featured list 6 Disbandments that Really Sucked

[Zeus 7997]

 

AvelCain

Years Active: 2012-2016

 

On 6/15/2016 at 3:54 PM, Shir0 said:

Everyone has this one Band, whose songs have a special meaning to them; mine is definitely AvelCain!

 

AvelCain's variety of songs practically offers something to everyone, ranging from bizarre songs like PSYCHO, melancholic ones up to beautiful ballads such as BELIEVE. Their songs are mainly focused on love, jealousy, a one-sided love to sum it up expressing their love in different ways (good examples are Jiseki and Kataomoi).

 

Despite a difficult start due to the loss of 2 members (which is mostly already a death sentence for VK bands) and being pretty much underground in the beginning these guys have shown a great rise after their debut Album "AvelCain-アベルカイン- "(Eve's contribution as a support drummer should not be left unmentioned here) Yet the reason for their disbandment is still unknown: some people speculate AvelCain has reached its limit since they're not writing their songs themselves? Whatever it may have been, these guys made up their mind. I remember talking to a friend of mine about this great loss (although we all know that unexpected disbandments are not unusual in the VK scene); she then told me that she noticed Karma has been acting weird recently but in a positive way! He seemed much more cheerful and also started to laugh more, she's sure that among other things (like I said the reason is still unclear, we don't know if this was even a reason at all) this was Karma's own decision! Keeping up a depressed character, whether he was really depressed or not, didn't seem to work anymore and this is in all honesty okay with me. No matter how much it has saddened me in the beginning, how can I be unhappy to hear that one of my favorite vocalists has become more cheerful?

 

A disbandment is not always the end these guys are still young and I hope to see all of them continue with new projects and wishing Kaede good luck for his future, the announcement that AvelCain will be his last band was definitely a shock at first, but whatever he plans on doing he was a great guitarist! I enjoyed every second when I saw how he played hanaichimonme on stage (yes I demand you to watch it on Youtube NOW)!

@Shir0

 

 

 

DELUHI

Years Active: 2008-2011

 

On 6/5/2016 at 1:30 PM, doombox said:

Talk about a band that split way too early. It still angers me to know their break up was because a member wanted to retire from the stage, that ended up not retiring at all. You could say I'm still a little bitter. Make that very bitter. In 2008 their arrival was a breath of fresh air, every member was a beast on their instruments, and they shared the presence equally even though it could have easily been Leda's show to steal. They complimented each other and made a simple four-piece unit feel absolutely massive! Their brand of metal seems to have undeniable influence on the new generation of visual bands for only having a three-year lifespan. I think that speaks volumes, and to only imagine what they could have accomplished if they kept it together. I'm not sure I'll ever be over it, to be honest. 

@doombox

 

 

D'espairsRay

Years Active: 1999-2011

 

On 5/22/2016 at 11:26 AM, Zeus said:

Discussing D'espairsRay hurts because all I think about is how they were robbed of an opportunity to reach greater heights. And yes, I'm talking about HIZUMI's throat condition. It did the obvious in forcing the band to disband and robbed the scene of a talented vocalist, but what it also did was put pressure on the band in various ways ever since MIRRORS. They admitted as much in an interview shortly after their disbandment. Had he never contracted that illness, REDEEMER would have been a very different album. Supposedly, HIZUMI is running a fashion business and producing new visual kei bands while he's waiting to recover. The other members are involved in other bands, but none of them are my cup of tea. In terms of currently active bands, DEZERT comes closest to this band both emotionally and stylistically. If you go back to their indie days (pre Recreation eve) exist†trace is another guilty pleasure influenced by them, even if it's a bit simple at times. Hope for a reunion is not impossible, but a full restart of band activities is unlikely.

@Zeus

 

Quote

Oh what is there to say about them that hasn't already been said around here? I think they might be the band this site collectively misses the most from what I've read and it's easy to understand why. I think for many of us they were a pillar of the dark side of visual kei. When they announced their hiatus, and later disbandment, I know I wasn't the only one to feel the shock and then inevitable huge void they left in their wake. Many bands have tried to fill it but none have come close. It's not easy to balance the multi-facets they explored in their music from headbangers to heart-stopping ballads, as well as their ghostly and mysterious stage personas. And yet, to have such amiable personalities behind it all helped them acquire and keep a fiercely loyal fanbase. The band just made it extremely easy to admire them on many levels and their legacy still has a lot to offer new fans and young bands alike. 

@doombox

 

On 5/23/2016 at 3:14 AM, emmny said:

 

I got into the visual kei/j-rock fandom years after D'espairsRay disbanded, but the burn still feels fresh for me. Oftentimes the reason behind a visual kei band breaking up is much more complicated than the kaisan statement, but assuming D'espairsRay were telling the truth--I don't think they ever really wanted to part. It started with a hiatus, giving Hizumi time to recover from a rare throat condition he was receiving treatment for. Several months later, the played what would be their last live before disbanding due to Hizumi's condition. No last live, no goodbye tour. Seeing Hizumi try as hard as he did during their final live given his condition was especially touching; that's probably the tragic aspect about D'espairsRay which resonates so deeply with me. Another aspect that made their disbandment such a tough pill to swallow was how genuine the guys seemed, both on-stage and off-stage. D'espairsRay's music was a dark, emotive void of alt-metal and gothic rock, but the musicians behind it seemed to be genuinely nice people. Even now, Hizumi frequently tweets directly to fans and takes time to answer their questions and just talk with them, Tsukasa tweets happy birthday messages to foreign fans whenever they ask. It's kind of a big deal to be on that level of fame (especially in visual-kei) and still be down to earth, especially considering how cold other bandmen are. Watching the comment videos and off-shoots also shows the cute lil' bond the members had with each other. So yes, it still burns; they were one of a kind--both as people and as musicians. It's not really fair that they were forced to end the way they did, but as cliche as it may be, they will be cherished and remembered for a long time.

@emmny

 

NUMBER GIRL

Years Active: 1995-2002

 

On 6/17/2016 at 1:43 AM, Original Saku said:

Number Girl to me is that one group in the indie rock scene that I believe to be the single biggest influence among indie rock bands of the past decade, and the one band that most fans in the scene unequivocally respect and adore. They were a four piece from Fukuoka, Japan and started activities in August 1995, released a total of four albums and a handful of live albums and singles throughout their career. They gained quite a following throughout the years with their own brand of Distorted melodic guitar rock that at the time showcased a very raw sound that that was extremely fresh and captivating to the masses who were going through a period of stagnation economically and musically at the time, a period that would be later labeled as the "lost decade". The initial member lineup did not stick until later on when guitarist and vocalist Shutoku Mukai reached out to other musicians in Fukuoka and finally found the other members; guitarist Hisako Tabuchi, bassist Kentaro Nakao, and drummer Ahito Inazawa. The four drew inspiration from the western 1980's American indie scene including Hüsker Dü and Pixies among others and incorporated nods to these inspirations in songs throughout their catalog. With the newly established lineup they kicked off their indie debut with the album School Girl Bye Bye in 1997. Towards the turn of the century is when they experienced their highest popularity and gained a cult following among fans of the scene, signing on to EMI MUSIC JAPAN in 1998 and releasing their first major album School Girl Distortional Addict in 1999 and their second major album Sappukei in 2000 followed by a year of touring in both the USA and Japan. In their last year of activity we saw their third major album Num-Heavymetallic released and they embarked on their biggest tour yet with over thirty shows dated to promote the new album, to say the least they were on the up and up. In September 2002, seven years after forming they announced their disbandment in what could be considered their peak, both popularity wise and music wise, nothing was ever explained on why the break up happened, at least publicly. It is known that the bassist Kentaro decided to leave the band and that's why they decided to call it quits, but nothing is known on the reason why he left, It is still a mystery to this day. The members went their separate ways and participated in a multitude of great projects, including; Spiral Chord, Sloth Love Chunks, Bloodthirsty Butchers, Lama, Toddle, Zazen Boys, and more. While their disbandment was unfortunate and sudden it's hard not to think that it might of been for the best when you see all the great projects and music that came out of it in the end. One thing is for sure though, Number Girl charmed an entire generation of fans and even influenced some of the biggest bands in the current scene, without Number Girl's efforts the current indie rock scene would not be what it is today, they are truly a paramount band in Japanese rock and new fans and old fans alike should check them out despite their untimely demise.

@Original Saku

 

 

PAY MONEY TO MY PAIN

Years Active: 2005-2013

 

Quote

 

Oftentimes, listening to bands that have since called it quits leaves me melancholy when their music comes on, but Pay money To my Pain may be the one that hurts me the most. Not only were they the Japanese rock band that brought me out of the insular bubble of visual kei fandom, but K's lyrics were relate-able on a level you just don't find that often. They especially shed light on themes of depression, regret, and soul searching. For me it was the first time a band had felt so real about these problems and talked about them from such an honest place. Tsuyoshi, Zax, and Pablo are not musical slouches by any means, they backed up K with aggressive and emotive compositions that were universally approachable no matter what country you come from and it warms my heart to see them continue with other projects since K's untimely passing. But the magic they made together as four is impossible to replicate. 

@doombox

 

 

school food punishment

Years Active: 2004-2012

 

On 5/22/2016 at 2:25 PM, beni said:

 

This should not be an unfamiliar name to any indie/rock listeners, and even the majority of MH with how often these guys have been brought up. And that's for good reason. 

 

The band decided to go on indefinite hiatus after their vocalist, guitarist and lyricist left the band back in 2012. The hole they left ever since then has been undoubtedly massive, with other artists covering their greatest hits (yanaginagi singing Light Prayer), and the closest band similarities being Yumi Uchimura's own band creation of la la larks, known as the successor to SFP, and other similar sounding groups, such as Spangle call Lilli line, a major influence of the band, and the newly formed siraph who has SFP's keyboardist Masayuki Hasuo in it. The disbandment was simply devastating. With not even a massive discography as a remembrance to their brilliance, with two albums, three mini albums, and seven singles, they have been sorely missed and will continue to be no matter what.

 

Their major breakthrough was aided by their debuted single "futuristic imagination", which was used as the ending theme to the thriller mystery anime Higashi no Eden, in which they further worked with for its trailers, movies, and even other anime series, such as UN-GO , C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control and Last Exile, the latter even showing their wonderful collaborating with fellow, famous anison singer Maaya Sakamoto ("Buddy"), leaving their presence not only permanently in the indie scene, but also within the more widely known anime works. This was where I first noticed SFP, and they've never left my attention since.

 

While the band is rock/pop, the electronic and ambient influence made them stand out from the crowd, with instantly catchy and memorable songs across all boards, from B-sides to album tracks that made their own impressions every single time. From soothing to down right trippy, to even jazzy lounge styled, and totally rocking thanks to the piano and drums, SFP have become a staple band, and you really can't be surprised how or why. Yumi's clear, soothing and mature yet strong vocals proves an outstanding feature instantly, together with the overall effortless impact the music with her singing and songwriting really does leave something to be in awe of.

@beni

 

 

Quote

If you were into the indie scene at any time during the turn of the decade, you will have undoubtedly heard school food punishment in some fashion. Their eclectic mix of post-rock, pop, and electronic influences was groundbreaking at the time. And much like any indie band with promise, they got snatched up by a major label and lost everything that made them special. Both full-length albums felt similarly conflicted, as if the band was stuck between who they once were and who they were being pushed to be. The actual cause for disbandment is still shrouded in mystery. There are some hints at conflict between band members and other hints at pressures from their label molding their sound a certain way. All we know for sure is that lead vocalist Yumi departed the band with a vague message and a farewell and the rest of the band decided they couldn't continue without her. She goes on to create la la larks, which sounds exactly like school food punishment, so the loss is more confusing than disheartening. The other members eventually surfaced in a new band called siraph, another promising band which was covered in the May RT thread. We got two great bands out of the break-up, and Yumi seems to be in a better place making the music she wants to make, but one has to wonder where school food punishment could have ended up had they worked out their issues.

@Zeus

 

Thanks for reading!

 

[nick 10212]

Definitely D'espairsRay.

 

Their disbandment in 2011 was one of the saddest VK disbandments of all time IMO. They kind of unwillingly had to do so because there was no other choice left due to HIZUMI unable to sing.

Anyway, I personally hope they'd come back to the scene some day. I wound't even mind if they had to switch places between HIZUMI and TSUKASA and turn D'espairsRay into an Enka Metal band.

[yakihiko 1480]

Dude... 

DELUHI, D'espairsRay, PTP...

For real? Why do you guys make this to me? I can't vote with such massive picks like this, at some point those 3 were very important to my life.

Edited June 18, 2016 by yakihiko

[The Reverend 3566]

Definitely D'espairs Ray for me.

 

They were one of the first crop of indies VK bands I checked out in the very early 2000s after digging a little deeper than the DEG/MM/Luna Sea I first learned about... and that made me love them more in a "I've been riding for them since the beginning" kinda way.

 

Not to mention... when it was de rigeuer for VK bands on the rise to play at anime conventions in the US, D'espairs Ray actually went on an honest to goodness (mini) tour.  Seeing them at a hole in the wall club (how rock music is best experienced) in my hometown is a live music highlight for me!

[orange~ 387]

I like D'espairs Ray for sure, but AvelCain is the biggest loss for me D: love the band

[Anne Claire 392]

school food punishment for me 

[anakuro 847]

It's just so bizarre to me to talk about "bringing back" a band that hasn't even disbanded yet

Maybe that's just me...?

 

Anyway, I can't really vote since I was never into any of these bands....

[Ada Suilen 652]

D'EspairsRay and AvelCain were the worst disbandments for me

Edited June 18, 2016 by Ada Suilen

[chemicalpictures 1888]

It's a hard choice here, but I'll stick with PTP. K passing away was such a shock, so sudden, and on a time I was diving through their discography like crazy, couldn't have affected me more. As @doombox said, his lyrics were so relatable, sometimes very straightforward and full of sentiment like 'Rain', other times less direct and yet really toughtfull, like "innocent in a silent room". K left us when PTP were on their all time prime, RTN and Gene were mindblowingly good. A shame.

 

 

 

Edited June 18, 2016 by chemicalpictures

[sakuran 1216]

Wow, whose idea was it to make a thread like this?

 

Anyway, D'espairsRay for me. As has been mentioned, the circumstances basically forced them to do so. And they were always one of my favorites. They were a likeable bunch, and their music was always close to my heart.

[Pretsy 1343]

Interesting to see NUMBER GIRL in the midst of disbandments that took place during TW/MH's existence (since I can imagine e.g. folks from JMR or Jrocknyc's angelfire era being still saddened about it but our current MH peeps? Hmm).

 

Seeing @Zeus, Bonsai (who doesn't seem to appear here every now and then) or any Ringo enthusiast NOT mentioning Tokyo Jihen's disbandment sorta surprises me in rather odd ways - I mean, even in the wake of new Ringo solo era and its inevitable suckage, which Ringo fan wouldn't miss all the chemistry and fun TJ had during their short-lived era? Not every band was capable of conveying strong nuances and interesting chemistry together and individually, I tell you. I still tear up a little bit when I rewatch their Bon Voyage DVD during occasional TJ binges...helluva consistent live band!

 

However, in terms of vk -  I was much more saddened about Deluhi's disbandment than what happened to Despa due to Hizumi's throat fuckups and other factors. Whereas Deluhi had a lot of promising stuff ahead (as some sort of "rookie act"), Despa had some signs of expected kaisanization even during early promos for REDEEMER and whatnot.

Edited June 18, 2016 by Alroy

[Zeus 7997]

2 hours ago, Carmelzors said:

Interesting to see NUMBER GIRL in the midst of disbandments that took place during TW/MH's existence (since I can imagine e.g. folks from JMR or Jrocknyc's angelfire era being still saddened about it but our current MH peeps? Hmm).

 

Seeing @Zeus, Bonsai (who doesn't seem to appear here every now and then) or any Ringo enthusiast NOT mentioning Tokyo Jihen's disbandment sorta surprises me in rather odd ways - I mean, even in the wake of new Ringo solo era and its inevitable suckage, which Ringo fan wouldn't miss all the chemistry and fun TJ had during their short-lived era? Not every band was capable of conveying strong nuances and interesting chemistry together and individually, I tell you. I still tear up a little bit when I rewatch their Bon Voyage DVD during occasional TJ binges...helluva consistent live band!

 

However, in terms of vk -  I was much more saddened about Deluhi's disbandment than what happened to Despa due to Hizumi's throat fuckups and other factors. Whereas Deluhi had a lot of promising stuff ahead (as some sort of "rookie act"), Despa had some signs of expected kaisanization even during early promos for REDEEMER and whatnot.

There will be more to come in this series soon!

[saishuu 3220]

Seeing sfp dead last is sad.

I voted for D'Ray though. They were one of my first VK bands back in 02/03 and as much as their latter output sucked, it was still surprising and pretty upsetting to see them go.

 

I'm more surprised to not see RENTRER EN SOI here other than anything else.

[emmny 4139]

read n weep boyz

[Original Saku 1593]

Don't worry guys this is just the beginning... We plan on doing more of these in the future, these were just the bands we decided to include for the first one

 

I obviously voted for NUMBER GIRL, it would be a dream come true for them to come back together after all these years and drop a new album, I can just imagine now how amazing that album would be... especially considering all the new experiences and knowledge each member would bring to the table from the last decade of projects they've worked on.... Jesus that would be awesome.

 

My second choice would be d'espair, they hold a special place in my heart as one of the first VK bands I listened to and it would be so cool to see Hizumi come back with a full recovery and a full on revival of the band... man that's just too much to think about right now.

 

I don't care about DELUHI or Avelcain.

 

SFP was good and all, but they started going stale towards the end of their career and I rather like the bands and projects their member went to afterwards, so I'm cool with them staying dead.

 

PTP wouldn't be the same without K so I wouldn't want to see them come back or continue on.... the dream is dead unfortunately T.T

 

 

[CAT5 9075]

NUMBER GIRL was before my time, as I didn't quite get into J-indie until 2007. Even then, I only really gave NG a proper listen last year. I can imagine their disbandment sucking for those who were around, though.

 

D'espairsRay is probably the one that hit closest to home on this list. Was really big on them for a bit, but kind of lost interest from MIRROR onwards. By the time they'd disbanded, my attention was well on other things, but I did try to check out whatever new things they'd release.

 

school food punishment started off great, and even their singles after going major were good - altho the actual albums were mostly flops. In retrospect, I'm actually kind of glad they broke up since Hasuo's compositional talents were practically being stifled. la la larks is practically the same band anyways!

Edited June 19, 2016 by CAT5

[LIDL 692]

For me none of these bands mentioned, Despawas sucks, but my attachments are strongly holds to old acts such as and Luna Sea (in 2000), Raphael (2001), Malice Mizer (2001), Psycho Le Cemu (2005), and Kaggra (2011). 

 

Though some of these bands have reunited since, it was really painful when hearing their disbandment or indefinite hiatus news that time.

 

I really pray that DIR EN GREY, and The Gazette will never ever disband, ever.

I cannot take such pain.

[Tokage 5930]

Even though I actually wasn't even a REAL J-rock babby around the time when they disbanded, Number Girl is probably my fav band in this list, so my vote goes out to them.

 

Second place goes out to D'espairs Ray.. Even though I'd already sotof lost interest in their output by the time of their disbandment, they were still one of the first japanese bands I ever really got into. Hizumi also has one of the most characteristic voices in the scene imo, and seeing them forced to stop activities due to shitty reasons that are basically totally beyond their control is quite painful. I mean, I DO sort of agree with what @Carmelzors said about the ''imminent kaisaning'' and all that, but at the same time I felt like their story wasn't over yet. They could've still pulled a Girugamesh on us all and surprised us with some enjoyable late-era releases..

 

Most painful disbandment for me personally will still always be Guruguru Eigakan disbanding due to Amano's death though.. They were always close to my heart, and seeing them go for THAT reason was just horrible.

[Zeus 7997]

4 hours ago, Tokage said:

Even though I actually wasn't even a REAL J-rock babby around the time when they disbanded, Number Girl is probably my fav band in this list, so my vote goes out to them.

 

Second place goes out to D'espairs Ray.. Even though I'd already sotof lost interest in their output by the time of their disbandment, they were still one of the first japanese bands I ever really got into. Hizumi also has one of the most characteristic voices in the scene imo, and seeing them forced to stop activities due to shitty reasons that are basically totally beyond their control is quite painful. I mean, I DO sort of agree with what @Carmelzors said about the ''imminent kaisaning'' and all that, but at the same time I felt like their story wasn't over yet. They could've still pulled a Girugamesh on us all and surprised us with some enjoyable late-era releases..

 

Most painful disbandment for me personally will still always be Guruguru Eigakan disbanding due to Amano's death though.. They were always close to my heart, and seeing them go for THAT reason was just horrible.

Not to turn this into a D'espairsRay mourning topic, but as I was tying up my blurb I had a hard time distinguishing between what was and what could have been. If we lived in a universe where HIZUMI never got sick, would REDEEMER have come out the same way? Did the sickness force D'espa to play their hand early, or did they just go with the flow and make the best of a bad situation? The world may never know.

[peffy 3568]

Absolutely 100% D'espairsRay

 

They were the second VK band (or, the first with male vocals) that I absolutely fell in love with, and were basically my gateway drug into VK as a whole. This was in early 2010 when they released LOVE IS DEAD, which I found amusing due to the obvious similarities to "You Spin Me Right Round". So I dug into their back catalogue and became completely obsessed. I even saw them live that year, only to be totally devastated shortly afterward when they announced Hizumi's illness and their disbandment.

 

I framed the poster they signed for me and put it next to my bed. 

Edited June 19, 2016 by peffy

[nekkichi 6043]

my personal list of 6 disbandments that sucked big time is likely starting with kagerou, pierrot, rentrer en soi, and kaggra, and duel jewel with lycaon as more recent ones :\\

 

 

voted avelcain because major d'espairs ray never produced anything worth listening to, and micro head fl0ps happened with two of its members.

[Pretsy 1343]

Speaking of necessary vk additions - what about 9GOATS BLACK OUT? Okay okay, they became a bit mellower near the end but they were unique nonetheless. Not to mention that it's sad to see talents like utA and Ryo separated...

[emmny 4139]

we'll weep for u guys some more on a future list wink wink

but yeah 9gbo, kagerou, res and malice mizer fckin SUCK!!!

[Tokage 5930]

werent a lot of people also sad as fuck when A kicked it?

[YuyoDrift 1540]

23 hours ago, Tokage said:

werent a lot of people also sad as fuck when A kicked it?

 

Shh.

 

Lol at all these other choices.

Choosing D'espa was a no brainer.