Influenced by European nobility, 耽美 (Tanbi) stands for “aestheticism”, “pursuit of beauty” or “obsession with beautiful things” in Japanese, something that clearly reflects in the visual performance of the artists in this genre.
While the genre has no specific sound associated with it, there is often a classical and symphonic influence as well as references of France and French being used in the titles, roses and love songs. Artists and band members are often referred to as prince, princess, duke or duchess, but neither the French influence nor the naming scheme is a standard for every artist. The pursuit of beauty is the main focus of this genre, and it can come in many different forms.
Versailles’ third release under Sherow Artist Society, “PRINCE & PRINCESS”, at last gave a home to “Prince”. Though the album only contains three tracks, it competes with any other twelve-track album. It is filled with fairy-tales, heavy when due, but also romantic, expressive,
“Noble”, the first full-length album by Versailles, was released in 2008 under KAMIJO’s indie label, Sherow Artist Society. Heavier in melody as well as lyric content than later releases, it is perhaps the most symphonic-metal sound they have ever released. It is fitting, as