Latin-to-English translation: “While I breathe, I hope.” It’s the title of Dir en grey’s newest album, which was released August 3rd. And I love it!
For those that aren’t familiar, Dir en grey is a Japanese band that’s been around since 1997. They first hit it big in late 1998/early 1999, when they were discovered by Yoshiki of X-Japan fame, who went on to produce their first three major singles and debut album.
A good drummer friend of mine (we went on to play in a band together) introduced me to that first album, titled Gauze, when I was a sophomore in high school. I was immediately hooked, because I’d never heard anything like it; my musical taste prior to Dir en grey was comprised mostly of Metallica, X-Japan and the like. I didn’t know how to describe it at the time, but something about their sound was just different. All the riff structures, progressions, melodies… they were just cool. The main riff from “Schwein no Isu”, for example, comes to mind. Heavy, driving, kind of strange. While many of the songs from Gauze now sound a bit dated, I’m still fond of them.
Over the years Dir en grey has consistently been my favorite band. They stole that title from Metallica the first time I listened through Gauze. Their sound has changed significantly as they’ve matured, and they’re an acquired taste; I believe that — as it is with most things in general — too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. So I’ve taken breaks in between, and gone months at a time without listening to them. But I always, always go back and they’ve had an immense influence on me as a musician and as a person.
Dir en grey circa 2010-2011.These kinds of pics are always so awkward...
I’ve never been able to classify them, either. Most people refer to them either as rock, progressive, metal or nu-metal, but quite honestly I don’t think any single category fits. Their music goes from heavy, industrial, and piercing to soft and melodic. Kyo, the lead vocalist, can sing, scream, growl, howl, or cry. Guitarists Die and Kaoru always complement each other with parts that are both complementary yet dichotomic. Toshiya, the bassist, has gone from picking to finger-picking to slapping. And their drummer, Shinya, is a fast, technically excellent double-bass driving monster. Everytime they release something new, it’s like I’m listening to them for the first time again. Every single album (they’ve now got eight full length studio releases, including Dum Spiro Spero) has been such a significant stylistic change from the last that I never know what to expect. That’s probably why I love them so much.
Dum Spiro Spero is no exception. With their last album, Uroboros, Dir en grey started to introduce some more classical, middle eastern and tribal elements to their songs via the use of thick, heavy drums, the sitar, and choral vocalizations. Some of that has carried over to Dum Spiro Spero, but this album is deeper, more complex, and more intricate. While the translation of the album title would make you assume most of the music might be on the “softer” side, this is hardly the case. The band has stated that a lot of their inspiration for this release came from the state of things in Japan, coupled with the tragedy of the recent tsunamis. Keeping that in the back of my mind as context, I can only describe my first listen-through of the album as jarring. I was confused, a lot of the riffs and progressions made no sense, I didn’t know where each song was going, and it just all seemed very messy. Having listened to the album extensively for a few weeks now, though, I’m thoroughly obsessed and I think I finally get it.
That’s another great thing about Dir en grey. As they’ve started to catch on here in America and other countries outside of Japan, many publications have referred to their music as transcending the language barrier. I myself don’t know Japanese, and only understand a few phrases, so I have no idea what Kyo (the lead vocalist) is singing and/or screaming about in most of their songs. But that honestly doesn’t matter — for me, their music and performances are so full of expression that I’m still able to come away having genuinely felt something, whatever the original intent of the music might have been.
I haven’t been able to choose a favorite track from Dum Spiro Spero just yet because each one is unique and has its awesome qualities, but one of my top choices would be “Diabolos”. It’s a lengthy, epic mix of heavy and light with melodic and scathing vocals all at once, reminiscent of “Vinushka” from Uroboros. What’s also cool is that on disc two of the special edition of the album, there are previously-recorded demo versions of some of the tracks, so you can hear what they sounded like at earlier stages. Check out both the final and demo versions of “Diabolos” below.
I’ve only ever seen Dir en grey once live, which is probably some sort of fan blasphemy. It was at the Hyatt Regency Ballroom in San Francisco back in November of 2008, and that show meant a lot to me. They’ll be back in town this December 22nd, and both myself and Hideo’s own Stephen Escobedo are going. If anyone else is planning to go to the show or wants to join us, let me know! You can pick up your tickets here.
Like I said, while their musical style is probably not for everyone, I’m always happy when someone is willing to give Dir en grey a chance and experience their unique sound. I get this little tingle of accomplishment every time I’m able to convert someone into a new fan, so I do hope you’ll give them a listen. It’ll take patience, because it’s all rather dark, there’s a lot of noise, a lot of yelling and screaming mixed in with the melodies. But there are so many layers of technical skill and emotion embedded in the music as well, and there’s something fantastic and elemental about it all. I promise it’s worth it.
