DEAD END - JAPAN

Deadline - 1986 - Night Gallery
Ghost Of Romance - 1987 - Victor/Metal Blade
Shambara - 1988 - Victor/Metal Blade
Zero - 1989 - BMG/Victor
Dead End - 1990 - Victor
Dead End ~Live Act I~ - 1995 - BMG/Victor
Dead End ~Live Act II~ - 1995 - BMG/Victor
Metamorphosis - 2009 - Danger Crue
Dream Demon Analyzer - 2012 - Danger Crue

Dead End image
  
 
Members
Vocals
Liar, Creature Creature, Solo>>OHTSUKA 'MORRIE' MOTOYUKI>>Creature Creature, Solo

Guitar
Liar>>Kagawa Takahiro - Swat, Jesus, Terra Rosa, Goatcore, Physical Island, Jill’s Project>>Adachi 'You' Yuji>>Jesus, Goatcore, Physical Island, Jill’s Project

Bass
Rajas, Groove Master>>Masumoto 'Crazy Cool Joe' Tadashi>>Groove Master, The Deadrocks

Drum
Traveler, Swat, Terra Rosa>>Tano Masaaki - Red, T.N.T., Lord Brain, Saber Tiger>>Minato Masafumi>>Saber Tiger




History & Biography
Dead End ( デッドエンド or ‘Deddoendo’) was a pompous Japanese HM band. The band never took the 'heavy metal' description however. Morrie and Takahiro formed the Tokyo-based band in 1984. The band featured two former Liars - singer Morrie and guitarist Kagawa Takahiro who met up and banded with Crazy Cool Joe Of Rajas - and hailed from Tokyo, but played its first show in Osaka in front of 470 people in 1985. There was some excitement about Dead End because the members came from Terra Rosa and Rajas. Drummer Masaaki had helped out Traveler when that band visited Japan.

Takahiro left following the Dademonium Break Tour Vol. 1 across Japan in 1986. Adachi replaced him. Deadline sold 20,000 copies quickly. Zero of 1989 would be a disappointment to metal fans. Tano could not sustain the action and left in 1987. The band signed to Victor Entertainment. A year later the group gained American distribution through a deal with Metal Blade. The band appeared even bigger in 1989 after signing a deal with BMG Japan. The music was toned down however. Drummer Minato left in 1989 and the band decided against continuing. The band reached a dead end in 1990 after not finding a suitable new drummer before reforming in 2009! Dead End was also a live album.

The band appeared at the Jack In The Box 2009 event. Drummer Minato recorded Metamorphosis, but did not stay. The post reformation period included the re-release of older albums. The band travelled to France for Japan Music Fest 2014. A Tokyo 2014 gig in Shinjuku, Tokyo was on the 25th anniversary of Zero. The band played at Lunatic Fest in Chiba, alongside D'Erlanger, Glay, Die En Grey and others, in 2015. The act played at Shibuya, Tokyo with D'Erlanger, Gagoyle and Justy Nasty. The band embarked on the Witch Hunt tour of Japan playing in Sapporo, Tokyo and Nagoya later in 2015. The band's main composer Adachi died of Sepsis on June 16 2020 and the band stopped again. A memorial concert in Shibuya, Tokyo was set up for 2022. There was a Dead End Session while Legend Of Terra Rosa was an impromptu band as part of the tribute. 2023 brought The first four works～ Vinyl Collection, which was the rerelease of the first four albums, through Happinet Corporation and Timely Records.

Founder Morrie was a stylistic influence on many of his successors. His visual style 'visual kei' that combined glam with theatrics influenced acts like the popular X Japan.


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