Mucc is a Japanese visual kei rock band, formed in Ibaraki Prefecture 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 16 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! included their fourth studio album Kuchiki no Tō (2004) on a list of 13 essential Japanese rock and metal albums.
Mucc performing in Paris in 2009
Miya performing with Mucc in London in 2007
Yukke and Tatsuro performing in Malmö in 2009
After 24 years in Mucc, Satochi retired from the music industry in 2021.
Visual kei , abbreviated v-kei , 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 "revolves around the creation of a band's unique worldview and/or stylistic beauty through visual expressions in the form of makeup and fashion". While visual kei bands can be of any music genre, it is generally associated with glam rock, punk rock, and heavy metal.
Originally a visual kei band, Glay went on to become one of the best-selling musical acts in Japan.
Versailles performing in 2010, wearing costumes inspired by the French Rococo style
Luna Sea in Singapore, 2013
Japanese fans doing X Japan cosplay