The Gazette

the GazettE (ガゼット, Gazetto?) is a Japanese visual kei-based[1] rock band formed early in 2002, currently signed to PS Company, King Records and CLJ Records.

Biography
2002: Conception and early work

The foundations of the band began with Ruki (vocals), Reita (bass), and Uruha (guitar). After being involved with other bands in the visual scene, the trio decided that the GazettE would be their last band[2]. They recruited Aoi (guitar) and Yune (drums) from disbanded visual band Artia and so began the GazettE in January 2002.[3] [2]

Originally signed to Matina, they released their first single, "Wakaremichi", and a video release on April 30, 2002[4]. They re-released Wakarimichi and the video release in June of the same year[4]. By September, they had released "Kichiku Kyoushi (32sai Dokushin) no Nousatsu Kouza" and their second PV release. In October they played their first one-man live. On Christmas, the 5-song compilation 妖幻鏡moon including the Gazette's song "Yougenkyou" was released [5].

2003: New drummer and Cockayne Soup

In early 2003, Yune decided to leave the band, and he was replaced by Kai. Shortly after, they signed with the PS Company label and in May, released their first EP, Cockayne Soup. They started their first tour, with the band Hanamuke, and along with the tour, the bands collaborated on two songs. A second tour followed with the band Vidoll, and the bands were featured together on the November issue of Cure, a magazine focusing on Visual Kei bands.[6]

In early December they played a co-headlining show with Deadman. On December 28 they performed at Fool's Mate magazine's Beauti-fool's Fest which was later released on DVD.

2004: Disorder

On January 16, 2004 they recorded a solo performance at the Shibuya-AX, which was released on DVD as Tokyo Saihan -Judgment Day-.[3] On March 30, 2004 they released their Madara mini-album, which reached #2 on the Oricon Indie Charts. Madara was followed in May by a companion DVD, which included six music videos and an in-the-studio documentary. The same month, The Gazette was featured in Shoxx magazine's Expect Rush III, a catalogue of independent Visual Kei artists.[7] A second live DVD, Heisei Banka, was released in August.[3] During September and October they toured with fellow PS Company bands Kra and BIS. Their debut album, Disorder, was released in October and made it to the top 5 of the indies Oricon Daily Charts.

The band spent the remainder of 2004 and 2005 touring extensively, releasing Gama, another mini-album, in August.

2005-2006: Nil and Nameless Liberty Six Guns

In 2005, the band released their first major label single, Cassis, in December.[8]

Starting 2006 with a name change—from Japanese characters to a romanized script—they released Nil, their second full-length album, on February 8, 2006,[3] and embarked on another Japanese tour, ending at the venue Nippon Budokan.[9] That July, The Gazette performed at the Beethovenhalle in Bonn, Germany, their first show outside of Asia. The concerts were arranged in conjunction with the AnimagiC anime and manga convention.[10]

2007-2009: Stacked Rubbish and DIM

Three more singles were released followed by another studio album, Stacked Rubbish on July 4, 2007. It reached #2 on the Oricon charts within a day from the release. The album debut was followed by a promotional tour from July through September. In October, The Gazette embarked on their first European tour, performing in England, Finland, France, and Germany.

A single named "Guren" was released on February 13, 2008, which landed a #1 spot on the Oricon Charts. It was announced that a new DVD would be released in August, and a new single Leech in Autumn 2008 [11], which also landed a #1 spot on the Oricon daily charts.[12]

The Gazette accomplished a one man tour through all of October called "From the Distorted City," referencing to the song "Distorted Daytime" in their single "Leech," which portrays Tokyo as a "distorted city," in terms of the society and political crisis sweeping over Japan.

On November 15, 2008, The Gazette hosted their first secret show in Shinjuku Station. Originally, around two-hundred fifty people were to be anticipated, but instead, over seven thousand attended, the most in the band's history. Due to the amount of people on the streets, the police were forced to shut it down after two songs.[12][13]

On January 3, 2009, The Gazette performed alongside their fellow bands signed to the PS Company label to celebrate the record label's tenth anniversary, where they announced they would release a new single called "Distress and Coma", which was preceded by a seventh-anniversary performance on March 10 at Makuhari Messe Convention Hall.

The band released their next full-length studio album, "Dim" in the summer, followed by another Japan-wide summer tour starting in July, for which the tour's final show was held at Saitama Super Arena.

On October 7, 2009, they released their new single called "Before I Decay". On December 24th, The Gazette held a Christmas eve live to close out the year called [A HYMN OF THE CRUXIFIXION]. [14]

2010

On March of 2010, the band embarked on "THE END OF STILLNESS" fan club only tour. [14]

After the fanclub tour, the band then announced another single that would be released on July 21, 2010 and a live tour, which is named "TOUR10 NAMELESS LIBERTY SIX BULLETS" starting in August.[15] They will also release a new DVD with 10 PV's on it.

Musical Style

The Gazette's musical style varies greatly, but it is generally thought of to be a form of rock music while delving into the genres of heavy metal like "Ogre" and alternative metal like "Taion" and "The Invisible Wall". Songs like "Silly God Disco" and "Swallowtail on the Death Valley" feature a funk rock sound, while songs like "LEECH" and "Hyena" feature a hard rock sound. Other songs like "Maggots", "Discharge" and "Headache Man" dwell into heavier forms of music, in particular, metalcore. The Gazette also uses a wide range of synthesized sounds during their songs, including female voices, shown in songs such as "Filth in the Beauty," and "Leech". The Gazette tends to use dropped B tuning for heavier songs and one step down tuning for their ballads.[citation needed]

Within all their heavy work, The Gazette has also produced a number of ballads, including "Nakigahara,", "Reila", "Guren", and "Cassis".

Members

* Ruki (ルキ?) – vocals
* Uruha (麗?) – lead guitar
* Aoi (葵?) – rhythm guitar
* Reita (れいた?) – bass guitar
* Kai (戒?) – drums

Former members

* Yune (由寧?) – drums

Discography
Singles

* "Wakaremichi" (別れ道) (April 30, 2002)
* "Kichiku Kyoushi (32sai Dokushin) no Nousatsu Kouza" (鬼畜教師(32才独身)の悩殺講座) (August 30, 2002)
* "Gozen 0-ji no Trauma Radio" (午前0時のとらうまラヂヲ) (November 1, 2003)
* "Zakurogata no Yuuutsu" (ザクロ型の憂鬱) (July 28, 2004)
* "Zetsu" (舐 ～Zetsu～) (July 28, 2004)
* "Miseinen" (未成年) (July 28, 2004)
* "Dainippon Itangeishateki..." (大日本異端芸者的脳味噌逆回転絶叫音源集) (July 28, 2004)
* "Reila" (March 9, 2005)
* "Cassis" (December 7, 2005)
* "Regret" (October 25, 2006)
* "Filth in the Beauty" (November 1, 2006)
* "Hyena" (February 7, 2007)
* "Guren" (紅蓮) (February 13, 2008)
* "Leech" (November 12, 2008)
* "Distress and Coma" (March 25, 2009)
* "Before I Decay" (October 7, 2009)

Compilations

* "Yougenkyou"(妖幻鏡moon) (25 December 2002, Eternal)
o (With the song "Okuribi" (おくり火))
* "Kaleidoscope" (1 May 2003, PS Company)
o (With the songs "Back Drop Junkie [Nancy]" and "Akai One Piece" (赤いワンピース))
* "Hanamuke & Gazette live"(男尻ツアーファイナル) (6 May 2003, PS Company)
o (With the song "Machibouke no Kouen de" (待ちぼうけの公園))
* "Japanesque Rock Collectionz" (July 28, 2004)
o (With the song "Okuribi" (おくり火))
* "Rock Nippon Shouji Nori ko Selection" (ロックNIPPON 東海林のり子セレクション) (January 24, 2007)
o (With the song "Cassis")

Other Releases

* "Jyuyon sai no naifu" / 14 sai no knife(十四歳のナイフ) (11 September 2004, PS Company)
* "Chigire"(チギレ) (August 2005, PS Company)
* "Verwelktes Gedicht" (20 October 2005, PS Company)
o (With the song "Kare uta"(枯詩))

Videography

* Shichoukaku Shitsu (視聴覚　質) (30 August 2002)
* Sentimental Video (センチメンタルビデオ) (1 March 2003)
* -Matina- Final Prelude Live (10 April 2003) (Various artists)
* Hyakkiyagyou (百鬼家行) (1 October 2003)
* Tokyo Saihan -Judgement Day- (東京裁判-Judgement Day-) (28 April 2004, PS Company)
* Madara (DVD) (斑蠡-Madara-) (26 May 2004, PS Company)
* Heisei Banka (平成挽歌) (25 August 2004)
* Peace & Smile Carnival Tour 2005 (～笑顔でファッキュー～) Live DVD (2006) (with Miyavi, Kagrra, Kra, Alice Nine)
* Standing Tour 2005 Final Maximum Royal Disorder at 2005.4.17 Shibuya Kokaido Live(STANDING TOUR 2005 FINAL「M.R.D」at 2005.4.17 渋谷公会堂) (6 July 2005)
* Film Bug I (7 June 2006, PS Company)
* Standing Tour 2006 Nameless Liberty. Six Guns... -Tour Final- at Nippon Budokan (6 September 2006)
* Tour 2006-2007 Decomposition Beauty—Final "Meaningless Art That People Showed" at Yokohama Arena (13 June 2007)
* Tour 2007-2008 Stacked Rubbish Grand Finale [Repeated Countless Error] at Yoyogi National Gymnasium (6 August 2008)
* Peace & Smile Carnival Tour 2009 at Nippon Budokan (15 April 2009) (with Miyavi, Kagrra, Kra, Alice Nine, Screw band & Sug)
* Tour09-DIM SCENE- Final at Saitama Super Arena (16 December 2009)