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.
鬼眼-kigan-
DIR EN GREY Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
帯を緩めた浴衣姿で 女は破水して
髪は乱れて顔は見えなく ニヤリと口笑う
女の唇紅く塗れば 二度目も出来るかな?
蝶が死ぬ真冬の季節です 一面雪景色
井戸の中から這い上がる君 女は高笑い
卵管暴走 victimization
排卵反応 victimization
花魁干渉 victimization
断腸切断 victimization
談笑中絶 victimization
性欲願望咲かせましょう 女の死体を咲かせましょう
妊娠願望咲かせましょう 来年の春を咲かせましょう
己の願望咲かせましょう 京の都に咲かせましょう
The lyrics to DIR EN GREY's "鬼眼-kigan-" paint vivid, disturbing scenes that are not for the faint of heart. In the first verse, the singer sets the scene during a hot summer day when he hears a cicada singing on the other side of a fusuma sliding door. He then describes a woman in a yukata whose obi has come undone as she is in the throes of labor. Her hair is disheveled and her face is twisted in a wicked grin as she wonders if painting her lips red will make it possible for her to give birth again. The second verse is set during winter, where the singer describes a man crawling out of a well as a woman looks down upon him, laughing.
The chorus is a cycle of disturbing phrases, each ending with the word "victimization," describing various sexual and violent acts. The last verse takes a particularly macabre turn as the singer encourages the listener to fulfill their sexual and pregnancy desires by "making a woman's corpse bloom" and "making next year's spring bloom" by succumbing to their own desires in the capital city of Kyoto.
Overall, the lyrics to "鬼眼-kigan-" paint a gruesome and disturbing picture of sexual and violent obsession, with the chorus serving as a sort of mantra for the singer's twisted desires.
Line by Line Meaning
蝉が鳴く真夏の季節です 襖の向こうから
It's the midsummer season when cicadas are chirping, and someone is coming from behind the door.
帯を緩めた浴衣姿で 女は破水して
A woman in a loose-fitting yukata, with her obi loosened, is experiencing amniotic fluid leakage.
髪は乱れて顔は見えなく ニヤリと口笑う
Her disheveled hair covers her face, and she gives a sneaky smile.
女の唇紅く塗れば 二度目も出来るかな?
If a woman paints her lips red, can she experience childbirth again?
蝶が死ぬ真冬の季節です 一面雪景色
It's the dead of winter when butterflies die, and everything is covered in snow.
井戸の中から這い上がる君 女は高笑い
A person crawls out of a well, while a woman laughs hysterically.
心眼妄想 victimization
Suffering from delusions caused by the inner eye, leading to victimization.
卵管暴走 victimization
The fallopian tubes are out of control, leading to victimization.
排卵反応 victimization
Victimization caused by ovulation reaction.
花魁干渉 victimization
Victimization involving an oiran (courtesan).
断腸切断 victimization
Victimization involving cutting of the intestines.
談笑中絶 victimization
Victimization resulting in a sudden interruption of a conversation or laughter.
性欲願望咲かせましょう 女の死体を咲かせましょう
Let's bloom our sexual desires and make a woman's dead body bloom.
妊娠願望咲かせましょう 来年の春を咲かせましょう
Let's make our desire to have a child bloom and make next spring bloom.
己の願望咲かせましょう 京の都に咲かせましょう
Let's make our own desires bloom and make it bloom in the capital city of Kyoto.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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