Send "Dir En Grey " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Popmatters |
 Hold your breath people, this is one insanely fun ride.Experimental metallers Dir En Grey are Japan’s very own Into Eternity—their music is eclectic and hard to classify into any one sub-genre—except that they have the added fangirl-ish oomph of flashy appearances, thanks to their visual-kei roots. Being the eighth full-length studio album in the band’s illustrious career thus far, Dum Spiro Spero (which is Latin for “While I breathe, I hope”) is yet another scintillating record to add to the quintet’s already impressive and extremely collectible portfolio. If there’s one thing you gotta love about modern Japanese musicians—whether they play pop, rock or metal—it has got to be their iconic brand of clean singing. The ever eccentric Kyo in particular, is one helluva gifted singer; he has always had a knack for soaring and heart-wrenching vocal hooks, which he shows off with great ease and artistic pride as usual on this new record, and they are such that a melody-loving metalhead cannot help but wonder why there can’t be more Western metal vocalists taking a leaf out of his book. Standout tracks featuring such surreal and beautiful clean singing would include tracks like “Different Sense”, ““Yokusou Ni Dreambox” Aruiwa Seijuku No Rinen To Tsumetai Ame”, “Lotus”, “Diabolos”, and “Hageshisa To, Kono Mune No Naka De Karamitsuita Shakunetsu No Yami” (a track which also appears on Saw 3D’s OST). Apart from the emotional clean singing of unearthly range, Kyo once again balances this crooning side of him well enough with the right dose of guttural death growls (most clearly heard at the start of the second single of the album, “Different Sense”), cacophonous shrieks, bloodcurdling screams and even creepy whispers; all of which only serve to remind any old or even recent Dir En Grey fans why they got into the band in the first place. Perhaps such natural ease at and inclination towards striking such a stark contrast between the two opposite ends of the human vocal spectrum can be obtained as only a kind of pre-birth winning lottery ticket—you know, that much coveted prize we call “talent”. Bassist Toshiya really deserves applause for actually being significant in the overall sound-scape of Dir En Grey’s music as well. In a genre as overpowering and loud as metal, the bass line often gets relegated to the back burner and merely takes on a monotonous supporting role while the melody line gets all the limelight. However, the Japanese are well known for coming up with good harmonies, and Toshiya sure lives up to this expectation, as his throbbing bass lines complement the technical guitar riffs well by adding a groovy kind of bad-ass attitude to the overall feel of the music. Without him, the guitar melodies of Kaoru and Die would most certainly sound naked and hollow....full text |
| Apeshit |
| After a big step in growth for DIR EN GREY in Uroboros, what Dum Spiro Spero holds is a great curiosity. If anything, Dum Spiro Spero is a big left turn from the path of its predecessor as well as the band’s back catalogue. If you were hoping for a straight forward DIR EN GREY record, then you’ve come to the wrong place. This is as jagged, unsettled, and off kilter as the band can possibly get. Fans should look elsewhere for singalong, easy listening (Japanese) music. “Progressive,” “free form,” and “experimental” may be the best way to describe DIR EN GREY‘s latest venture. Straight forward tempos and riffs are largely not present. The band predominantly play off-time riffs at trudging tempos in a free form manner, which fit the bleak and lost hell that they are trying to convey. However, there are a few songs or song sections where they will break into a straight forward thrash beat or blast beats. The “true” metal riffs from Uroboros, and TOOL influences are largely absent. There is also a substantial drop in (the j-rock interpretation of) nu metal grooves on the record. Dum Spiro Spero also has basically one ballad in “Vanitas,” which is a big contrast to albums past. In terms of the guitars and bass, the heavy riffs are often sludgy and chunky in a more subdued way. Harmonics squeal out on tail ends of riffs and a large dosage of clean electric guitars is utilized. The bass cuts through the production with crystal clarity but merely do the usual adequate job. Drummer Shinya provides his trademark drumming style to Dum Spiro Spero. He does an adequate job, even adding blast beats into his repertoire. Where he comes up short is where the songs float in place. Instead of helping to lift these song parts, he simply just occupies space with uninspiring drum parts....full text |
| Bloody-disgusting |
| With their eighth studio album, Dum Spiro Spero, Dir en grey are preparing to hit the music world like never before. Word is that there will be a massive American blitz to introduce those who were unlucky enough to never have heard of these guys before to the aural insanity that Dir en grey puts forth. Having seen these guys at the Family Values tour in 2006, I can safely say that they put on one of the most intense shows I've ever seen. But has that insanity held and intensity held strong through the years and made it onto Dum Spiro Spero? Find out after the jump! The first several minutes of the album are incredibly creepy and unsettling, using dissonant piano chords and droning guitars to create a miasma of suspense and dread. What follows, and makes up the rest of the album, is a cacophony of punishing metal, terrifying vocals and amazing production. 'Akatsuki' is, in many ways, a perfect example of how intense and complex the band is. The rhythm guitars chug along with dissonant consistency while the bass alternates between foundation notes and some awesome slapping-popping. The lead guitar comes up with a vast amount of different sounds, from clean effected passages to a solo sound that sounds like the fuzzy lovechild of Jimi Hendrix and Justin Chancellor to a funk-wah passage, which just might be one of the most unexpected yet awesome parts of the song. The drums are mixed and panned beautifully, creating a dizzying effect when the toms are played, jumping from the left field to the right to the left to the center and even more. Finally, Kyo's vocals traverse his full range, from death growls to soaring, almost piercing heights. ...full text |
Dir En Grey lyrics
|
| |||||||
