If I could pin a “Rising Star” badge on any Visual Kei group, my hands would be all over Deluhi. Led by guitarist Leda, the former bassist of Galneryus, the band blends heavy metal thunder and gorgeous melodies in a killer live show. They’ve got the Visual component down. (Cute? Well-styled? Check, check.) And they’ve made their entire discography available exclusively on HearJapan. (All band photos courtesy of Deluhi.)

HearJapan kindly got us media passes to the Deluhi concert at Shibuya-O-East, a popular locale for Visual Kei acts. Despite the rain, the venue was packed.

Cute ghost shirt: Peace Now, from Closet Child Ikebukuro. (Store photos to come.)
Spiderweb arm warmers: gifted from Sock Dreams.
Goth Alice in Wonderland headband: Spank, bought at Marui One.
Purse: an old Hugo Boss bag.
As for my Takoyaki-chan dangle… you’ll have to wait for my Osaka coverage!

When Deluhi ran on stage… I admit we gasped. Spiked-out hair, tight black Visual/Rocker garments, chiseled cheekbones. And could they ever play: heavy metal riffs with glam rock synth swirls, which got the audience frantically waving their hands and screaming. An unforgettable sight: a hundred teen girls headbanging, long hair swirling under the flashing lights.

Vocalist Juri showcased an impressive range that trills and then dips into a growl. And when Leda raised his guitar over the stage and shredded his solo, several girls — I kid you not — threw back their heads and spread open their arms, as if in the presence of Jesus.

Power riffs, poignant melodies… an A+ show that kept us riveted until the last note. For those who haven’t yet discovered Deluhi, start here at HearJapan — you’ll love them, I promise!

Unfortunately, after Deluhi waved goodbye, the concert went from the clouds to the gutter. Two unfunny characters took the stage… and promoted a video game for FORTY minutes. Yukiro and I hid in the lockers area and plastered crucifixes on our faces while the salespeople droned on.

Next, headliner Mix Speaker’s Inc sat on chairs and bantered with several members of Deluhi. The chat was somewhat enjoyable but… get on with the music! Mix Speaker’s Inc explained that they “wanted to do something different at our concerts.” Yukiro sneered, “They most certainly did.”

Finally, Mix Speaker’s Inc got everyone headbanging again. The band wears colorful animal-esque costumes: a black and white cat, a lion, an amazing green Mohawk (above are some cosplayers). They threw out every trick in the performance book: back flips, para para, choreographed dancing, throwing objects, squirting the audience with water guns. Gimmicky, yes, but the spectacle was entertaining and backed by strong singing and tunes.

But hands-down, Deluhi stole the show. I urge you to check out their sound on HearJapan — the label is releasing their three upcoming singles: Frontier (June 16), The Farthest (July 14) and Departure (August 4). HearJapan is offering Deluhi’s earlier material for only 100 yen per song and their most recent releases for 120 yen each — visit the store to find out more.

I’ve decided to start posting short, off-the-cuff videos on my YouTube in addition to our edited masterpieces. We tried to film an outfit post after the concert (above and here). Unfortunately, the Japanese staff came by to kicks us out of the venue — so it’s only a minute long!

Speaking of quickie videos… have you heard of Robo.to? It lets you record five seconds of webcam footage, which is immediately posted on the net for you to share. Naturally, I used it to capture my Scottish Fold cat’s cute antics. Come see my 5-second videos on my Robo.to channel, on the right sidebar and on my Twitter (I’ll add you back).

Have you heard of Deluhi or seen them live? Do you agree that they’re one of the most promising bands in today’s Visual Kei scene?

Japanese Word of the Day: Artistic = Geijutsuteki (na)
Song of the Day: Deluhi – Revolver Blast (Hear more from HearJapan.)