Review written by Eve
SHAZNA is taking the mainstage this month in SUNKiSS’s ~last~ space, so naturally as Sheffield’s (self-proclaimed) biggest SHAZNA fan, I wiped the stock on the day it was put out. In my defence, I had been waiting in anticipation ever since I heard SUNKiSS would be stocking their singles and albums, and I was desperate to get my hands on physical media of my favourite visual kei band!
SHAZNA formed in 1993, comprised of vocalist Izam, guitarist A·O·I, bassist Niy and drummer Katsura. The group initially had a darker, slightly gothic appearance before leaning more into the soft visual kei subgenre – a fashionable, yet not as extravagant style in terms of hair, clothes and makeup.
The group released albums Sophia in 1994 and Melty Case in 1996, along with a few singles, such as Dizziness and Stillness for Dear. Katsura left the band in 1996, joining Baiser during their line-up change. 
Following this, SHAZNA released Raspberry Time in 1996, followed by Promise Eve in 1997, which featured re-recorded versions of ‘Dizziness’ and ‘Melty Love’. Promise Eve peaked at number 16 in the Oricon Albums Chart. SHAZNA’s success grew from there, with ‘Melty Love’ being re-recorded once again and released as a single with ‘Raspberry Time’ as its B-side, which peaked at number 2 in the charts and became one of SHAZNA’s biggest hits.
The singles I bought were Melty Love, Sumire September Love, Lover/Virgin and Pureness, along with the Promise Eve EP. All the singles are in excellent condition and look brand new with no scratches or signs of wear! Promise Eve’s case had some scuffs and scratches, but that is common with plastic cased CDs and doesn’t take too much away from the overall look of the CD - it is Izam’s face after all!
Each single includes the lyrics printed either directly on the sleeve or inside a mini-booklet, along with photos of the band. Even though Izam is the face of the singles, the photos of A·O·I and Niy are both beautiful and cool and give them their own time to shine, which I love! 
The packaging of these singles is nothing short of adorable – Melty Love even included some cute little Izam stickers!
The packaging for the singles all feature Izam’s lovely face front and centre with atypically pink and red colour palette! Each single also utilises a similar font, which for someone who loves to display albums, this consistent layout makes displaying them together look all the more pleasing!
For a new listener who loves the cutesy look of these singles, I highly recommend ‘Melty Love’, ‘Raspberry Time’ and ‘Lover’ – they are the audio equivalent of a long, warm hug. For someone who prefers a moodier vibe, ‘Dizziness’ and ‘TOPAZ’ from Promise Eve are must-listens!
The last item I got in my haul, and perhaps the coolest item, was the Vicious Vol. 4 1998 magazine with SHAZNA as the front cover! The magazine features one-on-one interviews with each member, as well as group interviews! The first few pages include cool 
shots of Izam, A·O·I and Niy, alongside a collage of them. Articles, interviews and general news about other popular visual kei bands, such as L’Arc~en~Ciel and X Japan feature on the pages following the SHAZNA-focused ones.
Reading it in 2024 was like opening a time capsule – a very well preserved one! Like the singles, the magazine was in perfect condition with no creases or bends. It looks absolutely amazing in my brand new collection!
Overall, I am over the moon with my haul! Getting to physically see the CDs and magazine displayed in the market as well as being able to hold them before purchasing was quite a surreal experience as a visual kei fan living in Sheffield! Living in the UK often means these CDs are much tougher to come by, especially in a shop, so it makes this haul all the more special to me as normally it would be a case of ordering online where you can only judge based on photographs. The condition of the items on the whole was fantastic and I can now proudly own some of my favourite singles, as well as an awesome magazine that features not only my beloved SHAZNA, but many other visual kei bands!
SHAZNA is our key inspo for this fall season. You can find CDs & merch at the SUNKiSS ~last~ space, or shop our September Love collection online (provided Eve doesn't beat you to it).