Ask Fuki of Unlucky Morpheus why she became a singer, and she names one person. It is Kuroneko, of Onmyo-za.
The Band
Onmyo-za formed in Osaka in 1999 and made its major-label debut in December 2001. Its concept is yokai heavy metal: heavy metal about the spirits and monsters of Japanese folklore, sung in old-fashioned literary Japanese, performed in traditional dress. The idea belongs to the bassist and leader, Matatabi, who writes most of the songs.
Kuroneko (黒猫) is the lead singer. She shares the vocals with Matatabi. The other members are the guitarists Maneki and Karukan.
The Song Most People Know
In 2005, Onmyo-za’s “甲賀忍法帖” was used as the theme of the anime Basilisk. For many listeners it was the first time they had heard the band, and the voice they heard was hers.
The year before, in May 2004, the band had played a Noh theatre, the first rock band to do so. It is the kind of booking that only makes sense for a group this committed to its idea.
The Silence
A singer’s instrument is her hearing as much as her throat. In early 2020, Kuroneko was diagnosed with sudden hearing loss, and Onmyo-za suspended its activities through February and March of that year.
The band did come back. A new album was announced in October 2022, the first in about four and a half years, and 龍凰童子 was released in January 2023. 吟澪御前 followed on 6 August 2025.
Why It Matters
Influence is hard to measure, but sometimes people simply tell you. Fuki has said that she found metal through X JAPAN and decided to sing because of Kuroneko. Fuki went on to front Light Bringer, Unlucky Morpheus and DOLL$BOXX.
So there is a line running from an Osaka band in Heian-period costume to at least one of the best-known singers who came after it. Kuroneko is where it starts.
Start with “甲賀忍法帖,” then 龍凰童子.
