6.
Dir En Grey - Uroboros (2008)
1. Sa Bir (2:00)
2. Vinushka (9:35)
3. Red Soil (3:24)
4. Doukoku to Sarinu (3:48)
5. Toguro (3:57)
6. Glass Skin (4:27)
7. Stuck Man" 3:34
8. Reiketsu Nariseba (3:33)
9. Ware, Yami Tote... (7:01)
10. Bugaboo (4:43)
11. Gaika, Chinmoku ga Nemuru Koro (4:22)
12. Dozing Green (4:05)
13. Inconvenient Ideal (4:23)
Introduction:
Among the more eclectic groups to achieve international recognition from the Land of the Rising Sun (AKA Japan), Dir En Grey have grown quite a bit since their poppy debut back in 1999, mixing up and incorporating industrial, nu-metal, and even progressive rock influences into their oddly arranged yet accessible way of playing music over their following three or four albums, never content to sit around and recycle the same ideas over and over again like the majority are content to do.
Anyway, I've come to favor these guys more and more since I was introduced to them last year, (to the extent where they've crawled to the top of my list here) and it is this here latest work
Uroboros where everything they've cultivated comes together uncannily into a face the rest of the world can look upon in wonder. It's among the most varied of their efforts (you hear everything from post-hardcore to ambient here), and as a result it's my favorite from their discography. Hell, it even charted here in the U.S. despite the fact its mostly sung in Japanese...how's that for crossover appeal?
On another point of interest, Dir En Grey are in possession of one of the most frighteningly talented frontmen in contemporary music today,
Kyo, who could be best described as a Japanese Mike Patton in terms of vocal range coupled with the emotional sensibilities of a less whiny Thom Yorke.
Lyrically, he's also a rather deviant in his songwriting; it's sometimes catchy and accessible, abrasively complex, and usually very disturbing no matter which category a song falls under. From the story of a guy running from a nymphmaniacally corpse to falling in love with a fish, this guy's got one hell of an imagination. But whether or not you bother to pay attention or look up what the words may mean, the music speaks for itself regardless on the instrumental front. Guitarists Kaoru and Die shred things up nicely when necessery, Toshiya's bass is quite jazzy, and Shinya the drummer holds everything together with his insane energy and precise percussive sense. Basically, everyone here is phenomenal.
And for those that may not have noticed yet, the cover art here was inspired by King Crimson's
Lizard, so that's worth extra cool points in and of itself.
Track review time!
The Album:
1. Sa Bir: Eastern percussion, heavy beats and a bit of sitar that's straight out of Arabian Nights provide a wonderfully hypnotic introduction to my favorite metal album of the last five years.
2. Vinushka: A top class 9 minute prog-metal excursion into the subject of reincarnation and a decent indicator of the Dir En Grey's style for those who haven't heard them before. Kyo's vocals are almost mournful even when he growls or scats like some kind of monster. The acoutics near the 6 minute mark among the first of many memorable moments that follow rank across this record.
3. Red Soil: Mid-tempo/ATDI-esque fun that features some especially wicked drumming half-way through. Would have made one hell of a single!
4. Doukoku To Sarinu: Nothing special, but Kyo's voice is like the elevator of awesome here.
5. Toguro: A pseudo funk-metal escapade about the rise of chaos or somtehing like that. Some nice electronic influences come into play after the 2 minute mark.
6. Glass Skin: Opening with a fantastic dose of piano, this is my favorite track from the
Uroboros and something of a throwback to this band's alternative-pop debut. It's sung in English, though unless you look up the lyrics you most likely won't understand them, haha. A very catchy ballad from start to finish!
7. Stuck Man: Funk-death metal-jazz-trip hop-hardcore in a green tea blender with extra punk. A highlight of the album and something that must be heard to be believed.
8. Reiketsu Nariseba: Kyo sounds really pissed off here, what with the hardcore breakdowns and carnival keyboards dancing around. Midway through we're treated to something like tribal jazz-ambient with the screams of the damned all around.
9. Ware, Yam Tote...: Here the listerner is treated to yet another side of this band. It's almost folky, with 7 minutes of flamenco guitar, heartfelt singing with occasional piano and drums. All in all, another prominent peak on an album with so much going for it already.
10. Bugaboo: An explosion of death metal anger presented uncharacteristically straightforward. Ideal for headbanging!
11. Gaika, Chinmoku Ga Nemurukoro: Ambient noises lead into carnival drums and a series of wazoo breakdowns. I like how it dissolves into something like audible mist near the end!
11. Dozing Green: The big single, a freakish love song balancing precariously between the soft and loud while still remaining of interest to those who pay attention to complex guitar work. Memorable moment: Kyo's screams of pain in the last minute that would make Patton proud.
12. Inconveniant Ideal: The album closer and among the best of this album. It starts of pretty and builds up ever so sharply to explosion, followed by some surprisingly proggy keyboard and guitar work before returning to the chorus. An...ideal end I'd say to an ideal album, hahahaa.
Conclusion:
Uroboros is a wonderfully violent album, vivid with spite and hopelessness even at its most idyllic. It exceeds and even laughs at genre boundaries in a world full of generic hardcore/metal bands who, along with their fans, tend to look down on anything that makes you think a bit. This album will certainly appeal to those kind of people, because it has its fare share of tracks that certainly get your blood boiling...yet still, it does more, tries more, and succeeds in ways that few others do.
For those open to something compelling, perhaps even taste-altering, this is certainly one hell of a place to start. For me, at least, the listening experience has always been worthwhile.