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Dir en Grey: Dum spiro spero
09/10/12 || jaimeviejo
Dir en Grey, the band from Osaka, returns with their 8th album, a difficult album after the very good reception that the previous albums, “Withering to Death” (2005), “The Marrow of a Bone” (2007) and “Uroboros” (2008) had outside Japan. After years of success touring around Europe, selling out their headlining first tour in the States, and opening for big names like Deftones or Linkin Park. Here they arrive with an album that should be the one to definitely open the doors for them outside Japan where they are already mega-stars.
But Dir en Grey instead chose to release an anti-commercial metal album that is overwhelming by its duration, heaviness and variety. This is a beast of an album that touches hardcore, J-pop, death-core, Gothic, Nu Metal, funk and offers some of the more sickening and astonishing vocal performances ever heard by their vocalist Kyo.
But not all is good here, an hour plus album that is so crazy and touches so many styles is not a good thing; “Dum” is and album that you wanna listen to but you cant; its too much to take. The experience of listening to this album was an absolute fight, a fight to keep my attention on it, a test of patience and a desperate quest in trying to find a meaning inside the songs of the album. The songs just jump from style to style without warning, I didn’t know what to expect next, a j pop operistic chorus, a funk Korn style bass section or some hardcore mixed with pig squeals. The best and more enjoyable songs in the album are the more straight forward and simple in style, like “Lotus”, the best song in the album; an amazing dark pop song that starts sounding like Korn and then develops into melodic metal, with again another great vocal performance of Kyo. Another highlight of the album is the second song, “The Blossoming Belzebub”, an atmospheric mid tempo, that introduces the listener to whats about to come next. “Yokusou ni Dreambox” is another good song that lasts too long, but that showcases all the good sides of the band, heaviness, melody and eccentricity without being too overwhelming.
In the death-core section of the album, the highlights are “Different Sense”, “Decayed Crow”, “Juuyoku” and “Hageshisha To”; heavy hard hitting songs delivered with such passion and energy that are difficult not to like them, but it is in songs like this where we find the band struggling with their ideas; It feels like the style is a bit forced and not as creative, as they use the same rhythm patters, generic riffs and pig squeals throughout the songs, creating a monotonous feeling that makes the songs melt together and sound the same.
The band is and has always been very proficient: great musicians with great ideas, but that don’t know how to organize them inside the songs; Sometimes less is more, and that’s another problem with this album and these songs, they drag for too long without going anywhere, and sometimes some cool parts just disappear too fast, diminishing the emotional impact of them. The production is very good, clear, professional and punchy, giving all the instruments room to shine, especially the bass, vocals, keyboards and other atmospheric arrangements used to enhance the mood of the songs.
Having previously listened to all their albums, “Dum” was no surprise, as Dir in Grey continues to showcase its own particular way of seeing music. The problem with this album is that they increased the metal side and the weird side of the band, and they forgot how good they were at writing melodic metal songs. An overwhelming but interesting album, only for the ones with Attention Deficit Disorder, the rest of you stay away or catch the band live.
- Information
- Released: 2011
- Label: The End
- Website: www.direngrey.co.jp
- Band
- Kyo: vocals
- Kaoru: guitars
- Die: guitars
- Toshiya: bass
- Shinya: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Kyōkotsu no Nari
- 02. The Blossoming Beelzebub
- 03. Different Sense
- 04. Amon
- 05. Yokusō ni Dreambox’ Aruiwa Seijuku no Rinen to Tsumetai Ame
- 06. Jūyoku
- 07. Shitataru Mōrō
- 08. Lotus
- 09. Diabolos
- 10. Akatsuki
- 11. Decayed Crow
- 12. Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no Naka de Karamitsuita Shakunetsu no Yami
- 13. Vanitas
- 14. Ruten no Tō
