The Sound of Dir En Grey

The Japanese band Dir En Gray is one that has long been known in its home country as a group of talented and fascinating musicians, but now their appeal has spread to the United States as well. This J-rock band is one that has managed to jump the language barrier with ease, and it boasts fans around the world. This group first came together in 1997 and has remained close-knit for over a decade, reliably delivering powerful performances all over the world. In 2005, Dir En Grey made its first European appearance, and 2006, the band sold out to limited performances in America, which was followed up impressive performances in Korn’s Family Values Tour.

The music of Dir en Gray can best be described as an mix of pop, punk and metal, and over the past decade it is worth noticing that the group’s style has changed. Several of the band members have written songs for performance and the various styles reflected in their records can be attributed to this fact. Though Kyo, the lead vocalist, has written the lyrics to all of the songs, he has only composed a few of them, and the songs that he has composed tend to have a very dark sound. Die and Kaoru, the two guitarists in the band, have also composed the music for several of the songs, giving them a more upbeat note. Toshiya, the bassist, has also contributed in this regard and his work on the songs Erode and Bottom of the Valley are quite base driven. Shinya, the drummer, has composed songs that will vary between being very upbeat and melodic numbers.

As mentioned above, Dir En Gray performs in Japanese, and though it does not take a mastery of Japanese to enjoy the music, it is interesting to note that this band’s songs often have a great deal to do with wordplay. In Japanese, where one character can be read several ways, this can give any song a great deal of hidden meaning and double entendre, something that suits the band’s image quite well. Many of the songs are about love and obsession and how they can help and harm.

For many people, one of the enjoyable aspects of Dir En Gray live performances is the chance to see the band’s costumes. When this band was founded it was very much a part of the visual kei genre of bands, which had a very flamboyant and elaborate costuming style. Over time, these costumes have become more downplayed and more subdued.

If you have an interest in J-rock, there’s really no better place to start than Dir En Gray. Not only does this band feature an amazing group of talented musicians, it also has plans to tour in the United States, making it possible to experience their appeal first hand.