1. Syu is a Japanese musician, best known as the leader and guitarist of the power metal band Galneryus.
20 Facts About Syu
1. 2.
Under his own name, Syu has released one studio album, one cover album and one instrumental album, each featuring collaborations with many guest musicians.
3.
Syu was voted as the Best Guitarist in online music magazine Beeasts music awards for four years in a row, from 2015 to 2018.
4.
Syu then started playing the violin at age six, and continued to do so until he was 12 or 13 years old.
5.
Syu played the drums in a band called Cross-Large, but could not find good musicians to play with.
6.
Syu switched to guitar after finding it easier because guitar and violin are relatively similar.
7.
Syu said he could better express himself through guitar than through drums.
8.
Syu joined the visual kei band Valkyr in August 1998, nearly a year later they released their first demo tape, titled "Love of Insanity".
9.
When Valkyr broke up, Syu formed the bands Galneryus and Aushvitz with its remaining members.
10.
Syu chose the name Aushvitz, a reference to the Auschwitz concentration camp, with the "hope it won't happen again" and wanting to "express my heart-rending feelings" and the members wore prison uniforms.
11.
In 2003, Syu joined the Eizo Sakamoto-led Animetal as their new guitarist and moved from Osaka to Tokyo.
12.
Syu recorded four albums with them before they went on indefinite hiatus in 2006.
13.
In 2014 Syu composed the music for "Biran no Kaze", which Ryuji Aoki sang as the opening theme song for the anime adaptation of Laughing Under the Clouds.
14.
Syu contributed significantly to the first solo album by Rami, 2016's Aspiration.
15.
In 2020, Syu was one of many metal musicians from around the world who contributed to a cover of Deep Purple's "Burn" for the Metal For Kids United charity organization.
16.
Syu has said that "all progressive- and symphonic metal guitarists have influenced my work" and that he has too many guitar influences to list.
17.
Syu has stated that hide and X influenced him greatly, and that he really liked Luna Sea "in their prime".
18.
When composing music and trying to decide which of his projects the song will go to, Syu said he imagines the vocalist's voice and whether or not it matches the song.
19.
Syu stated that a song must still be good even when stripped down to just vocals and piano.
20.
Syu has a signature series of guitars available from ESP Guitars.