Alice Nine

Alice Nine are an exemplary J-rock band, combining some heavy guitars with pop hooks, emotional singing, and a general '80s rock influence, as well as the "visual kei" image, i.e. eccentric and elaborate costumes and haircuts to be flashed in promo shoots. However, unlike many bands of the genre, e.g., UVERworld or L'Arc-en-Ciel, they didn't just waltz to the Oricon charts directly from college or high school: Alice Nine were formed in 2004 by musicians who already had professional experience, collecting members of the defunct Givuss, as well as people from several other bands. The group, then signed to an independent label, kicked off its career by heavy touring with labelmates and releasing limited-edition singles. By 2006 Alice Nine had three mini-albums out and played across the whole country, and the efforts started to pay off: their songs "Akatsuki" and "Ikuoku no Chandelier" made it to the credits of the anime series Meine Liebe, and their first LP, Zekkeishoku, reached number four on the national daily charts. In 2007 Alice Nine were invited to perform at the Jrock Revolution festival in Los Angeles; during the same year the single "Tsubasa" set a record for the band, scoring number six on the Oricon charts, and a second LP, Alpha, followed. Even the injury of guitarist Tora, who came down with a hernia in early 2008, didn't stop Alice Nine for long, and they kept on touring, also releasing the single "Mirror Ball," which was used in the official soundtrack of the Japanese movie Aquarian Age. Vandalize followed in 2009.