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陰陽座

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陰陽座 (Onmyo-za) is a Japanese heavy metal band who released their first commercial album in 1999. They play quite orthodox style heavy metal music mixed with Japanese folk themes and pop music elements. Since their debut, they have appeared in traditional clothing characteristic of Japan’s Heian period.

Current Members: Matatabi (Bass & Vocals), Kuroneko (Vocals), Maneki & Karukan (Guitars) with Atsushi Kawatsuka (previously known as Tora 斗羅) as support drummer.

Their songs mainly deal with of oni, yokai, Japanese dragons, etc, but some songs have a more concrete theme and inspiration. For example, Onmyo-za has composed many “Ninpocho” (Tales of Ninja Magic) songs, which are a tribute to the Japanese author Futaro Yamada and his Ninpocho series. Koga Ninpocho was written for the anime “Basilisk,” whose story is from Futaro Yamada’s “Koga Ninpocho.” There are also some other songs inspired by Osamu Tezuka and Kyogoku Natsuhiko. The trilogy “Kumikyoku Yoshitsune” is based on the legend of Japanese ancient tragic hero Minamoto no Yoshitsune.

Each of their stage names has double meaning with a sense of humor. Kuroneko(黒猫) literally means “black cat”, which symbolizes her personality, as well as being a nickname she used before starting Onmyo-za. Matatabi(瞬火) means flashing fire, but it can also be read as a silvervine/catnip (loved by cats).
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