Japan: It’s the Land of the Rising Sun, the mecca of cutting-edge technology and the home country of Dir en Grey, a band whose music is the universal definition of the word “uncompromising.”
But to describe Dir en Grey as just another thrash/metalcore/whatever-earns-a-spot-on-Ozzfest-core band would fail to do it justice.
On its latest release, “The Marrow of a Bone,” Dir en Grey goes well beyond the relentless-but-monotonous guitar riffs and Cookie Monster-gone-hardcore vocals that are so often associated with metal. Instead, the band has unleashed a harsh-yet-delicate marvel that seamlessly combines elements of progressive metal, post-hardcore and goth rock while retaining a finely honed sense of melody.
That’s not to say that Dir en Grey has gone power ballad-crazy on its loyal fan base. Guitarists Kaoru and Die (perhaps the most awesome metal moniker ever) are still capable of dishing out a twin-axe musical massacre that is driven by pummeling riffs, while lead singer/principal songwriter/all-around madman Kyo helps lead the band’s songs in unexpected and often disturbing directions.
Then again, Kyo is well-known for his onstage displays of self-mutilation that rival Iggy Pop during his heyday, so perhaps these jarring shifts in sonic approach are not so unexpected after all.
The opening track “Conceived Sorrow” is a melancholy and menacing yet graceful ballad that sets the tone for the rest of the album. “Lie Buried with a Vengeance” and “Grief” are riff-driven yet catchy assaults that throw in out-of-nowhere tempo shifts for good measure, while “Agitated Screams of Maggots” is a beat-you-senseless blend of metalcore and post-hardcore reminiscent of Norma Jean.
Most of these tracks are heavily guitar-driven, although the slithering groove of “Disabled Complexes” gives the rhythm section made up of bassist Toshiya and drummer Shinya a chance to shine.
Lyrically, all of the songs are in Japanese, although with song titles such as “Repetition of Hatred” and “Agitated Screams of Maggots,” it’s quite obvious that the guys aren’t singing about rainbows and picnics on a sunny day.
Instead, Kyo’s lyrics appropriately fit the bleak and sometimes threatening nature of Dir en Grey’s music. For instance, according to the English-translated liner notes, “Agitated Screams” features lines like “I’ll rape your daughter on your grave” and “I’m gonna slash your wound just like mine.”
Needless to say, the sinister and macabre atmosphere of this album is no joke.
Essentially, “The Marrow of a Bone” shows that Dir en Grey is able to combine the uncompromisingly intense and the unexpectedly sublime into something that is hauntingly beautiful.
