Amorpha

Amorpha is a visual kei band with a distinctive metalcore sound with a number of death metal influences. Amorpha was formed by Kotori "Kamui" Yamada, the lead guitarist, lyricist, composer and overall writer of the bands music. Kotori herself states that her bands sound is influenced primarily by fellow visual kei band, Nocturnal Bloodlust, who inspired her to form the group shortly after witnessing one of their first live shows. Amorpha is also closely related to fellow visual kei band, Existence Eraser, a group formed by amorpha's former rhythm guitarist, Jason "Shura" Harlock, who departed the band to form his own group for the purpose of exhibiting his "art", a chance he did not have due to being held back by Kotori's inherent dominance over Amorpha's musical composings, features, and the significance of roles those who play in the band hold. Jason and Kotori have both stated repeatedly that Amorpha and Existence Eraser are on good terms in spite of the fan fued and controversy surrounding the two groups. As of amorpha's third full retail release, they are a group formed solely of female members, something which is considered an extraordinary rarity within the genre of visual kei and the style of music they play. 

History

Formation

Amorpha was formed by Kotori Yamada, more commonly known under the sole name "Kamui" by fans and followers after witnessing the metalcore visual kei band, Nocturnal Bloodlust at a live show. At the time, Kotori was attending university, focusing on obtaining a masters degree in music and playing the guitar. With other likeminded individuals the band was brought together over the course of two months, with Izuma "Zieg" Ishinsai as the vocalist for the band, Shoya "Nen" Kamikawa playing the rhythm guitar, Kenso "Yasha" Nomura playing the bass guitar, Adachi "Shiva" Kuroido playing the drums, and Kotori herself acting as the lead guitarist and composer for the band. Kotori achieved her masters degree in music shortly before the bands first full length album underneath Catharsis Records was set for production. Shortly after the release of the bands first EP, shoya departed due to personal reasons and was replaced by a half japanese and half british young male by the name of Jason Harlock who was attending the same university as the band, who became the rhythm guitarist of Amorpha. 

Early Shows & Touring

Amorpha's unique style and the fact that kotori often posed as the poster girl for the band in an almost fan-service like manner quickly earned them infamy and fame alike throughout the internet. After the release of their EP they were critically acclaimed in reviews and were extremely well-received without many polarizing views on them, due to the genuine complexity and musical value of their compositions as written by kotori. Many bands desired to work with amorpha and even more venues were willing to feature them, and the world of visual kei quickly took a liking to the band as a whole. The early shows & touring of the band consisted of them playing the songs that they had produced on their own, the simple three that were first written by kotori - rabbit, douketachi no kyoukai, and aggressor, all of which extensively exhibited her knowledge and practical application of her masters degree in music, applied to the style of extreme metalcore music. Soon enough a number of record companies and sponsors alike were interested in signing and supporting them. 

Members

Original Line Up & Known Members

• Izuma "Zieg" ishinsai - Lead Vocals.(Amorpha - Dirge of Euphoria Era's)
• Kotori "Kamui" Yamada - Backup Vocals/Lead Guitarist/Lead Composer (Amorpha - Present Era's)
• Shoya "Nen" Kamikawa - Rhythm Guitar (Amorpha -Dirge of Euphoria Era's)
• Jason "Shura" Harlock - Rhythm Guitar (The Tribunal - Dirge of Euhporia Era's)
• Kenso "Yasha" Nomura - Bass Guitar (Amorpha - The Tribunal Era's)
• Tetsuo "Kakudo" Haomaru - Keyboard/Synthesizer (Amorpha - Dirge of Euphoria Era's)
• Adachi "Shiva" Kuroido - Drums (Amorpha - Dirge of Euphoria Era's)

Current Line Up

• Horie "Ukyo" Terada - Lead Vocals (Illuminate - Present Era's)
• Kotori "Kamui" Yamada - Backup Vocals/Lead Guitarist/Lead Composer (Amorpha - Present Era's)
• Karura "Asuka" Sakazaki - Rhythm Guitar (Illuminate - Present Era's)
• Mai "Beru" Shihan - Keyboard/Synthesizer (Illuminate - Present Era's)
• Yuka "Shiba" Toneri - Drums (Illuminate - Present Era's)

Discography

Extended Play

Amorpha's first works were featured in an Extended Play. 

• 1. "Rabbit"
• 2. "Douketachi no Kyoukai"
• 3. "Aggressor"

​First Album - "Amorpha"

• 1. "Dusk of The Heart"
• 2. "Rabbit"
• 3. "Aggressor
• 4. "Douketachi no Kyoukai"
• 5. "Gokiburi"
• 6. "Asgard"
• 7. "Bloodstained Smile"
• 8. "Cauldron"
• 9. "Ienai Kami"
• 10. "Karasu no Sekai"
• 11. "Faceless Despair"
• 12. "In Twilight"

Second Album - "The Tribunal"

• 1. -Intro-
• 2. "Primates"
• 3. "Kioku no Kirai"
• 4. "Mushi"
• 5. "Atlantis"
• 6. "Requiem To Sorrow"
• 7. "Limit of Humanity"
• 8. "Shoudo"
• 9. "Genesis" (Nocturnal Bloodlust Cover)
• 10. "The Tribunal"
• 11. "World in Chaos
• 12. "Ningyou"
• 13. -Outro-

Third Album - "Dirge of Euphoria"

• 1. -Intro-
• 2. "The Foretold War"
• 3. "Bloodline"
• 4. "Mukuro"
• 5. "Shukkou no Hana"
• 6. "Without Pity"
• 7. "Monochromatic Flowers"
• 8. "Fractal of Colors"
• 9. -Kamui Guitar Solo-
• 10. "Dirge of Euphoria"
• 11. "Hitsumetsu"
• 12. "Slake The Dead"
• 13. "Kogeme"
• 14. -Outro-

Fourth Album - "Illuminate"

• 1. -Intro-
• 2. "Planetoid Demise"
• 3. "Commercial Paranoia"
• 4. "Book of Exodus Part I: Consecrate"
• 5. "Shizuka"
• 6. "Human Pigs"
• 7. "Brainwashing The Masses"
• 8. "Suttonkyou"
• 9. "Fixation on Nothing"
• 10. "Broken Dolls"
• 11. "Book of Exodus Part II: Illuminate"
• 12. -Outro-

Fifth Album - "Inferno"

• 1. -Intro-
• 2. "Cerberus"
• 3. "Gluttony"
• 4. "Satsuriku"
• 5. "Daremo Inai"
• 6. "Purgatorial"
• 7. "Stitched Bodies"
• 8. "Aku"
• 9. "Ubiquitous"
• 10. "Inferno"
• 11. "Shokujin"
• 12. "Strains of Darkness"
• 13. "Lacerate"
• 14. "Wall of Spirits"
• 15. "Titan"
• 16. -Outro-

Sixth Album - "Goddess"

• 1. -Intro-
• 2. "Centurion"
• 3. "The Kraken"
• 4. "Poseidon"
• 5. "Renai"
• 6. "Desiree"
• 7. "Koibito"
• 8. "Femme Fatale"
• 10. "Medusa"
• 11. "Bride"
• 12. "The Spartan"
• 13. "Descendancy"
• 14. "Gaea"
• 15. "Seraphic"
• 16. "Lioncourt"
• 17. "Goddess"
• 18. -Outro-

Musical Style

Amorpha's music has always been acknowledged by both their fanbase and critically acclaimed reviewers alike to be exceptional. The fact that their founder and primary composer, lead guitarist Kotori Yamada holds a masters degree in music is something which shines through time and time again through each and every musical piece the band releases, even in their old days during their self titled album. Amorpha is also reputed so as to never stick to a singular style of music or a genre, their sound changing and evolving, sometimes changing drasticlally between singular songs as per the desires of kotori. At their core, amorpha always uses the base of a traditional, high speed and hard-hitting metalcore and melodic death metal sound.

Influences

All of amorpha's content is written and composed primarily by the bands founder Kotori. Over 90% of each and every song is put together by her. Kotori has stated that her primary influences for amorpha's music style are the wailing power-metal shredding guitar solo's of Syu of Galneryus, hence the fact that many of amorpha's songs are saturated in guitar sections of a like kind, and the extreme metalcore riffs of Cazqui of Nocturnal Bloodlust, who have quickly become her primary influence, hence her inspiration to form amorpha shortly after attending a concert of the aforementioned band. Being a visual kei band, their sound is also heavily representative of the style they choose to portray and always has been.

EP & Self-Titled Album

Amorpha's EP consisted of a musical style which had the traditional, high tempo, driving high speed riffing of traditional metalcore with a distinctive neoclassical spin upon it. Though there was an absence of singular guitar solo's on behalf of kamui, there was a heavy amount of guitar melodies and wailing harmonization within each of the songs, laid over most of the creative and carefully pieced together riffs which were played on traditional neoclassical scales, though also maintaining and demonstrating the telltale riffage of that is commonplace within most metalcore bands. There was a considerable amount of musical complexity for an anotherwise generic musical style, displaying kamui's talents in composing musical pieces ever more, while the vocal style of the EP consisted of mostly clean vocals and brief screaming sections.