Original run (2000–2006) Guitarist and leader Aie, vocalist Mako and bassist Yukino (formerly known as "Yuki") were all previously in the band Kein. In 2000 they formed Deadman with drummer Toki, whom Aie previously played with in Lamiel. They played their first concert on January 6, 2001. Shortly after the April release of their first single, "Subliminal Effect", Yukino left the group and was replaced by Takamasa previously of Lady. Yukino went on to the bands Gullet,
lynch., and DimmDivision. In November 2001, Deadman released their first mini-album,
Site of Scaffold. After a handful of singles (which had different variants), the band's first full-length studio album
No Alternative was released on March 8, 2003.
701125, their second mini-album, was originally sold on tour or by
mail order in April 2004. It would later receive a proper release on June 8, 2005 under the title
701125+2. In April 2005, Takamasa left and it was not until July when kazuya replaced him on bass. At the end of the year they released their second full-length album,
In The Direction of Sunrise and Night Light. At the beginning of 2006, Deadman played a couple of shows in Europe. But in March they announced they would be disbanding and on May 23, 2006 performed their last concert at
Shibuya O-East. Aie went on to form the band The Studs in 2007 with ex-bassist Yukino. They went on hiatus in 2009. He then formed both HighFashionParalyze and The God and Death Stars in 2010, all the while performing occasional solo shows. HighFashionParalyze recruited
Sakura and kazu (
Kagerou) in 2016 and changed their name to Gibkiy Gibkiy Gibkiy. On May 29, 2008, Mako released a photobook called
Buried Alive by Words, which came with a CD of a song called "Buried with the Light" that features
Közi on guitar and bass. kazuya released a solo album, under the name Gift, called ''A Man's Walking is Succession of Falls'' on June 20, 2008. In October 2021, Mako formed Loa-Roar with former Merry Go Round drummer Kyo. After 22 years, Mako, Yukino (who went back to using the name "Yuki") and Aie reunited Kein in 2022.
Reunion (2019–2024) After 13 years, Mako and Aie announced a reunion as Deadman in March 2019. Aie said he had been asked by event organizers to reunite the band several times in the past decade, but he just happened to be talking to Mako and
Merry bassist Tetsu about doing something together when the offer came again in 2018 and, to his surprise, Mako agreed. The duo were supported both times by Tetsu on bass and Asanao (lynch.) on drums. After two more performances in October and November, Deadman went on a three-date tour throughout December. In February 2020, the duo embarked on a joint tour with Gibkiy Gibkiy Gibkiy. Another joint tour, this time with
Cali Gari, was set to take place in March. However, those dates and others were first postponed and then cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. As a result, the duo decided to extend their reunion into 2021, which marked Deadman's 20th anniversary. They also announced plans to re-record some of their old songs, which were decided by a poll of their fan club. They performed a concert on May 23 at
Tsutaya O-East, which is the same venue where they played their final concert in 2006. The joint tour with Cali Gari took place in June, during which the two bands released the collaborative song "Shikeidai no Elevator", and Deadman held their own tour in July. At a December 4 concert at Shinjuku Loft celebrating the 20th anniversary of David Skull No Records, former Deadman members kazuya and Toki joined Mako and Aie onstage during the encore. Aie stated that although both work as
salarymen, they were able to participate by recording only three songs a month for about a year and a half. Between September and November, Deadman held three two-man lives at Shinjuku Blaze, each with a different young visual kei band; the first with Razor, the second with
Arlequin, and the third with
Dezert. In 2023, Deadman held the Dead Reminiscence tour exclusively for members of their fanclub between February 21 and 26. The Rabid Dog Walking a Tightrope tour took place between March 20 and April 16, and "Rapid Dog", a new song recorded with kazu and Asanao, was given out for free at the venues.
Dead Reminiscence, a six-track album of old songs re-recorded with kazu and Asanao, was sold on the tour before being offered by mail order only. On May 23, they held a two-man live with Kein at Spotify O-East. Another two-man live, this time with
Mucc, was held at the same venue on July 28. The two bands released a
split single at the show, with Deadman's contribution being a song called "Neko to Blanket, Yorisoi-meguri au Ubugoe". Deadman released
Genealogie der Moral, their first album of new material in 19 years that was recorded with kazu and Asanao, on March 30, 2024, and supported it with a 15-date nationwide tour. The self-cover album
Living Hell, which features
Miya and Aki (
Sid) as guests, was also released on the same day, but sold only at concerts or via mail order.
25th Anniversary (2025–present) Deadman are celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2025. A three-date fan club members-only tour was held in February, followed by the ten-date To Be and Not to Be - Act 1 tour, which took them to five cities between March 29 to May 23. The four-track
EP Lepidoptera wa Cyan Blue, which will only be sold at concerts and through the Maverick online store, will be released to commemorate the anniversary. As will the To Be and Not to Be -Cyan Blue- tour, which will begin the same day and end on August 31. ==Musical style==