Syu (Japanese: シュウ, Hepburn: Shū) is a Japanese musician, best known as the leader and guitarist of the power metal band Galneryus. He also performs guitar and lead vocals in Spinalcord (formerly known as Aushvitz) and guitar in Animetal. Under his own name, Syu has released one studio album, one cover album and one instrumental album, each featuring collaborations with many guest musicians. He was voted the Best Guitarist in online music magazine Beeast's music awards four years in a row, from 2015 to 2018. In 2018, readers and professional musicians voted Syu the fourth best guitarist in the history of hard rock and heavy metal in We Rock magazine's "Metal General Election". His work on Galneryus' song "Emotions" was named the 73rd best guitar instrumental by Young Guitar Magazine in 2019.
Bands
- Galneryus - current member
Credited On
- Galneryus - Live for All-Live for One - Galneryus, released March 5, 2008 (
VPBQ-19047). Chorus, Guitar, Lyrics By, Music By, Throat. - Galneryus - Live in the Moment of the Resurrection - Galneryus, released December 8, 2010 (
VPBQ-19069). Chorus, Guitar, Throat. - Galneryus - VETELGYUS - Galneryus, released September 24, 2014 (
VPCC-80669). Additional Chorus, Band [Galneryus], Guitar. - Galneryus - THE SENSE OF OUR LIVES - Galneryus, released September 9, 2016 (
VPXQ-79008). Band [Galneryus], Guitar.
Biography
Translated from the ja.wikipedia article Syu (ギタリスト) (CC BY-SA 4.0), revision 108666049.
Career
In 1998, he joined the visual kei band VALKYR.
In 2001, he formed the heavy metal band GALNERYUS.
In 2002, following the dissolution of VALKYR, he formed the band AUSHVITZ, in which he served as guitarist and vocalist; the band was later renamed SPINALCORD.
In 2003, he joined Animetal.
In 2006, Animetal was put on hiatus, after which he focused his activities on GALNERYUS.
In September 2010, he released the cover solo album CRYING STARS -STAND PROUD!-, featuring mainly metal songs from the 1980s and 1990s.
In 2014, he composed “Biran no Kaze” (毘藍ノ風), the opening theme for the anime series Laughing Under the Clouds, performed by Ryuji Aoki. As GALNERYUS, he also worked on “Attitude to Life,” the ending theme.
In November 2016, he released YOU PLAY HARD, his first instrumental album as a solo artist.
In January 2019, he released the solo album VORVADOS, which was produced with various guest artists.
Personal Life
He began playing the piano at around the age of four and took up the violin at around the age of six under the influence of his parents. In the fourth grade of elementary school, he admired YOSHIKI of X JAPAN, formed a band, and began playing drums. At one point, he borrowed a band member's guitar and tried playing it, and thought that he might have far greater potential on the guitar than on drums. He persuaded his parents to buy him a guitar and began covering songs by X. After starting to practice, he felt encouraged by the fact that he improved more quickly than friends who had already been playing guitar, and decided to devote himself exclusively to the instrument. Later, around his first year of junior high school, he began covering songs by Yngwie Malmsteen but encountered difficulties, and was shocked by Malmsteen's distinctive fast playing. He stated, “The flow of sound was like a stream. It was fast playing, but it did not really feel like fast playing.” The first Yngwie recording he heard at that time was the mini-album I Can't Wait, after which he became devoted to Yngwie.
In addition to the aforementioned artists, he has named Paul Gilbert, Zakk Wylde, and Tony MacAlpine among the guitarists he frequently listened to and covered. Among singers, he is also a major fan of divas such as Celine Dion and Mariah Carey, whom he has enjoyed listening to since childhood.
Equipment Used
Guitars
ESP CRYING STAR Syu's signature model and the first model in the CRYING STAR series, commonly known as the “first unit.” It has an alder body, a three-piece hard maple neck, and a medium scale length. Its pickups are a Seymour Duncan TB-4 in the rear position and an ESP JUNCTION-SS in the front position. Its controls include volume, tone, a pickup selector, and a kill switch, which disconnects the guitar from the amplifier. A cost-performance model, the E-CS-160, was released by ESP's sister brand Edwards.
ESP CRYING STAR-REBEL Syu's second signature model, finished in white. Its principal specifications are the same as those of the CRYING STAR, but its controls and pickups differ substantially. It is equipped with an EMG 89 rear pickup and an EMG SAV front pickup. Its controls include a function called SPC Volume, which operates when the coil-split switch is disengaged, placing the rear pickup in humbucker mode, and makes the front pickup's sound fuller. The sixth-string tuning machine is fitted with a tuner that can lower the pitch by one whole tone instantly using a lever.
Edwards released a version under the name E-CS-130 REBEL. Unlike the ESP version, however, it is equipped with Seymour Duncan pickups in both the front and rear positions. It has independent tone controls for the front and rear pickups and does not include a tuner capable of instantly lowering the sixth string by one whole tone.
ESP CRYING SEVEN A seven-string version of the CRYING STAR that was not commercially released. There are two models: one is a 24-fret type with two humbuckers, and the other has only a rear pickup.
ESP CRYING STAR-CLASSIC The first six-string CRYING STAR model with 24 frets. It is finished in Vintage Cherry and uses Honduras mahogany for its body and neck. It has a set-neck joint, whereas earlier models used bolt-on necks. It is equipped with a Seymour Duncan SH-2 front pickup and SH-4 rear pickup, and does not have a coil-split switch or kill switch.
A variation owned by Syu is finished in black and equipped with an EMG 85 front pickup and an EMG 81 rear pickup. Edwards released a cost-performance model under the name E-CS-140 CLASSIC.
ESP CRYING STAR PHOENIX A model produced with GALNERYUS's album PHOENIX RISING in mind. It is distinguished by red flake applied across the entire body and on the front of the headstock. Based on the specifications of the CRYING STAR-REBEL, it features a Floyd Rose tremolo and different pickups.
ESP CRYING STAR-REBEL Modified An experimental model made from the idea of using a mahogany body for the CRYING STAR-REBEL. It received various modifications, including changing the bridge from a Tune-o-matic type to a fixed type and replacing the cow-bone nut with a brass nut. ESP sold it as a limited-period model.
ESP CRYING V
ESP CRYING SEVEN -2nd-
ESP CRYING STAR-CLASSIC VETLGYUS A model that updated the CRYING STAR CLASSIC in a modern style. It was also used in the recording of GALNERYUS's album VETELGYUS. Finished in solid black with a mirror pickguard, its design evokes the first CRYING STAR.
ESP MV <SYU CUSTOM>
ESP M-SEVEN SYU CUSTOM
ESP EX-280 <SYU CUSTOM>
ESP THE CRYING STAR NT
ESP THE CRYING STAR FR
ESP SNAPPER SYU Custom S “SYUNAPPER-I”
ESP SNAPPER SYU Custom H “SYUNAPPER-II”
EDWARDS E-EX-138
EDWARDS E-FV-80D <SYU CUSTOM>
EDWARDS E-SE-87R/LT <SYU CUSTOM>
EDWARDS E-EX-138E SYU CUSTOM This was the main model used during GALNERYUS's early period. Its neck has broken many times because of its severe conditions of use.
EDWARDS E-FV-85D SYU CUSTOM Produced because Syu frequently used V-shaped guitars before using EX-shaped guitars, it was used in early live performances.
EDWARDS E-SYUNAPPER-I
EDWARDS E-CS-VETELGYUS
EDWARDS E-CS-Classic
Credited Together
Names credited on every one of the same releases.
- On 4 releases: Junichi Satou, Kentaro Tanaka, LOGGIA, Syu, Vap, Yorimasa Hisatake, YUHKI and Yutaka Kawase.
Galneryus - Live for All-Live for One, Galneryus - Live in the Moment of the Resurrection, Galneryus - VETELGYUS and Galneryus - THE SENSE OF OUR LIVES - On 3 releases: Daishin Suzuki, Junichi Satou, Kentaro Tanaka, LOGGIA, MIT GATHERING, Naoki Takanuma, Syu, Tetsushi Suehiro, Vap, Yorimasa Hisatake, Yoshiaki Uchiyama, YUHKI and Yutaka Kawase.
Galneryus - Live for All-Live for One, Galneryus - Live in the Moment of the Resurrection and Galneryus - THE SENSE OF OUR LIVES - On 3 releases: Junichi Satou, Keisuke Murakami, Kentaro Tanaka, LOGGIA, Mariko Aoki, Masatoshi Ono, SHIBUYA TELEVISION, Syu, TAKA, Vap, Yorimasa Hisatake, YUHKI and Yutaka Kawase.
Galneryus - Live in the Moment of the Resurrection, Galneryus - VETELGYUS and Galneryus - THE SENSE OF OUR LIVES
Often Credited With
Credited on 2 or more of the same releases, most shared first.
All 46
Sources
- Wikidata entity Q3979220.
- en.wikipedia, Syu (revision 1365912911), CC BY-SA 4.0.
- ja.wikipedia, Syu (ギタリスト) (revision 108666049), CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photograph: Galneryus Syu.jpg on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, by Kevin Tudeau.
