Writing this in the shinkansen on the way back from the tour final in Osaka because I got a creeping suspicion that a lot of people are sleeping on what Gackt is currently doing when he’s not lighting the-site-formerly-known-as-Twitter on fire.

A 70-member orchestra, a full band, and a vocalist who is an absolute master of his craft. I have been to over 60 lives during my Gackt fan career starting with Requiem et Réminiscence II in 2009, so when I say that this latest tour is ranking very high among my favorites so far that should say a lot. 

I am a symphonic metal lover and knew that there was a lot of untapped potential in Gackt’s discography; how lucky I am, after more than 20 years of complete addiction to this guy and his crazy live productions, to see underappreciated bangers like Noesis and In Flames come to life again like this, and something like Original Sin finally reach its full potential. Gackt’s newest (as of yet unreleased) song Stand Alone was written specifically for this setting and it shows, a sweeping and cinematic banger with exhilerating, screaming guitars that you haven’t heard in Gackt’s work before.

Some people might think of Gackt as a washed up celebrity past his prime, but he in fact continues to reach new heights. He came back from his battle with dysphonia to drive home that he is in fact not just one of the best voices in vkei but in the modern Japanese music industry, period. Like I said earlier, I have been going to his lives since 2009 and can say with confidence that he has never sounded this good before, delivering fresh interpretations of songs like Lapis that hail as far back as the Mizerable EP and making it sound *easy*. All while looking and moving as bewitchingly as ever, the guy has charisma coming out of his fingertips.

Demonic Symphony is the third and newest live concept that Gackt’s been juggling in the past years alongside Last Songs and the new iteration of Yellow Fried Chickenz (whose members serve as the band here), and during the first half of this year he did tours for all three. There has been no announcement yet of what is next, but a new leg of the YFCz world tour (to Europe and perhaps NA) is likely for next year, and one hopes that Demonic Symphony comes back even grander.

Is the uncrowned demon king on your bucketlist? The time has never been better.

GACKT’s Demonic Symphony -Infinity- tour