Plot Overview
The Basic Plot:
It is every artist's dream to be signed to Hougyoku Records, Sousuke Aizen's prestigious record label that produces only the best and the brightest young stars. Based in New York City, the record company has bands signed from all over the country, but its two most well-known acts are currently based in New York: The Vaizard and The Arrancar. The Vaizard, who were originally from New York City and formed approximately four years ago, have held a monopoly on the captivated New York audience -- until now.
Now, Southern California sensation The Arrancar have come to New York City for good -- and are stealing Vaizard listeners. They're the next big band, and are Aizen's pet project. Both bands are extremely talented -- but although they are from the same record label, they are rivals, and each band spends its time trying to make the other band look bad.
Soul Society Magazine, a semi-tabloid, semi-factual publication, has picked up on this rivalry and is currently thriving on its gossip. However, Isshin Kurosaki, the current editor of the magazine, has a hidden agenda. His son is a member of the Vaizard, and while Soul Society is focusing mainly on the two opposing bands, he refuses to publish anything that might be detrimental to his son's career or reputation. Thus, a biased man, Soul Society shows The Vaizard in a positive light, and The Arrancar in a negative one. This is The Vaizard's greatest weapon against The Arrancar -- for now.
However, these aren't the only factions working against The Arrancar. Cirucci Thunderwitch, the band's ex-vocalist, is still around and more bitter than ever. Unable to get a credible deal with anyone (as she was dropped by Hougyoku Records as soon as the band fired her), she has grown angry with her lot in life, and continually tries to ruin her ex-band members' lives. She has tried to get revenge on her replacement many times -- and it's only now beginning to get serious. Because of this, Aizen has hired a security man to watch specifically over Ulquiorra to ensure that Cirucci's actions to not get out of hand.
THE MUSICIANS:
The Vaizard: Founded in 2002 in New York City, New York, The Vaizard have enjoyed a very successful career. Originally formed when many of the band members were still in high school, The Vaizard made a name for themselves through cheap, underground shows. They distributed their own copies of their first EP, which was how Hougyoku Records found out about them. Liking their unique, bold sound, Aizen immediately signed them to a record contract, and released their first album, Put it Back On in early 2004. Their popularity grew slowly, but the Vaizard have since grown a very loyal fanbase and have released three other records. Their lineup has stayed the same since their formation, remarkably, with the following members:
Shinji Hirako on lead vocals
Ichigo Kurosaki on guitar
Hiyori Sarugaki on bass guitar
Love on brass
Rose on saxophone
Kensei Muguruma on drums.
Lately, the band has been losing fans due to the sudden appearance of The Arrancar, and they are currently hoping to release a new record this coming year.
Genre: Ska, Emo, Hip-Hop, Punk
Sounds like: Sublime, 311, Reel Big Fish, Wheatus, Green Day, The Black Eyed Peas, The Cat Empire, Ballistico, The Vincent Black Shadow, Bullets and Octane
The Arrancar: Formed much later than The Vaizard, The Arrancar have nevertheless had just as much of an impact on listeners. Though the band was formed in 2004, they have already put out two different albums; Hueco Mundo, featuring former vocalist Cirucci Thunderwitch and Hollow, showcasing the band's current singer. Originally from Orange County, California, The Arrancar have since usurped The Vaizard's place of fame in New York City, where the band members currently reside. In 2005, just one year after being founded and discovered, The Arrancar fired Thunderwitch. The reasons given for this, according to bassist Grimmjow Jaggerjack, are that she "was becoming too much of a diva." Guitarist Halibel stated that she "tried to compromise the band's music for her own fame," and thus she had to be let go. Since then, the lineup has been:
Ulquiorra Schiffer on lead vocals
Noitra on lead guitar
Halibel on rhythm guitar
Grimmjow Jaggerjack on bass guitar
Zael Apollog Grantz on synth
Stark on drums.
Since the addition of Ulquiorra to the band's lineup, the band's fame has skyrocketed. The Arrancar's latest album went platinum, receiving rave reviews from critics all over the world. The band's style has metamorphasised since then, and many rock fans are saying that The Arrancar will be, in fifteen years' time, inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame.
Genres: Metal, Industrial, Goth Rock, Progressive Rock
Sounds like: Marilyn Manson, Psyclon Nine, Slipknot, Incubus, Avenged Sevenfold, Prodigy, Butthole Surfers, Opiate For the Masses, Megaherz, It Dies Today, Bullet For My Valentine.
The current timeline for the game is when the Arrancar and the Vaizard are becoming very famous, and have begun competing. Cirucci has left the Arrancar; Ulquiorra has been with the Arrancar for approximately five months.
The current time is May, 2007. However, backlogs and future-logs are, of course, encouraged.