Dir en grey

[Obfuscation]

I was not really into Dum Spiro Spero, and I would say they were trending downward since Withering if not for Uroboros.

So just hoping for another Uroboros rather than Marrow/DSS

Interesting. I have a really hard time choosing one over the other because I think they are both interchangeable in which one is the better one. I do give the edge to Dum Spiro Spero now though. From an interview I read that's a couple of months old now, it was mentioned they're headed more in the direction of Sustain the Untruth so lets wait and see what that means for an album.

 

I adore pretty much everything they've done. I'm still getting used to Kisou and Vulgar, but I can't say they have a single song that I outright dislike. Dum Spiro Spero is a masterclass of extreme metal vocals.

I'm in the same camp with not having given their first albums enough listens yet but don't have anything against them. I agree about the vocals on Dum Spiro Spero as well.

[Ultimetalhead]

I love Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no Naka de Karamitsuita Shakunetsu no Yami (love typing that monstrosity out), but just not as much as everything else. It seems like damn near every other song has some kind of awesome Kyo moment or something else really cool. Hageshisa's a little bit more pedestrian than the rest of the album.

I absolutely fucking love the new single so if they did more stuff in that darker, almost haunted vibe, I'd be very happy.

[Genowyn]

So I'm listening to the new version of Macabre. I really like the original, and while I think this one is better than the remake of Obscure so far (I really hated that), I'm not sure where the extra six minutes of song are coming from since Macabre already sorta meanders.

A couple of my favorite old school songs look like they got redone on Unraveling (The Final? Yes. Unknown... Despair... a Lost[as the original version is called]? DOUBLE YES.)

I just hope these songs I love don't get the Obscure treatment (ie turn up the distortion and Kyo will just scream all the lines). How would that even work on a song like Kasumi?

Based on these concerns, should I listen to Unraveling or will it hurt me?

[Ultimetalhead]

I thought it was all very well done. There's some screams, but I think all in all they were quite faithful to the source material. The Final's remake is better than the original, IMO.

[Genowyn]

So I wasn't really into the new content on Macabre, think it detracted from the power of the song.

Unknown Despair A Lost -  what the FUCK. I could hardly recognize it. Jesus christ.

Just in case noone has heard the original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nxHgxL9p9U

I think Karasu could work well because it was one of the darker songs on Kisou, BODV same deal. The Final I dunno, if they just changed it from basically an emo song into a metal one I'm not sure if that's necessary. I'll listen to it.

/grumpyoldtimerhateschange

[Buddyhunter1]

I love Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no Naka de Karamitsuita Shakunetsu no Yami (love typing that monstrosity out), but just not as much as everything else. It seems like damn near every other song has some kind of awesome Kyo moment or something else really cool.

What about that part near the end where the music cuts out and Kyo sounds like he sneezes mid-scream?

[Obfuscation]

I love Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no Naka de Karamitsuita Shakunetsu no Yami (love typing that monstrosity out), but just not as much as everything else. It seems like damn near every other song has some kind of awesome Kyo moment or something else really cool. Hageshisa's a little bit more pedestrian than the rest of the album.

I absolutely fucking love the new single so if they did more stuff in that darker, almost haunted vibe, I'd be very happy.

I feel like almost every song minus the first track has a moment where at least one member just does something that grabs your attention with Kyo doing it in every song.

I like the single as well but hope that doesn't mean that the whole album will be of songs like that that just sound more straight-forward than what is on their last 2 albums sometimes. I still want songs in the vein of Vinushka,  Reiketsu Nariseba, Different Sense, Amon, and Diabolos if you're understanding what I mean.

So I'm listening to the new version of Macabre. I really like the original, and while I think this one is better than the remake of Obscure so far (I really hated that), I'm not sure where the extra six minutes of song are coming from since Macabre already sorta meanders.

A couple of my favorite old school songs look like they got redone on Unraveling (The Final? Yes. Unknown... Despair... a Lost[as the original version is called]? DOUBLE YES.)

I just hope these songs I love don't get the Obscure treatment (ie turn up the distortion and Kyo will just scream all the lines). How would that even work on a song like Kasumi?

Based on these concerns, should I listen to Unraveling or will it hurt me?

I actually liked the new version of Obscure and have liked what they've done to most of their old song remakes like Zan but that's cause I really like their heavy sound. Seeing as to how you like their song to sound like, I still say get The Unraveling a listen as to Karma really is the one that is mostly what it seems you don';t want them to do to their songs. Kasumi really has no screaming at all in it, just mostly sung and so is Karasu.

[Ultimetalhead]

I love the visual kei stuff just as much as the heavy stuff. Still sounds like the same band to me, just slightly less downtuning. Honestly, I was downright shocked at how heavy Gauze was after hearing how it's nothing like Uroboros, but Schwein no Isu is still one of their heaviest songs, and Zan is pure madness. I do wish they'd do more songs like mazohyst of decadence though. That song is just disturbing, and they don't really do stuff like that anymore.

Though, I have to say Unknown Despair Lost isn't the first time a remake has been completely different. The redone Tsumi to Batsu seriously sounds like a completely different song.

[Obfuscation]

Yeah I think songs from that era are heavy as well but some don't think they are or some people say its radically different from say from Uroboros but I think lots of it has to do with how they sounded at the time. It being Kyo's singing, the tone of their guitars and so on. That's obvious with Zan as the remake they did was just screaming and growling from Kyo and heavy, downtuned guitars and look at how heavy it sounds like that. Mazohyst of Decadence is a unique song and wouldn't mind seeing them do something like that again now seeing as they still can since I get similar vibes from it sometimes like I do from The Blossoming Beelzebub. 

[Genowyn]

Ahh I remember that Tsumi to Batsu/Mitsu to Tsuba remake as well and I don't think I liked it much

When I say (it was mostly me earlier in the thread haha) that the early albums are quite different, I wasn't meaning there were no heavy songs. Obviously Gauze has songs like Zan, Mitsu to Tsuba, etc that are quite heavy, but also poppier songs like Cage or Raison D'etre and these long ballad type things like Mazohyst of Decadence and Akuro no Oka.

Then you have Macabre where nearly every song is just creepy as hell, and then Kisou which has this weird dichotomy of super moody stuff and crazy stuff. I guess I just feel like there was more variety back then.

Also, maybe this is just me being nostalgic, but although Vulgar was certainly their heaviest output until Marrow, it feels completely different. A song like Child Prey would be just as out of place on any of the last three albums as Cage would.

[Obfuscation]

I actually feel like there's still lots of variety in their albums, especially their last 2. Uroboros had songs like Vinushka, Red Soil, Glass Skin, Stuck Man, Reiketsu Nariseba, Ware, Yami Tote..., and Dozing Green. DSS had The Blossoming Beelzebub, Amon, Lotus, Diabolos, Vanitas, and Ruten no To which I think are songs that are all different from each other. I do think Macabre and Kisou are some of the album with least variety.

[Ultimetalhead]

I agree that there's a ton of variety on the new Dir en Grey albums, but I also say there's a shitload of variety on the earlier stuff as well. Gauze, Macabre, and Kisou all go through a ton of different moods and atmospheres. Vulgar, Withering, and Marrow are less varied overall, I'd say. Though, Withering still has some cool poppy songs like C, Jesus Christ RnR, and The Final. C in particular gets stuck in my head all the time.

[Genowyn]

So I've listened to Unraveling, and most of the other songs on here I like quite a bit more than the ones I listened to yesterday. Though, I'm listening to a higher quality version, on headphones, now, so I even liked Unkown.Despair.Lost better. I really like this version of The Final.

[Buddyhunter1]

Are most of Dir En Grey's remakes vastly different from the originals?

I ask because at first I didn't know Hydra 666 from Uroborus was a remake at all, and when I listened to the original afterwards, aside from some general similarities in structure, they sound like two completely different songs. It didn't even seem like they shared any melodies or anything.

[Genowyn]

Most of the ones on Unraveling are pretty recognizable, just Unknown.Despair.Lost you need to listen really closely to hear the melodies and lines from the original song . Macabre is basically the same song with 6 minutes of extra stuff jammed in there.

[Ultimetalhead]

I'm curious if you like the new single or not.

[Genowyn]

I enjoy Sustain the Untruth quite a bit. Unraveling too.

[Buddyhunter1]

The new album is called "Arche" and will be out December 10th.
https://direngrey.co.jp/news/1418/

Damn, Devin Townsend and Dir En Grey release dates announced on the same day? Fuck yeah.

[Zantera]

I'm stoked for their new album.

[Obfuscation]

Oh god, they made the wait worse now by pushing it back a month but still got their old material that I haven't gotten tired of listening to yet so that should hold me in the mean time. Anyway, I hope they release a single soon to see in what direction they're going with in this album.

[Ultimetalhead]

Oh god, they made the wait worse now by pushing it back a month but still got their old material that I haven't gotten tired of listening to yet so that should hold me in the mean time. Anyway, I hope they release a single soon to see in what direction they're going with in this album.

An interview with someone...either Kaoru or Die said that Sustain the Untruth was more characteristic of the new direction than Unraveling, if that helps at all.

[PolarizeMe]

The new album is called "Arche" and will be out December 10th.
https://direngrey.co.jp/news/1418/

Damn, Devin Townsend and Dir En Grey release dates announced on the same day? Fuck yeah.

Yeah, today is quite a big day in music related announcements that's for sure. Looking forward to the new album.

[Obfuscation]

Oh god, they made the wait worse now by pushing it back a month but still got their old material that I haven't gotten tired of listening to yet so that should hold me in the mean time. Anyway, I hope they release a single soon to see in what direction they're going with in this album.

An interview with someone...either Kaoru or Die said that Sustain the Untruth was more characteristic of the new direction than Unraveling, if that helps at all.

Yeah I read that interview and posted about it here but I know it'll be more than just sounding similar in some ways to Sustain the Untruth. Basically I just want to hear anything form them already lol.

[Ultimetalhead]

Oh god, they made the wait worse now by pushing it back a month but still got their old material that I haven't gotten tired of listening to yet so that should hold me in the mean time. Anyway, I hope they release a single soon to see in what direction they're going with in this album.

An interview with someone...either Kaoru or Die said that Sustain the Untruth was more characteristic of the new direction than Unraveling, if that helps at all.

Yeah I read that interview and posted about it here but I know it'll be more than just sounding similar in some ways to Sustain the Untruth. Basically I just want to hear anything form them already lol.

Oh me too. STU was like...3 minutes and I was smileing myself over it for at least a month. I haven't heard a single song from them that I haven't loved yet, so I doubt they'll start now.

[Obfuscation]

Yeah I have no doubts towards this new album or any hesitations in not liking it so I'm just all excited here. Especially since they released everything from Uroboros and on, its just been amazing and awesome and like the direction they have been going on. Their last 2 singles, Rinkaku and STU, while being different were still badass and great so just gotta play the waiting game now.

[PolarizeMe]

I think the last time I posted on here I had only discovered the band and had listened to the remastered and expanded version of Uroboros for the first time, but to be frank I had almost forgotten about the band. Recently I decided to give the original version of Uroboros a spin and was floored. Even though it was slightly different than the remaster in production/tracklisting, I thought it was an even better album than I remembered. Since I've been on a Dir En Grey craze and went back and listened to a few more of their albums (went backwards in time actually) and they're all great. If I had to rank the albums I listened to so far it'd look like this:

1. Uroboros
2. Vulgar
3. Withering To Death
4. The Marrow of a Bone

I'll eventually get to Gauze, Macabre, Kisou and Dum Spiro Spero soon enough! Next to Uroboros, I really liked the direction in Vulgar. Out of the four on my list, it felt the most different IMO. I dunno to me, Vulgar felt a bit alt-rock/metalish at times and that's kind of more in line with the kind of rock/metal I'm listening to right now. 

[Ultimetalhead]

God, if you liked Vulgar, get Dum Spiro Spero immediately. I find them to be similar in atmosphere, except Dum Spiro is literally a million times darker. I must say though, the remaster of Uroboros is pretty pointless. The "original" version of the album is practically flawless. It flows perfectly, and the loud, punchy drums actually add to the intensity of songs like Vinushka and Reiketsu Nariseba.

[PolarizeMe]

Listening to several songs off of both the original and remaster of Uroboros side by side, I find that there are a lot of moments where the remaster just sounds flat, stripped down, and...dead. I like to think of the remaster as their version of Let It Be...Naked. I agree on the Reiketsu Nariseba comparison with the two versions. That song is the worst example of how much the remaster lost all the ferocity of the original. The original Uroboros is perhaps the only time where I actually like the St. Anger-ish snare sound that has plagued several other albums in the millennium.

Funny enough, Dum Spiro Spero would've to be the next album I was going to listen to before I was side tracked with other music. I just finished listening to it and man it's fucking awesome! As of now it's my favorite album behind Uroboros. Very chaotic and twisted IMO which is why I love it. The four song run of The Blossoming Beelzebub, Different Sense, Amon, and Yokusou Ni Dreambox Aruiwa Seijuku No Rinen To Tsumetai Ame (that's a monster of a name to type up! ) are probably some of my favorites on the album. One thing I noticed on Dum Spiro is that Kyo's vocals are at its most adventurous IMO...if that makes any sense cause I could describe that as his vocal performance in general

[Ultimetalhead]

I've said this a million times but here it is again. Different Sense is the greatest song ever written and Dum Spiro Spero is basically a clinic on extreme metal vocals.

[Zantera]

I've said this a million times but here it is again. Different Sense is the greatest song ever written and Dum Spiro Spero is basically a clinic on extreme metal vocals.

I don't know if Different Sense is one of my favorites, but I agree about the vocals on Dum Spiro Spero. Even if the music doesn't hit a home run for you, just listening to the vocals is quite the ride.

[PolarizeMe]

I've been playing Different Sense a lot today and I think it's starting to become my all time favorite Dir En Grey song. I saw a live video of it and boy if I ever see them live and they play it, damn I don't know what I'll do! But the one thing that surprised me most about that video I saw was the fact that Die and Toshiya doing harsh backing vocals. I had no clue that they did backing vocals live period. 

In other news, I found a copy of Uroboros on vinyl (judging by the pictures, it's an American pressing by The End Records) for $9.99 on eBay. And it isn't a used copy BTW, it's brand new and sealed but the shrink wrap is slightly ripped on the back. I don't know how obscure and rare it is on vinyl, but I guessed that it was EXTREMELY rare to see a vinyl copy of it floating around so I bought it (I was the only one who bid on it actually) Possibly the best vinyl purchase I've made in a long time.

[Zantera]

I have both Uroboros and Dum Spiro Spero on vinyl, both rule.

[Ultimetalhead]

I've been playing Different Sense a lot today and I think it's starting to become my all time favorite Dir En Grey song. I saw a live video of it and boy if I ever see them live and they play it, damn I don't know what I'll do! But the one thing that surprised me most about that video I saw was the fact that Die and Toshiya doing harsh backing vocals. I had no clue that they did backing vocals live period. 

Yeah. It's a shame though because anyone is a downgrade from Kyo. I know they don't do any singing in studio. That's the only thing that tarnishes the live versions for me. Kyo's screams layered with his acrobatic singing is so unbelievably awesome.

[Obfuscation]

It seems like for just about the entire year I've been listening to Dir En Grey every day and especially Uroboros and Dum Spiro Spero and I just don't get tired of them. In fact I think I keep on liking their album more and more and DSS is slowly just solidifying its place as my favorite album of theirs. Just everything about that album works and Kyo's vocals kick my ass every single time of how awesome they are. Even their demo's for that album are good. I like their demo version of Akatsuki over the final album version and so on. So to say I'm excited for their new album almost feels like an understatement.

[PolarizeMe]

I can only say that I "truly" got into Dir En Grey just this month, but having a new album from them this year is really exciting to hear for this new fan. Kinda makes me happy that I discovered this band only now.