Critic's Choice Essay – DIR EN GREY
“Critic’s Choice Essay – DIR EN GREY” by John Dang Carrying the weight of one of Japan’s most well-known rock bands, metal band DIR EN GREY has been active for nearly 16 years since their inception in 1997, having successfully established an international fan base spanning from America to Europe altogether. Consisting of five members, Kyo (vocals), Kaoru (lead guitar), DIE (rhythm guitar), Toshiya (bassist), and Shinya (drummer), the band’s original concept laid within the visual kei movement, a popular subculture among Japanese musicians which focused on excessive make-up, flamboyant hairstyles, and gothic and punk inspired outfits, often leaving the impression of androgyny. However, through constantly incorporating their change as a band into their music and image, DIR EN GREY has transitioned away from the visual kei movement after their third album, VULGAR. As a result, in an effort to stay unique to their sound, DIR EN GREY is now considered an experimental metal band due to the different sound each album produces, which could also represent their desire to pursue their idea of expression. Centering their ideals around concepts such as “suicide is the proof of living” and “inward scream”, DIR EN GREY takes what would otherwise be negative ideas and translates them into music. Upon listening to their music or watching one of their promotional videos (the Japanese term for music video) for the first time, it would not be surprising for one to regard DIR EN GREY as vulgar, obscene, or disturbing. Although the band’s concept revolves around grotesque themes, their music can be described as a desire to ascertain a certain truth, often delving into the boundaries of one’s negativity to invoke self-realization or awareness in relation to the band’s message.
[Show full text]