Dir En Grey

Dir En Grey
Dir En Grey in Saarbrücken in 2009
Background information
Oreigin	Osaka, Japan
Genres	Experimental metal, alternative metal, metalcore, daith metal, progressive metal, nu metal, hard rock
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Firewall Div., SMEJ, Okami, The End, Gan-Shin, Warcon Enterprises
Associate acts	La:Sadie's
Wabsteid	www.direngrey.co.jp
Members	Kyo Kaoru Die Toshiya Shinya

Dir En Grey (stylized as DIR EN GREY an previously as Dir en grey) is a Japanese metal baund formit in 1997 an currently signed tae Firewall Div., a sub-diveesion o Free-Will. As o 2014, they hae recordit nine full-lenth records. While the group's lineup haes remained consistent syne its inception, numerous stylistic chynges hae made the genre o their muisic difficult tae determine (though it is generally considered tae be a form o metal). Oreeginally a visual kei baund, the baund haes optit for less dramatic attire in recent years.

Dir En Grey haes toured through Asie, Europe, Sooth Americae, an North Americae; Billboard commentin on the group's internaitional fanbase, that the baund "haes transcendit the leid barrier in the Unitit States through its muisic" an "gained its audience athoot singin in Inglis".

Muisical style

Dir En Grey haes been categorisit in mony genres such as alternative metal, daith metal, experimental, avant-garde an various ithers. Dir En Grey's format has been subject to change throughout their career, initially being a rather experimental form of alternative rock. Some tracks of their debut album Gauze an aw demonstrated a destinct pop appeal, which wis lairgely dropped in favor o a mair progressive soond on the follaein albums, Macabre an Kisou. While up tae that point some sangs haed awready been mair fast-pacit, raw an aggressive than ithers, the baund's muisic teuk a decisive turn wi the release o the EP Six Ugly, frae then on sportin mair metal influences in general. Dir En Grey's style haes syne gravitated towards riffs an sang structurs mair alang the lines o contemporary North American fusion genres, such as nu metal an metalcore, though their album, Uroboros, sees them return tae the mair experimental an oriental soond o their earlier albums. Syne its release mony sources hae begun classifyin Dir En Grey as progressive metal.

Kyo's singin is considered a pivotal aspect o the baund, an he haes gained recognition for his distinctive vocal wirk an for his lairge range an versatility, being able tae "houl, croon, emote cleanly, scream, shriek, groul, bellae, an mak nearly inhuman soonds", and he has been compared favorably to singer and avant garde metal musician Mike Patton. In their review o Uroboros, Sputnik Music says anerlie o Kyo's singin, "A challenge you tae fynd ane sangster in ony genre wi mair range than this guy." Aw leerics are written bi Kyo an deal wi subjects such as society, mass media as well as sexual obsessions an love, uisually wi negative implications. The vocabulary varies frae subtle tae explicit an several sangs rely hivily on double entendres an ither wirdplay, aften involvin the multiple meanins o a kanji character.

Members

The members o Dir En Grey are creditit wi their given or stage names, wi the names o Kyo (京) an Kaoru (薫) uisually being written in kanji.

• Kyo – vocals
• Kaoru – guitar, backin vocals
• Die – guitar, backin vocals
• Toshiya – bass, backin vocals
• Shinya – drums

Discography

Main airticle: Dir En Grey discography

Studio albums

• Gauze (1999)
• Macabre (2000)
• Kisou (2002)
• Vulgar (2003)
• Withering to Death. (2005)
• The Marrow of a Bone (2007)
• Uroboros (2008)
• Dum Spiro Spero (2011)
• Arche (2014)
• The Insulated World (2018)
• Phalaris (2022)

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