Kuroyume (translates to "Black Dream") is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in Nagoya in May 1991. The band is one of the most notable musical groups in the early Japanese metal scene, in particulat, they were highly influential to the underground J-metal movement and the VisualKei scene, being credited as an inspiration to the second wave of Visual Kei bands during the late 1990s/early 2000s and as one of the {{Trope Codifier}}s for the genre, especially the subsets of Nagoya and Eroguro kei, of which they are cited as the UrExample for the two sub-movements.

Despite this cult success, the band went on hiatus in 1999, and ten years later, in 2009, the group officially disbanded. In 2010, the band reformed as a duo consisting of vocalist Kiyoharu and bassist Hitoki.

The band is notable for its distinctive sound, fusing early AlternativeRock with elements derived from DoomMetal, HardcorePunk, GothRock and noise. One of the most distinct traits of their sound is their use of extended vocal and bass techniques, with vocalist Kiyoharu pioneering the use of [[ManOfAThousandVoices varied vocal styles]], ranging from harsh growling to pseudo-operatic singing to banshee shrieks and feminine falsetto vocals, and bassist Hitoki becoming one of the musicians using the slapping/fingerstyle method of bass playing in Japanese metal.

!!Members
!!!Current Lineup
* Music/{{Kiyoharu}} - Vocals (1991-1999, 2009, 2010–present)
* Hitoki - Bass (1991-1999, 2009, 2010–present)
!!!Former members
* Shin - Guitar (1991-1995)
* Eiki - Drums (1991-1992)
* Hiro - Drums (1992-1993)


!!Studio Albums
* ''Ikiteita Chuzetsuji...'' (December 25, 1992)
* ''Nakigara o...'' (11/06/93)
* ''Mayoeru Yuritachi -Romance of Scarlet- '' (9/3/94)
* ''Cruel'' (31/8/94)
* ''Feminism'' (10/5/95)
* ''Fake Star - I'm Just a Japanese Fake Rocker'' (May 29, 1996)
* ''Drug Treatment'' (27 June 1997)
* ''Corkscrew'' (May 27, 1998)
* ''Headache and Dub Reel Inch'' (November 2, 2011)

!Kuroyume provides examples of:
* CarefulWithThatAxe: It was Kiyoharu who popularized this style of singing in VisualKei, though it is arguable whether he developed it or copied it from Ume of Music/TokyoYankees.
* DudeLooksLikeALady: Averted with all the band's members, though Kiyoharu and Hitoki looked fairly waif-ish during the band's Visual Shock phase.
* FollowTheLeader: The band formed in the wake of the Visual Shock era in the early 1990s, inspired by bands such as [[Music/XJapan X]] and Music/LunaSea. Their music and image has also been copied by [[Music/TheGazette some]] [[Music/{{Deathgaze}} modern]] [[Music/{{Lynch}} J-metal]] [[Music/DirEnGrey bands]].
** Hitoki's slap bass style was actually introduced to the scene by Music/TaijiSawada of X.
* GenreMashup: They combined GothicMetal, PunkRock, noise, FunkMetal and AlternativeRock in ways previously unheard of.
* GenreRoulette: They frequently cycle between various rock and metal subgenres as if they were clothes.
* LeadBassist: Hitoki is a Type A and Type C; not only was he one of the band's founders and the one who stayed with the band the longest, but he was also one of the most proficient bassists of his time, though he has been primarily overshadowed by modern examples.
* ManOfAThousandVoices: The [[UrExample earliest example]] in VisualKei, though it did take time for him to develop his vocal skill.
* NuMetal: One of the earliest examples in VisualKei, and possibly in metal in general.
* SopranoAndGravel: Kiyoharu can do both by himself.
* SpiritualSuccessor: They're VisualKei's answer to Music/{{Korn}}.
* VisualKei
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