Thomas – Biography

Indies

by Leela McMullen and Lorraine Grate, posted February 9, 2011

Introducing Thomas: Thomas held their first event in December 2010 and we were there to cover it!

Thomas quickly gained the attention of several rising bands in 2009, which in turn gained the attention of fans beholden to those names. Of course, the members’ previous ties to the visual kei scene certainly did them no harm. Their first single, “hakaiteki Innovation” was released in August of their first year. Limited to only one hundred copies, the three-track maxi-single sold out fast. During the same month, the band’s original drummer, Hajime, took his leave. Amidst the band’s live performances, guitarist Toshi also participated in Sizna’s (ex-Sugar, now of Moran) Time Session projects, #2 and #4.

Continuing well into 2010, Thomas released their second single, “Personality,“ in March. Then, in August, they appeared in the mini festival event Scuber Dive representing visual kei along with many well-respected bands both indie and major. In October, drummer Lotto officially joined the band and after entering into collaboration tours throughout the year, Thomas held their own event for the first time on December 5 2010. The date also marked the pre-sale of their third single, “gekijou Manifest.”

It may be interesting to note that their singles contain a ‘very special thanks’ to vk bands girugamesh and heidi. among other supporters.

Style

Thomas’ music is primarily written by Toshi and the lyrics by Masataka.

Thomas capture a side of visual kei that has been sorely neglected. Their simple look, sprinkled with a sense of danger and aggression is tempered by memorable melodies, a style most other contemporary VK bands have moved away from. Their music compares strongly with that of girugamesh’s older style and MUCC, while their live house atmosphere is highly reminiscent of the mosh atmosphere we see in heidi. Thomas is one of few indie bands that can claim a sound all of their own. Their music is distinguished by Masataka’s aggressive but rich vocal stylings and a skillful use of sound effects that blend seamlessly into the lyrics.

Members

Vocalist: Masataka (ex. Sunday in the Scream)
Guitarist: Toshi (ex. Otoiro)
Bassist: Zun (ex. Sics)
Drummer: Lotto

Leela McMullen is a strong believer in the philosophy "no music, no life." Having traversed the range of Japanese fandoms, she found her home at last in visual kei and has made it her mission to share what she loves most with the world. Leela completed her B.A. in Japanese language from Griffith University in Gold Coast Australia. She now lives and works in Japan, striving to bring you the goods, hot from the scene. Follow her on twitter for juicy hints of upcoming articles if you've got a bit of Japanese language under your belt! http://twitter.com/#!/LeelaInTokyo

Lorraine Grate loves finding new things to explore. She's especially interested in visual kei and alternative fashion. She has a B.A. in Graphic Design from Arkansas Tech University and studied for one year at Tokyo's Komazawa University.