Dir En Grey
Arche

Release Date: 2014 | Tracklist

Diru an gurei niu arubum, at last. Although in the meantime between Dum Spiro Spero and Arche we received a remastered version of their classic Uroboros and an album-long E.P. The Unravelling with new attempts at old songs I was really thirsty to see in which direction will the band evolve. Mentioned The Unravelling was a hit or miss for me – the new song was great and felt fresh, but the other… Let’s say that rationally I understood they were good – complex and varied – but they lacked the feeling of the original The Final or Bottom of the Death Valley, their emotional impact felt thwarted, and now I’m listening to the E.P. from time to time just to check whether I changed my mind or not. Fortunately, I doubt it will happen with Arche.

It is hard to describe the direction the band has taken on this album. Even though as a whole it feels absolutely coherent from the very start to the last track I sense the band looked both forward and back while recording new songs. People knowing only the last album will feel at least partially at home as many of the songs could well appear on the preceding DSS, with the trademark growl-to-shriek-fest, but there are also hints at older albums. Remember the circus-like melody from Reiketsu Nariseba? How about Kyo singing frantically in that pattern in Arche’s Cause of Fickleness, creating one of the most distinct DEG songs on the album? Or Kaishun, another standout, of which first part feels like a natural progression from Toguro? Or finally Tousei in which one of the wah-wah riffs nods to the classic Kodou riff. Not to mention Sukeikiyo obvious influences. So in a way Arche feels like at home – it is the Dir En Grey that we instantly recognize and that we’re prepared for.

On the other hand, even with all of the above in mind, Arche most of the time does not sound like a rehash of old ideas, especially when we include the 2nd cd with two new songs, a few alternative versions of 1st cd tracks and a standout remix of Unravelling that – if it had another name – I wouldn’t have recognized it at all. The best example is Phenomenon in which we witness Kyo testing a completely new way of singing, a powerful, restrained riff between the choruses, and a beautiful climax. It also has to be said that the two singles released much earlier – Rinkaku and Sustain the Untruth – work great in the context of the full album. I haven’t been a real fan of the latter, but contrary to many opinions the new mastering is very enjoyable to me.

When it comes to downsides it seems to me that at times Dir En Grey might have fallen into a trap of their own talent. Their songs are so diverse with all the harsh and clean vocals right next to each other, and rapid changes of pace and feeling, that what would be a clear stand-out on another’s band album here kind of melts with other extremely varied songs. Especially at the first few listens it is hard to tell if I'm listening to a new song or is it still the former one. They also have nothing to top in terms of heaviness, as they have already did that on the last album, yet they seem to try, and in result Revelation of Mankind feels like a silver medallist at best compared to Different Sense from DSS. And speaking of DSS, to what extent is Kukoku no Kyouon just a Vanitas rip-off?

Fortunately the average moments are few, all DEG albums have them, but they are always redeemed by the generally high quality of the rest. I really recommend Arche as an entry album for anyone interested in the band. It is diverse, well balanced between the beastly and the beautiful, quite accessible, and rewards the meticulous listener with small inventive moments to be found here and there among the songs.

Must hear:
Un Deux
Phenomenon
Cause of Fickleness
Rinkaku
Kaishun

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4.1 excellent

Rank: #33 for 2014