PHANTASMAGORIA was formed in August of 2002, by composer Karasu, violist Aci and vocalist and dancer HAR. This core of the band was often accompanied by a guitarist and four female singers, though their presence differed from concert to concert, since they also had their own jobs and lived in different cities. Already in the first few months of their existence, the band with its unique line-up released a mini-album which was entitled Walpurgis.
In February 2003, the band performed at TOKYO DARK CASTLE, a well known event in Tokyo. Since then, they have been repeatedly invited back. Slowly, the band gained more attention and were featured in gothic and underground magazines.
Aci showed his talent for event management in May 2004 as he organized the Kobe Underground Festival, one of the largest gothic and alternative events ever held in Japan, which contributed largely to the Japanese gothic/dark wave scene. The year continued to be busy for Aci as he performed solo in the USA and accompanied the contemporary dancer Masayuki Sumi live.
2005 also proved to be a busy but successful year. Another edition of the Kobe Underground Festival was held and the band released their second mini-album, Lycanthrope. In October, they performed in Europe for the first time, with three shows in Switzerland. The European media was also interested in this unique act, and so they were featured in various European magazines. In September 2006 they returned to the European continent, this time to perform at a large gothic event in Ukraine.
At the end of 2006, the group decided to change their name, in order to avoid confusion with the visual kei band of the same name. The band had already expressed their dislike of it by joking on their website that they did not evade taxes when visual kei Phantasmagoria’s band leader was arrested for this. So, their name was changed to THE ROYAL DEAD. From this moment on, the band consisted of two members only: vocalist HAR and violinist Aci.
During the following year, the band got even more exposure overseas. Their first full album entitled Phantasmagoriawas released in Argentina in May. In July, they appeared on one of the biggest and most known gothic events of Europe, Castle Party in Poland, and the Electro Prague Festival in the Czech Republic.
Their first steps in the USA came in March 2008, as they toured various American states. In the same month, they released their third mini-album, LOVE EXODUS. In the summer months, they returned to Europe once again, to perform at a variety of events.
For 2009, the band already has another performance in the USA scheduled, this time at Zona-con in Florida. There have been small hints at another release, but so far, nothing has been confirmed yet.
