Japanese band the GazettE has announced that their bassist, Reita, had passed away on April 15th, aged 42-years.
The notice states, "We are in great confusion and sadness [at] the loss of REITA but we believe that his passion for the band "the GazettE" will never change and will continue to shine even more brightly in the future."
The announcement further revealed that a small memorial service would be held, restricted to close family members.
The cause of the musician’s death was not disclosed.
The news arrives just after Reita’s last post on April 14th, which reads, “I hope the GazettE will last forever.”
Eerily, in 2022, the band’s former drummer, Yune, also passed away at 42 due to a sudden illness.
The GazettE remains one of Japan’s most famous “visual kei” bands, which refers to a particular aesthetic defined by extravagant costumes and fashion that has often been likened to “punk.”
The band made their debut with "Disorder" in 2004, reaching number 19 on the Oricon Charts. Since then, they've released nine studio albums, all hitting the top 10.
They've performed at major Japanese stadiums like the Budokan and Tokyo Dome, and completed their first world tour in 2013. Their hits include “Leech,” “Distress and Coma,” and “Shiver,” the opening theme for "Kuroshitsuji II" anime.
Celebrating their 20th anniversary, they released "Heterodoxy -Divided 3 Concepts-" on December 21, 2022.
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