DIR EN GREY: Captivating, Mesmerising, Unforgettable.

 

DIR EN GREY is a band that I hold dear in my heart. Ever since I first heard the unmistakable voice of vocalist Kyo, they had me hooked. It's been over a decade since that day and they've been going strong the whole time. If you've read my previous post about Sukekiyo then, you know that I hold Kyo in the highest regards in terms of his abilities and performance. 

For a bit of backstory, DIR EN GREY formed from the ashes of the Visual Kei band, La:Sadies. La:Sadies featured Kyo, Kaoru, Die, Shinya and bassist and group leader, Kisaki. They disbanded following Kisaki's decision not to debut as he felt that the band wasn't ready. Kaoru felt the opposite and disagreed. Following La:Sadie's disbandment, the four remaining members of the group recruited Toshiya, a talented bassist and together the group played one show as a Kuroyume cover band called DEATH MASK at the live house Nagano J on January 24. Following that one show, they officially began live as DIR EN GREY on February 2, 1997. Their strange name is actually a combination of three languages, Dir is German, En is French and Grey is of course English. The group wanted to convey a musical image that was not black or white, simply grey as the world itself is much more complex than that. Back in 2020, Kaoru explained that the name actually came from the song of the same name (Albeit grey was spelt gray in the song title) by the group Lareine. 

They released their first EP, Missa in July of 1997 and have been consistently releasing music ever since. Missa would contain songs such as Kiri to Mayu, which showcased that Kaoru was correct in believing that the group was ready and thus the foundation for their success was laid. They would actually attract mainstream attention in 1998, as Jealous and -I'll- entered the Oricon top 10. Despite mainstream success, they refused to become a commercial band, experimenting with new sounds and challenging themselves as musicians and cementing themselves as a top tier band. Their evolution as a band is truly outstanding and you can see t if you look at their re-recorded songs such as the aforementioned Kiri to Mayu, Kasumi, The Final, Bottom of The Death Valley and even Wake. They have mastered the art of going back through their discography and evolving the sound of older songs whilst not entirely deleting what made them great.  

The Final in particular is one of my favourite songs of all time. The chorus is tremendously infectious and to this day gets stuck in my head to the point where I blare it out at random intervals. The instrumentals are on point too, the riffage is quality stuff and the bass is smooth. Shinya is as reliable as ever on drums and often underappreciated altogether. There's also a clever, subtle production in the mix as you may notice a few keyboard/piano notes during the opening especially. My favourite part of the instrumental is the guitar solo towards the end of the song, I love the way it brings more emotion and makes Kyo's vocals hit harder. The lyricism in this song cuts deep as the topic of suicide is handled in Kyo's unique and charming way. 未遂の蕾咲かせよう... is a powerful line. This very song helped me through the darkest of times and is always on the very end of my comfort playlists

Their production is always engaging and constantly improving. For example, their 2014 album, Arche is an otherworldly experience. I recommend listening through it as a whole with headphones. From it's lively and heavy start with Un Deux, Soshaku, Uroko to it's beautifully intoxicating middle with melodious tracks that show the band's range such as Rinkaku, Phenomenon, Midwife, Tosei and Kaishun. The album then has one of the bands best ballads instrumentation wise in Kukoku no Kyoon with Shinya's drums being powerful. The very end of the album then switches tempos with bone crunching heaviness in Revelation of Mankind. The album and it's name encompasses their evolution and every phase of said evolution. Die said that the album was the most achieved that they ever had and I tend to agree with him. 

Naturally, I have to talk about Kyo. One of my favourite vocalists of all time has managed to seemingly get better with age, much like a fine wine. His vocal range and outstanding versatility has helped himself and the band gain wide recognition. He's able to bellow, croon, emote cleanly, howl, shriek and make nearly inhuman sounds. His natural talent and inclination to dive into both ends of the human vocal spectrum is admirable. Die has stated that Kyo "..is like a guitar or effect. He is an instrument." Not only does he posses phenomenal vocal talent, Kyo has also composed songs such as Hades and The Domestic Fucker Family (What a song title). He also provides the lyrics and he focuses on a range of dark, heavy, relevant topics. From child abuse with the song Berry, mass media with Mr. Newsman to sexual obsessions with Zomboid. He's also written about specifically Japanese issues such as it's conformity oriented society with the song Children, it's casual attitude towards abortion with Mazohyst of Decadence and Obscure. He also uses clever double entendres and wordplay with a famous example being the song Mitsu to Tsuba, a song about rape, which means Honey and Saliva but the kanji is inverted to suggest reading the inverted meaning, Tsumi to Batsu, which translates to Crime and Punishment, a much more appropriate title. His on stage presence is also a thing to behold. In the mid 2000s he would wear full body makeup resembling heavy burns, throw up fake vomit of various colour and consistency and perform various acts of self mutilation. He has since toned down his act but still stands out due to his sometimes visually striking outfits and makeup as well as his emotional performances. 

The band as a whole has gained worldwide recognition and have performed for fans across the globe. They have managed to gain and maintain a dedicated fanbase all around the world because their music transcends the language barrier. Regardless of where and when they're listened to, listeners can clearly hear the quality, passionate and emotional depth of their discography. DIR EN GREY have also not shied away from calling out the Japanese government and wrote an open letter on their official Facebook back in 2011 accusing them of lying to the Japanese people and hiding the true danger of radiation levels after the nuclear accidents caused by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. They even launched a campaign titled Scream For the Truth, complete with a website and a billboard hanging in Times Square, New York City, in the hopes of stopping the alleged misinformation and getting the truth. Clearly, the band has integrity and stands up for their beliefs and ideals.