Japan has spawned many a great band, but none like Dir en grey. Most of these bands only make it in their home country, known little by anyone except the most ardent otaku. But as of 2005 with their release of
Withering To Death they finally burst into view in the U.S. and Europe. With tracks like
Saku and
The Final they became somewhat of a hit. In 2006 they began touring worldwide with acts like KoRn and Flyleaf. Now with their new album they are setting out once more to conquer the world and bring out your inner psycho.
The Marrow of a Bone, like any of their other albums, defies classification by one genre. Wikipedia plays it safe, calling every album of theirs 'Rock/Metal' which is correct, because every album has an eclectic mix of both styles.
MoaB is yet another album by them, and they have broken into view. This album brings to you some Metalcore, a little Post-Hardcore, somber melodies, and, dare I say it, a touch of Death Metal at times. I would reccomend listening to this album with both ears, because none of the songs sound right with only Die or Kaoru, you need both. Here's the actual review.
1. Concieved Sorrow: A very sad song. It is kind of gloomy, with ambient darkness and piano, and a harpischord. Kyo shows he has beauty in his voice in this track. The guitars break in during the chorus, working well with his voice and a steady beat. This is a song that makes you feel like someone has died and it's raining, well, that's the imagery I get. A dark, moody song. 10/10
2. Lie Buried With a Vengeance: This song is of a Metalcore influence. It's as if The Black Dahlia Murder had Tourette's Syndrome. Very headbangable and psychotic. This shows that DEG is leaning more towards metal, and they did great. The end of the song features Kyo dropping F-bombs that would level a small community, and you just feel like "What the f___ just happened?" when it ends. 9/10
3: The Fatal Believer: A little softer now, but still heavy. The bass seems a bit more prominent. Kyo starts singing a little. The guitars are heavily distorted, and pounding into your ears. It's a little Noisecore and Melodic Metal. A decent song. 8.5/10
4: The Agitated Screams Of Maggots: This song is arguably one of the craziest currently in existence. It's very fast p[aced, even for a band without a double-bass pedal drum. It gives Shinya a chance to show his dexterity. Kyo shows his more Hardore side with relentless screaming. The lyrics don't really fit together, but you won't care because you'll be rocking out too hard to care. 9.5/10
5: Grief: Starts with a kind of wierd appreggio. Then Kyo just starts screaming randomly "THAT'S F***** BULLS#!T!! BLOD TASTES LIKE VANILLA!" That's definently worth a chuckle, but then he gets a menacing growl of "F*** you" going on. They are taking their shock-rock to a more audial field, with more profanity. You will not know if he's screaming in Japanese or English, but it dosen't matter. No one will understand, nor care, because it's a good track. However, both headphones are required. 9/10
6. 凌辱の雨(Ryojoku no Ame): The album reaches a simmer-down point. It makes you imagine you are standing in the rain. The guitars are crunchy throughout. In the middle of the song, it is just Kyo singing and bassist Toshiya with some background sounds. This was a good way to showcase what a good bassist Toshi is, and the band must have realized that he dosen't get many chances like that. This song is catchy, and even though I got this album last summer, that song still gets stuck in my head. 10/10
7. Disabled Complexes: Starts with a little electronic percussion, then a steady beat with clean guitars and soft singing. This goes on for a while and the song explodes and Kyo growls throughout the song. Near the end he repeats "Psycho Killer!" over a headbangable beat. An interesting song from the perspective of a rape victim. 9/10
8. Rotting Root: Kind of a catchy song, but a bit repetitive. Kind of catchy, so it will get stuck in your head. Imagine "Grief" but less evil.
9. "Namamekashiki Ansoku, Tamerai ni Hohoemi" (艶かしき安息、躊躇いに微笑み): Had to copy-paste ^.^;; Anyways, this song is like another "Conceived Sorrow", and just as masterfully done. The song is calm throughout, goes quiet for a few seconds, and climaxes at the end with raspy screams. Terrific song. 10/10
10. The Pledge: Another softer song, but with more distorted guitars. Sounds a bit like "Ryojoku No Ame", but not as good. Still a decent song. 8/10
11. Repitition of Hatred: This is where the album returns to heavy. This song is more slow and menacing as if a lumbering beast was stomping through a small town. It does however, get repetitive(Irony anyone??). There was little thought to this song, and just seems to be there just to be there. But it's not too bad. 7.5/10
12. The Deeper Vileness: One of my fave tracks. This is the song with a little Death Metal influence. It's very aggressive, and even dares to say "Dear God, You're a MOTHERF*****." Dir en grey has planted their metal roots, and they're growing. 10/10
13. Clever Sleazoid: An excellent way to finish the album. It is a punding rhythm with both guitars screaming a twisted yet strangely melodic tune. This song is almost entirely sung in English, but is unintelligable. There are a few lines sung in Japanese, which are clear, but if you don't know Japanese too bad for you. The song ends with a sustaining chord that eventually fades out, and you won't want to turn off your CD player/radio until the display says 13 50:05.
That's my review of Dir En Grey's
The Marrow Of A Bone. This is one of their greatest albums thus far, with more metal influences and more geared towards international audiences. The only reason it didn't get a 5 is, it isn't perfect, and they sacrificed a little of the old Diru, which I came to know and love, but still, a solid release from the chaotic Osakan quintet.
