La'cryma Christi

La'cryma Christi

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1991 in Osaka, Japan
Headquarters	Osaka , Japan
Products	Music albums, singles, live performances

La'cryma Christi—translating to "Tears of Christ" in Latin—is a Japanese visual kei rock ensemble that originated in Osaka in 1991. The group initially performed under the name Strippe-D Lady. The classic formation, consisting of vocalist Taka, guitarists Hiro and Koji, drummer Levin, and bassist Shuse, was active between 1994 and 2005. Following Koji's exit, the band persisted until their dissolution in January 2007. During their prime in the mid-to-late 1990s, they were acknowledged as one of the "Four Heavenly Kings of visual kei," alongside Malice Mizer, Fanatic Crisis, and Shazna. Their musical style combines elements of hard rock and progressive rock with accessible pop influences, which contributed to their commercial achievements. La'cryma Christi reunited for festival appearances in 2009, conducted a short tour in 2010, and celebrated their 15th anniversary with a tour spanning 2012–2013. After Koji succumbed to cancer in 2022, the four remaining members reconvened in November 2025.

History

The band was established in 1991 as Strippe-D Lady by vocalist Taka along with his college peer Hiro. They initially brought on bassist Kita-J and drummer Sima-chan; however, Sima-chan was soon replaced by Levin. Levin then invited his high school acquaintance Koji to join as a second guitarist. Rooted in Osaka, their early repertoire focused on hard rock and heavy metal genres. In October 1994, Kita-J departed and was succeeded first by Jun and subsequently by Shuse, who had previously collaborated with Taka.

Adopting the name La'cryma Christi—which means "Tears of Christ" in Latin—the band sought to convey hidden emotions through their sound. Their debut single, "Siam's Eye," was released independently in 1994. After relocating to Tokyo in 1996, their mini-album Warm Snow sold out all 15,000 copies swiftly. The five tracks from this release were later re-recorded for the mini-album Dwellers of Sand Castle, which earned recognition as one of the best albums from 1989 to 1998 by Band Yarouze.

In 1997, La'cryma Christi signed a contract with Polydor Records, launching their major-label debut single "Ivory Trees." Their first full album, Sculpture of Time, reached No. 8 on the Oricon Albums Chart. The subsequent album Lhasa (1998) also peaked at No. 8 and attained Platinum status from the RIAJ for exceeding 400,000 sales, becoming their highest-selling record. The single "Mirai Kōro" served as an anime ending theme, climbed to No. 3 on the singles chart, and received Gold certification for surpassing 200,000 sales.

In 2003, La'cryma Christi launched their own label named Majestic Ring. Guitarist Koji left following a concert in March 2005. The band continued as a four-piece lineup, releasing their eighth studio album Zeus in May 2005 and their final album Where the Earth is Rotting Away in September 2006. They declared their disbandment effective January 20, 2007, attributing it to divergent creative visions.

After disbanding, Koji formed ALvino alongside former Pierrot member Jun; Taka and Hiro established Libraian; Hiro supported Creature Creature and contributed songwriting; Levin partnered with Toshi within T-Earth; Shuse joined Acid Black Cherry among other projects before founding †яi¢к in 2010.

La'cryma Christi reunited including Koji for the V-Rock Festival held in October 2009 and embarked on the Resurrection ~Final Prayer~ reunion tour between January and February 2010. Their fifteenth anniversary tour took place from May to July 2012, followed by additional performances into early 2013.

Rhythm guitarist Koji passed away due to esophageal cancer on April 15, 2022. The surviving members came together again for the Cross Road Fest at Makuhari Event Hall in November 2025, supported on stage by Creature Creature guitarist Shinobu playing one of Koji's guitars. They announced their first tour in twelve years titled Night Flight ~Final Call~, scheduled from December 2025 through January 2026. Due to strong demand, extra dates were added from March to May under Night Flight ~Last Finale~.

Music and influence

The music news outlet Barks characterized La'cryma Christi as possessing a hard rock style, while emphasizing that their widespread appeal arose from their approachable pop tunes. Hiroko Yamamoto of OK Music described the band as a progressive rock group known for "intricate yet melodic compositions" that merge Western rock with Eastern traditional sounds. Despite frequent inquiries about his taste in progressive rock, Hiro admits he has never actually listened to it. He credited the innovative guitar work to the contrasting playing styles of Koji and himself. A defining characteristic of their sound is Taka's soaring vocal range, which complements the pop-oriented melodies. According to music critic Takuya Ito, La'cryma Christi had already crafted their distinctive sound by the time they released the 1996 mini-album Dwellers of Sand Castle. He pointed out that their debut full-length album, Sculpture of Time, featured sophisticated arrangements despite its radio-friendly singles, highlighting "Henseifū" as a representative track. The acclaimed album Lhasa is divided into two segments: "Yours," which contains pop-oriented songs, and "Ours," which includes more technically complex pieces. Their subsequent release, Magic Theater, demonstrated a wide array of musical influences, incorporating oriental motifs, romantic ballads, country-inspired numbers, and energetic fast-tempo songs. For Zeus, the first album recorded without Koji, visual kei journalist Akemi Oshima noted a stylistic transition toward classic hard rock centered on guitar riffs, with many progressive components omitted.

Hiro expressed admiration for Dead End, whereas Koji cited Van Halen as a key influence. Since beginning his guitar journey, Koji has looked up to virtuosos such as Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. Shuse named several favorite bands including Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne, U2, Duran Duran, Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, 44 Magnum, Dead End, The Beatles, Jellyfish, and Kiss.

Dancho, vocalist of Nogod, credited La'cryma Christi for exemplifying how strong technical skill, memorable songwriting, and a distinct artistic vision are vital within visual kei. Yomi from Nightmare performed covers of their songs during his high school years. Guitarist Yo'shmeer of Leetspeak Monsters praised their uplifting compositions. Their track "With-You" was interpreted by Daizystripper on the compilation album Crush! -90's V-Rock Best Hit Cover Songs-, released on January 26, 2011, which features contemporary visual kei bands covering influential songs from the 1990s. The song "Mirai Kōro" was covered by Blu-Billion on the follow-up compilation issued on November 23, 2011.

Members

Current lineup

• Taka – lead vocals, keyboards (1991–2007, 2009–2010, 2012–2013, 2025–present)
• Hiro – lead guitar, backing vocals (1991–2007, 2009–2010, 2012–2013, 2025–present)
• Levin – drums (1992–2007, 2009–2010, 2012–2013, 2025–present)
• Shuse – bass, backing vocals (1994–2007, 2009–2010, 2012–2013, 2025–present)

Past members

• Sima-chan – drums (formerly known as Strippe-D Lady)
• Kita-J – bass (formerly known as Strippe-D Lady)
• Jun – bass (formerly known as Strippe-D Lady)
• Koji – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1992–2005, 2009–2010, 2012–2013; deceased 2022)

Mini-albums

• Warm Snow (released February 4, 1996)
• Dwellers of Sand Castle (released July 22, 1996), reached No. 71 on the Oricon Albums Chart

Studio albums

• Sculpture of Time (November 12, 1997), peaked at No. 8
• Lhasa (November 25, 1998), peaked at No. 8
• Magic Theater (March 15, 2000), reached No. 22
• &.U (March 6, 2002), peaked at No. 36
• Deep Space Syndicate (November 5, 2003), reached No. 42
• Zeus (May 25, 2005), peaked at No. 59
• Where the Earth is Rotting Away (September 27, 2006), reached No. 79

Singles

• "Siam's Eye" (October 7, 1994), attained No. 25 on the Oricon Singles Chart
• "Forest" (March 13, 1997), peaked at No. 50
• "Ivory Trees" (May 8, 1997), reached No. 22
• "The Scent" (July 30, 1997), peaked at No. 23
• [Title missing] peaked at No. 25
• "With-You" (May 8, 1998), achieved No. 10
• [Title missing] reached No. 3
• "In Forest" (November 11, 1998), attained No. 8
• "Without You" (May 26, 1999), peaked at No. 8
• [Title missing] reached No. 9
• "Lime Rain" (January 19, 2000), peaked at No. 15
• "Life" (November 22, 2000), reached No. 27
• "Jump!!" (October 24, 2001), peaked at No. 27
• [Title missing] attained No. 26
• "Hirameki" (December 4, 2002), reached No. 26
• "Mystical Glider" (March 26, 2003)
• "Groove Weapon" (July 30, 2003), peaked at No. 44
• "Cannonball" (April 21, 2004), reached No. 50
• "Hot Rod Circuit" (August 11, 2004), peaked at No. 65
• "Yesterdays" (March 23, 2005), attained No. 40
• "Sweet Lil' Devil" (June 6, 2006)
• "Breaking" (August 23, 2006), reached No. 108

Demo tapes

• "Stay Close Tonight" (October 9, 1993)
• "Stripped-D Lady" (January 1994)

Compilation albums

• Single Collection (June 28, 2000), peaked at No. 9
• Greatest-Hits (September 8, 2004), reached No. 66
• Sound & Vision The Singles + Selection from Live "Decade" (June 28, 2006), peaked at No. 240
• La'cryma Christi Singles + Clips (January 1, 2010; available on CD and DVD)

Live albums

• The 10th Anniversary Live "Decade" series covering first to third days (October 7, 2009)
• Tour Mirai Kouro August 28, 1998 Tokyo International Forum Hall A (October 7, 2009)
• Live at Lhasa March 31, 1999 Nippon Budokan (October 7, 2009)
• Tour Angolmois September 4, 1999 Yokohama Marina (October 7, 2009)
• Resurrection -The CD Box- released April 21, 2010—a comprehensive set of ten CDs including:
  • V-Rock Festival'09 at Makuhari Messe
  • Two dates of Final Prayer at Zepp Tokyo
  • Two dates of The Final at Shibuya C.C.Lemon Hall
• 15th Anniversary Live: History of La'cryma Christi Vols.1 & 2 - 2013 released October 6, 2017

Home videos

• Glass Castle released March 1997
• 4U released February 11, 1998
• Zero released December 24, 1998
• Live at Lhasa released June 30, 1999
• True Color released December 22, 1999
• Combined release: 4U・True Color on May 31, 2000
• Six Visions released June 30, 2004—reached No. 65 on Oricon DVDs Chart
• The 10th Anniversary Live "Decade" released March 31, 2005
• Last Live "White Period" released August 8, 2007
• Multiple live video releases issued October 7, 2009 including the “Decade” series and major tours
• The five-DVD box set Resurrection -The DVD Box- issued April 21, 2010 featuring:
  • Footage from V-Rock Festival'09
  • Performances from Final Prayer at Zepp Tokyo
  • Recordings of The Final at Shibuya C.C.Lemon Hall
• The extensive collection titled 15th Anniversary Live -Special Box- was released March 20, 2013 and includes DVDs, Blu-rays and CDs