Interview: visual kei newcomer Angels’ Temptation
Angels‘ Temptation might just be the most interesting newcomer in the visual kei scene. The band from Tokyo debuted in late 2021 with the excellent ‘Anthem Of The Angels‘. While its combination of symphonic metal and J-rock melodies feels familiar, the band also manages to surprise. A great reason to get acquainted with singer Mirai and bassist Rio.
The members of Angels’ Temptation aren’t complete newcomers. Mirai and Rio used to be members of the visual kei band Secilia Luna, while guitarist Yuri once played in Ancient Myth. “I played in various bands and often lost myself trying to reach specific results.“, Mirai explains. “When we started Angels’ Temptation, I set myself a rule to be able to always be myself and try as many things as possible. I am quite specific about my own compositions, arrangements and lyrics.
Whatever I have in mind, I try to capture to the best of my capacity during the demo phase. But my expectations are always surpassed when the other band members contribute and everything becomes a cohesive whole. That’s the kick of playing in a band. Thinking about it now, I’d say that about 70 percent of the songs is defined during the demo phase. But the end result is 120 percent. Rio eventually takes care of everything.“
Attracted
It is clear that the contributions of all band members are valuable. The line-up of Angels’ Temptation appears to be the result of many years of experince. “I saw Yuri play with a different band and I immediately felt attracted to his playing“, Mirai recalls. “That’s why I decided to approach him.”
“Hideki (guitarist) once saw me play somewhere“, Rio continues. “We had a mutual friend who introduced us to each other. And Syu (session drummer) was part of the same agency as I was. We toured through Japan together. I knew he is a drummer with a lot of passion who would try to do whatever is best for our music.“
However, Syu is a drummer with an exceptionally busy schedule. This appaears to be the most important reason why Angels’ Temptation doesn’t have a full-time drummer yet. “I have always wanted to welcome a drummer into the band“, Mirai admits. “Since I am of the opinion that the band gets stronger from having full-time members. At the moment, this is still in development, but I would like to find a full-time member soon.“
Growth
Visual kei bands are often supported and put into motion by a record label or managemen. However, one look at the credits of ‘Anthem Of The Angels’ betrays that Angels’ Temptation does almost everything themselves. Lyrics, music, arrangements and production are all done by the band. “Doing as many things as possible yourself will make you grow“, Mirai states. “Self-reflection is the shortest way to personal growth. Besides, it allows you to take responsibility for your own work. But it’s not like I never rely on others. The more people you interact with, the easier it becomes to create something that surpasses your expectations and becomes even bigger. It could be a disadvantage to need that, but it also means I have friends to talk to when I don’t know what to do. All in all, there are more benefits than disadvantages to it.“
Interesting is the fact that the angels in the band’s lyrics seem to symbolize this. “Angels are by your side when you’re happy or sad, when you’re in pain or when you smile“, Mirai explains. “They are always by your side and guide you. They are a presence that will be noticed. You don’t even necessarily have to believe in angels for that. If you are not sure what you believe in, people still tend to rely on something to live. We would like to be that something. That might even be the theme of life itself, regardless of my musical life.“
Rock and classical music
While the music of Angels’ Temptation has a lot in common with other symphonic visual kei bands, their approach differs somewhat. The keyboards are more prominent and the overall atmosphere is different. “I listen to a lot of different types of music“, Mirai states. “But when I get influenced too much by what I listen to, the results end up sounding too similar. That is why I always wonder what an original approach is and I don’t try to attach myself to specific artists too much.“
“Originally, I listened to a lot of wind orchestras“, Rio explains. “I played that a lot because of my older sister. Everyone in my family loved music, so I grew up with the music that was played at home. And since everyone liked a different genre, I was exposed to various types of music from a young age. I played the trumpet, but got into a bit of a slump with that, which caused me to wonder: what would it be like to combine rock and classical music? That’s when I started composing. I am very happy to be able to create that myself.“
The original Dutch version of this interview is available at The Sushi Times.
Thanks a ton to my friend Stephany at Arlequin Magazine for her indispensible help setting up and translating the interview.
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