SADS

SADS was formed in April 1999. The band was met with tremendous expectation, as it was fronted by Kiyoharu, who had established himself as one of the most influential figures in visual kei during his time with KUROYUME. The original SADS line up consisted of other seasoned musicians, including guitarist Sakashita Taketomo who was the former session guitarist for Dragon Ash and KUROYUME, bassist Tanuma Tetsuhiro and drummer Muta Masahiro.

Surprisingly, the new band did not start their career in Japan, but in the United Kingdom, as they intended to test their strength in the international arena. In the UK, SADS joined up with SYMPOSIUM for a four-show mini-tour. Sadly, Tanuma left shortly after the conclusion of the UK tour. Hironari Yamane served as their support bassist until the arrival of new member Kobayashi Masaru in March 2000.

Despite losing Tanuma so soon after the band’s formation, SADS soldiered on without sacrificing any momentum. Their first single, TOKYO, was released that July. It went on to debut at number two on the Oricon Charts. Their first album, SAD BLOOD ROCK'N'ROLL, also debuted high on the charts that September.

SAD BLOOD ROCK'N'ROLL was something of a continuation of the punk sound of KUROYUME, but SADS would gradually venture into a more alternative, post-punk direction. Their image and videos would also draw inspiration from glam rock, resulting in more flamboyant clothing and a preoccupation with exaggerated sexuality. This evolution can be seen in the four singles and album the band released in 2000. With the album, Babylon, SADS cast off the shadow of KUROYUME to create a sophisticated but still very "rock-and-roll" sound. It debuted at number one on the Oricon Charts.

This success continued into 2001, with the band taking on a jam-packed schedule of appearances, tours, contributions to other albums, and successful releases. February brought the simultaneous release of two DVDs, Conclusion of my BABYLON "The Revenge" 2000.12.7 Osakajo Hall and its corresponding documentary. The departure of drummer Muta Masahiro due to musical differences in March did little to slow their pace; Mitsuzon Eiji , ex-KUROYUME support member, joined as the band’s new drummer in April.

The band’s releases in 2001 featured a harder, darker sound than their previous work, but SADS continued to chart very well. The single PORNO STAR and APPETIZING 4 SONGS EP mini-album both debuted in the Oricon Top Ten, and their third album, The rose god gave me, reached the fifth spot.

In 2002, SADS put out only two releases: a self-produced, untitled album distributed only at lives and the AWAKE DVD. However, fans could hardly complain as SADS then launched an eight-month tour entitled Good-Bye 2002!! "BEAUTIFUL DAYS" FOR HEAVY PETTING, which stretched from April 12 to New Year's Eve.

Undeterred by that lengthy tour, SADS went right back to work in 2003. Their fourth studio album, 13, was released in March. Its overall sound was similar to that of The rose god gave me, but a touch more melancholic. This sound also carried over to their ninth single, Masquerade, which was released May 28.

July 2003 saw the release of their first best-of album and first PV collection, both of which were titled GREATEST CLIPS～BEST OF 5 YEARS. Sadly, the summer of 2003 would also bring the beginning of SADS' indefinite hiatus and the departure of Mitsuzon Eiji.

Following the release of their live DVD 03.06.11 Zepp Tokyo~sads 2003 tour "13" -Thirteen-~ in September 2003, SADS released numerous limited edition compilations, but no new material.

The band stayed on hiatus for seven years. During that time, Kiyoharu devoted his attention to his solo career while the other members kept busy with other projects.

In 2010, to the surprise and delight of their fans, Kiyoharu announced that SADS would resume activities. However, aside from its vocalist, the post-hiatus line up consists of completely new members. Since 2010, SADS features former DETROX member K-A-Z on guitar, bassist Keisuke Kubota and GO from Suns Owl on drums.

This incarnation of the band released its first album, THE 7 DEADLY SINS on July 7, 2010. It was quickly followed by a live DVD at the end of the month. A single called DISCO was released that November, and, in a surprising treat for fans after such a long period of inactivity, the band also managed to release a mini-album, Lesson 2, before the year ended.

While Kiyoharu has been somewhat preoccupied with KUROYUME and his solo work in recent years, a tribute album that will see rising visual kei bands such as MEJIBRAY, LIPHLICH and Awoi pay their respect to the band is scheduled to come out this March, showing that SADS' influence and popularity remain strong.