Review Summary: So this is the end I tell you, Lights will be turned off and the stage turned to darkness.
Coming hot off the heels of 2002’s Kisou, Dir En Grey released Vulgar in 2003 to great critical and financial success. Vulgar was a much darker offering with more Western inspired sounds and tones, delving into groovy nu-metal territory mixed in with the usual Metalcore and Visual Kei flourishes, with far less emphasis on the latter. The vibe overall is far less eclectic, having a focused tone and energy, more accurately matching Dir En Grey’s usual taboo / unsettling themes and visuals.
When viewed from the context of everything that came before and after, this is a very clear turning point for the band, boasting some of their most soaring, grandiose melodies and hooks yet. One of the best being the opening track ‘audience KILLER LOOP’ which moves up and down through somber backing guitar melodies, topped off by a frantic crescendo of down-tuned guitars and a blistering drum beat.
It’s actually quite hard to pinpoint the strongest link on Vulgar. The vocalist, Kyo shouts and shrieks with ease, bouncing between powerful harsh vocals and haunting cleans, and while his range here isn’t as wild and impressive as on later releases, and the harsh vocals in particular are dialed back, they are consistently impressive and a taste of what would come. I can also understand Kyo being a deterrent for some people, he definitely has a strange voice. But here it’s definitely some of his most accessible and consistent work.
The guitar is handled by Die who brings numerous different textures and styles to the album’s sound. Calling back to Gauze with the funky riffs of Sajou No Ut and MARMALADE CHAINSAW, the alternative metal stylings of tracks like RED [em], AMBER, Kasumi, and the crushing nu-metal of OBSCURE and IIID EMPIRE . Things are always switching up, and it helps this album to stay engaging after repeated listens.
A key aspect to Vulgar are the occasional ambient sounds which close and open tracks that work greatly to weave into each other, making the entire album feel like a cohesive work. The album begins with a moody ambience, and OBSCURE has one of my favorite intros i’ve heard from the band. These moments aren’t essential, but they add some nice texture to the tracklist. Pairing this with the album art really helps to elevate the atmosphere of the music.
The highest point of the album is the end portion, starting with the heavy and melodic single OBSCURE which is accompanied by a rather shocking music video and features one of the most impactful climaxes the band has ever done, all with what i assume are references to abortion.
Kyo belts
“Colour of faint...the night begins and people start to awe
Colour of pomegranate...sting with the prick and disappear far away”
OBSCURE is followed by the infectious, punk inspired CHILD PREY which features some gang vocals and a more upbeat tone, then the album closes on a soft but high note with AMBER.
Kyo sings “ Until our voices go out, at last. Let's sing until our voices go out.” and the album sadly comes to an end.
While the last half is definitely the best, that’s not to say there’s a weak link here. The only track that’s skippable is NEW AGE CULTURE, and even that song is quite good. In its 57 minute runtime nothing is overly long and it all has a purpose. This is Dir En Grey at their most streamlined and energetic, showing off all of their strengths without indulging too much in certain areas. One could argue this is their most underrated work, and it very well may be their best.
Best tracks:
OBSCURE
RED[em]
AMBER
audience KILLER LOOP
CHILD PREY
