Originally a visual kei band, the band dropped that style around 2005 with the release of their fifth full-length album, Withering to death., however as of recently they have reacquired their visual kei aesthetic. Their musical style is difficult to determine; throughout their releases, they have played styles ranging from pop rock to extreme metal. Today, their style can be considered generally a version of alternative metal and avant-garde metal.
The band has been signed to FIREWALL DIV., a subdivision of Free-Will under Sony Music, for their entire career so far. However, their fifth full-length album, Withering to death., was the band's first to see distribution outside of Japan. It was released in Europe by GAN-SHIN and the United States by Warcon Enterprises. They're currently signed to Okami Records for European distribution and The End for United States distribution.
DIR EN GREY, in its earliest form, began as the band of vocalist 京 and drummer Shinya - 廃人黒薔薇族 (Haijin Kurobarazoku, "Invalid Black Rose Family"). Members and associates of this band formed La:Sadie's, which eventually included four of the band's five current members. La:Sadie's disbanded in January 1997. All but the bassist came back together to form Dir en grey. They recruited Toshiya, a bassist from Nagano and previously in the band D†L, and officially formed Dir en grey in February 1997.
In 1998, the band gained major attention by becoming the first indies band to have a single place in the top ten on Japan's Oricon music charts. After making their major debut in early 1999, they played a sold-out performance at Osakajo Hall on December 18, 1999. This remains one of the band's most memorable solo performances to date.
In 2002, the band's THE JAPANESE FXXKER FAMILY tour brought the band their first international performances. The tour took them to several countries in Asia, including China and South Korea. In Shanghai, fans became so excited that authorities attempted to cancel a planned second concert. The band and their management resisted, and the concert was played as scheduled.
The year 2005 was a very significant year in the band's history. Dir en grey played their first non-Asian shows in the spring and summer of that year. TOUR05 It withers and withers was the one that brought the band from Japan to Europe. The band played shows in three European countries - Belgium, France, and Germany. Two of these performances were MTV's Rock im Park and Rock am Ring festivals. Dir en grey also played a solo live concert in Germany on May 28 which sold 3,500 standing-room tickets to Berlin's Columbia Hall in approximately 6 weeks (also rumored as 3 days). The band's album Withering to death. reached #31 on the Official Finnish Album Chart, and the single "CLEVER SLEAZOID" reached #15 on its Singles Chart. These were the first times Dir en grey had placed on a non-Asian music chart.
Throughout 2009 and 2011, the band released a total of three singles that would later be added onto their 8th album (DUM SPIRO SPERO). These singles included 激しさと、この胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇 (December 2nd, 2009), LOTUS (January 26, 2011), and DIFFERENT SENSE (June 22nd, 2011). On August 1st, the band had made an open letter on their Facebook page accusing the Japanese government of lying about the levels of radiation caused from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. This led to the creation of the band's "Scream for the Truth" movement, which hoped to result in the correct numbers and truth from the government.
On August 3rd, 2011 the band released their 8th studio album DUM SPIRO SPERO (Latin; "While I breathe, I hope"). The material of this album was showcased on the tour of Age Quod Agis throughout Japan, and the Americas. In February of 2012, 京 (Kyo) was diagnosed with vocal nodule dysphonia. This lead to the withdrawal of the band's participation in the Still Reckless tour, and Kyo was required to have surgery performed on his throat.
The band celebrated their first album's (GAUZE) 15th anniversary of August 2014 with the Tour14 Psychonnect: Mode of "Gauze"? Japanese tour. The tour included their live performances of the songs featured on Gauze. On August 5th, Dir En Grey announced their 9th studio album, ARCHE, to be released December 10th, 2014. After its release, the band performed two tours: By the Grace of God and The Unstoppable life, which brought the band back to North America; the first time since 2011.
On 6 February 2016, it is officially announced that the band will release their new single, 詩踏み, on July 27, 2016. They performed tours called Tour16-17 From Depression To ________ mode of Vulgar, Tour16-17 From Depression To ________ mode of Dum Spiro Spero, and Tour16-17 From Depression To ________ mode of 鬼葬 from June to November 2016.
In 2017, the band did further tours themed around previous albums. They also covered Easy Make,Easy Mark by D'erlanger for the D'ERLANGER TRIBUTE ALBUM ～Stairway to Heaven～.
Another compilation album, VESTIGE OF SCRATCHES, was released on January 2, 2018. DIR EN GREY's twenty-ninth single 人間を被る was released on April 25, 2018. One of its B-sides is a remake of Ash, a song with origins as far back as 1997.
On June 29, 2018, DIR EN GREY announced that their tenth studio album The Insulated World was to be released on September 26, 2018. After its release, the band went on a European tour in October 2018, under the title "Wearing Human Skin".
DIR EN GREY's eleventh studio album, "Phalaris", was released on June 15th 2022. The band embarked on a Japanese tour in promotion called "TOUR22 PHALARIS -Vol.I.-".
Visit www.direngrey.co.jp for more information, and news.
The Final
DIR EN GREY Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
文字に出来ない左手です
血を流す度に生きてる理由
見出す言葉が鮮やかで
手の中には愛すべき人さえも
華々しく散って
手の中には生きた意味刻んでも
虚しき華と知る
The final
Ah
一つ二つと増え続ける
何故に笑えない餌となる?
深き獄の心決して戻れはしない
明日を触れない自虐的敗北者
Suicide is the proof of life
手の中には愛すべき人さえも
華々しく散って
手の中には生きた意味刻んでも
虚しき華と散る
So I can't live, so I can't live
そう無くしたモノは
So I can't live, so I can't live
もう産まれない ah
So I can't live, so I can't live
生きてる証さえ
So I can't live, so I can't live
求められない歌
Let's put an end the final
未遂の蕾 咲かせよう
The lyrics of DIR EN GREY's song "THE FINAL" depict the struggle of an individual who is searching for reasons to live, only to find that everything they hold dear fades away and ultimately turns into emptiness. The opening lines of the song, "Staring at the intention that unwinds, it is the left hand incapable of being put into words," suggest that the singer is unable to express their own desires and inner turmoil through words alone. They seek meaning in their pain and suffering, but the answers they find are fleeting and insufficient.
The chorus of the song repeats the lines "In my hands, even the loved ones scatter magnificently" and "Even if I engraved the meaning of life into my hands, I know it's just a meaningless flower." These lyrics express the singer's realization that despite their efforts to hold onto the things and people that matter to them, everything eventually fades and turns into nothingness. The lines "Suicide is the proof of life" reveal that the singer sees death as the ultimate proof of their existence and that they may even consider giving up on life altogether.
The final lines of the song, "So I can't live, so I can't live, let's put an end, the final, let's make the incomplete buds bloom," suggest that the singer may choose to end their life. However, the ambiguous nature of the lyrics leaves room for interpretation, and the meaning of the song may vary according to the listener's perspective and experience.
Line by Line Meaning
解けてしまう意図を見つめ
Staring at unraveling intentions
文字に出来ない左手です
It's the left hand that cannot express in words
血を流す度に生きてる理由
A reason to keep living every time blood is spilled
見出す言葉が鮮やかで
The words that are discovered are vivid
手の中には愛すべき人さえも
Even loved ones in the hand
華々しく散って
Scattered in splendor
手の中には生きた意味刻んでも
Even if living meaning is engraved in the hand
虚しき華と知る
Knowing it is an empty flower
The final
The end
Ah
Sound of realization
一つ二つと増え続ける
Continuing to increase one by one
何故に笑えない餌となる?
Why does it become an unlaughable bait?
深き獄の心決して戻れはしない
The heart in a deep prison will never return
明日を触れない自虐的敗北者
A self-grieving loser who cannot touch tomorrow
Suicide is the proof of life
Suicide is proof of being alive
手の中には愛すべき人さえも
Even loved ones in the hand
華々しく散って
Scattered in splendor
手の中には生きた意味刻んでも
Even if living meaning is engraved in the hand
虚しき華と散る
Scattering as an empty flower
So I can't live, so I can't live
So I cannot keep living
そう無くしたモノは
The lost things
So I can't live, so I can't live
So I cannot keep living
もう産まれない ah
Won't be born again
So I can't live, so I can't live
So I cannot keep living
生きてる証さえ
Even the proof of being alive
So I can't live, so I can't live
So I cannot keep living
求められない歌
An unwanted song
Let's put an end the final
Let's put an end to the final
未遂の蕾 咲かせよう
Let's bloom the buds of an unfinished life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kyou, Die, Shinya, Toshiya, Kaoru
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind