This Week in Visual Kei: Legends & New Blood — June 22, 2026
What a week for the Visual Kei faithful. From streaming breakthroughs to international expansion, from touching tributes to pure chaotic fun, the scene proved once again why it refuses to fade into obscurity.
The biggest story, hands down, is LUNA SEA’s Shoya getting a full memorial feature in Rhythm & Drum Magazine. The legendary drummer’s influence on Visual Kei’s percussive identity deserves every inch of that tribute—a somber but fitting moment of reflection for one of the genre’s most respected figures. On a lighter note, MUCC kept the chaos rolling at their special 2026 “Day” event, where fans got to vote on the setlist with predictably hilarious results. And speaking of broadcasts, catch SHAZNA live on air June 22—yes, today!—in what promises to be a nostalgic moment for ’90s VK devotees.
Streaming platforms finally caught up with history this week. 変革works dropped their full catalog online (better late than never), while -OZ-‘s classic best album is heading to streaming in July 2026, giving listeners fresh access to 2000s Visual Kei gold. The format shift continues to democratize the deep cuts.
Tour announcements kept momentum high. 向日葵’s solo project 168 is hitting the road in 2026 with fall shows lined up, while 闇雲 made headlines with their Taiwan debut plans and Circuit Festival appearance—a solid marker of the scene’s international reach. Meanwhile, B7KLAN J-ROCK FEST is bringing the VK elite (Dir en grey, the GazettE, Versailles) to Paris this July, proof that Europe’s hunger for Japanese visual rock shows no signs of cooling.
New music was thick on the ground. 黒夢 dropped not one but two remade tracks—”少年” and “NEEDLESS”—with accompanying MVs from their twin remake albums, while lynch. unveiled their “ICE” video ahead of the CLIMAX album release. Both delivered that unmistakable punch the bands are known for.
Finally, props to Deshabillz for the week’s most entertaining band update: guitarist Erina’s “firing” announcement had everyone doing double-takes before the humor landed. And BabyKingdom’s 10-year anniversary feature on their musical theme park concept reminds us that Visual Kei’s creativity extends well beyond the stage.
Next week, watch for more CLIMAX era coverage and Paris pre-game hype as B7KLAN approaches liftoff.
This Week’s Posts
