. Yukke said that horror has always been a part of Mucc's repertoire, but it was nice to dive into it head on. Miya cited Korn as the reason he started using
seven-string guitar The seven-string guitar adds one additional string to the more common six-string guitar, commonly used to extend the bass range (usually a low B) or also to extend the treble range. The additional string is added in one of two different ways: b ...
s. He said while they allow him to play a large range of music, they do not work very well on downtunings. In 2004, Miya said he rarely plays guitar solos because he does not really like them. He remarked that they are fine if they are like interludes, but he finds it embarrassing to go out front and command attention. However, Mucc's album ''Shin Sekai'' (2022) has many guitar solos because he decided not to use any synthesizers on it. For the album, Miya said he would often use a modern approach to retro-sounding songs, and vice versa. The members of Mucc often perform barefoot. Tatsuro said he got the idea after seeing Cocco's April 20, 2001 performance on ''
Music Station , stylised in all caps, is a Japanese music television program. Broadcasting live weekly on TV Asahi since October 24, 1986, it currently airs from 9PM-10PM on Fridays. The program is also colloquially known as , , and . The show is currently sy ...
'', where the barefooted singer abruptly left the studio after finishing her song. He further explained that this was in Mucc's indie days when they had no money; whenever they were putting together new costumes, the shoes were typically the most expensive part, but as a visual kei band they could not simply wear sneakers.


Members

;Current members * – lead vocals, harmonica (1997–present) * – guitars, backing vocals (1997–present) * Yukke – bass, contrabass, electric upright bass, backing vocals (1999–present) ;Former members * Hiro – bass, backing vocals (1997–1999) * – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1997–2021) ;Support members * – piano, keyboards (2017, 2019–present) * Allen – drums (2021–present)


Discography

;Studio albums * * * * * *'' 6'' (2006) * * * * * *'' The End of the World'' (2014) * * * * *''Timeless'' (2023) *''1997'' (2025)


References


External links

* * by
Sony Music Entertainment Japan , often abbreviated as SMEJ or simply SME, and also known as Sony Music Japan for short (stylized as ''SonyMusic''), is a Japanese music arm for Sony. Founded in 1968 as CBS/Sony, SMEJ is directly owned by Sony, Sony Group Corporation and is ...
{{Authority control Visual kei musical groups Japanese hard rock musical groups Japanese alternative rock groups Japanese alternative metal musical groups Musical groups established in 1997 Musical groups from Ibaraki Prefecture Universal Music Japan artists Sony Music Entertainment Japan artists Tokuma Japan Communications artists Gan-Shin artists