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.
CLEVER SLEAZOID
DIR EN GREY Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Doing meaningless shit over and over
I'm just a third-rated star covered in blood
See the prince on the rocking horse, his polished face looks cool
I'm just gonna spill my guts on you
Under the name of justice, you can't break my soul
Think, you moron
Fall out of line you cockroach
Right, left, front, and back, it overflows with despair and pain
They say this anger, this emotion, and this passion is all a lie
Wither
I'm not even trying to justify myself
Under the name of justice, you can't break my soul
Under the name of justice, kill yourself
Think, you moron
Fall out of line you cockroach
The dark, dark Sunday, the blood stains
You can't save yourself
The dark, dark Sunday, the blood stains
One day I will fuck your parents
This is the last time
Welcome to the garden of destruction
This is the last time
Welcome to the garden of destruction
声も出ないくらいに そんな今に一人と気付く
The night is cold and long
The night sky is deep and wide
The dark, dark Sunday, the blood stains
You can't save yourself
The dark, dark Sunday, the blood stains
One day I will fuck your parents
The lyrics to DIR EN GREY's song "Clever Sleazoid" are a sharp critique of society and those who blindly follow authority. The song starts with a blunt wake-up call, urging listeners to recognize that they are dead, metaphorically speaking. The next lines express the feeling of being trapped in a cycle of meaningless actions, despite being a "third-rated star covered in blood," possibly referring to the entertainment industry's exploitation of artists. The reference to the prince on the rocking horse with a polished face implies that those in power may appear cool and pristine but are ultimately shallow and corrupt. In contrast, the singer feels a need to speak out and bare their soul.
The phrase "under the name of justice" is repeated throughout the song, suggesting that those in power use the guise of justice to control and manipulate others. The singer is not afraid to call out this hypocrisy, urging the listener to think and break out of the cycle like a cockroach. The fourth stanza emphasizes the overwhelming emotional pain and despair that the singer feels, which society may dismiss as a lie. However, the singer is not interested in justifying themselves as they know their truth.
The final lines are particularly provocative, with the reference to a "dark, dark Sunday" and blood stains. The singer tells the listener that they cannot save themselves, and that one day, they will "fuck your parents." This line implies a desire to disrupt and destroy the status quo, to incite a sense of chaos that may lead to something better.
Line by Line Meaning
Wake up you're dead
Stop living a meaningless and unfulfilling life
Doing meaningless shit over and over
Repeating the same unfulfilling actions without purpose
I'm just a third-rated star covered in blood
I am nothing of true value, tainted by past mistakes
See the prince on the rocking horse, his polished face looks cool
Appearances can be deceptive, even those with privilege and wealth can suffer
I'm just gonna spill my guts on you
Expressing deep emotions, despite potential consequences
Under the name of justice, you can't break my soul
Defying those who use authority to oppress and manipulate
Under the name of justice, kill yourself
Those who harm others in the name of justice should examine their own morality
Think, you moron
Encouraging others to contemplate their actions and beliefs
Fall out of line you cockroach
Outcasts, who defy societal norms and expectations
Right, left, front, and back, it overflows with despair and pain
Society is filled with suffering and anguish
They say this anger, this emotion, and this passion is all a lie
Others may deny the validity of strong emotions
Wither
Acknowledging the inevitability of decay and decline
I'm not even trying to justify myself
Not bothering to explain or defend one's actions or words
The dark, dark Sunday, the blood stains, You can't save yourself
Suggesting that redemption or salvation may be impossible, despite desire
One day I will fuck your parents
A brazen and shocking statement, potentially suggesting revenge or retaliation
This is the last time, Welcome to the garden of destruction
Embracing destruction and change, warning that this moment may be significant
声も出ないくらいに そんな今に一人と気付く
Realizing that one is alone and voiceless in a difficult moment
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kyo, Dir en Grey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@0rderSol
@@user-jh7hs2nc2o
確かにこと、友達...
Alejandro N. Molina
このバージョンはとてもきれ, ミキシングとマスタリングは本当に良いです。アルバム全体がこのレベルのプロダクションを持っているはずです。
KiKfilms
しかし、それは持っています...
KaZ Neosis
シングルリリースでは、あるスタイルから次のスタイルへの移行があります、これは「Withering to Death」を終了します。「Agitated Screams of Maggots」は 「THE MARROW OF A BONE」のスタイルを始めます。もしあなたが私に尋ねるなら、「Withering to Death」、「UROBOROS」、そして「Arche」は他のすべてのものより良く聞こえます、「MARROW OF A BONE」は、そのアルバムには特に適していますが、そのアルバムに限ります、「DUM SPIRO SPERO」は私が好きではない唯一のスタイルです。
IDW NYA!
「DUM SPIRO SPERO」は人々の生活の中で実用性を考慮していないアルバムです。
私はすべての文章を翻訳においてよりリテラルになるように編集しました、手順はセグメントで行われます。これが役に立つことを願っています。
@jbmp1390
Such an underrated band. And Kyo has got to be one of the greatest frontmen of all time in rock music. Never heard anyone who sounds quite like him.
@topnotchcupoftea
Also the visuals for this band are always fantastic
@kendall2291
Ugh I know right? I love it so much!
@aztecwhistle9122
He's tied with Stu Block for me in the number one spot
@vampedmua4990
100% agree. He's a freaking musical genius.
@kylevanderwalker8730
When I was 16 going to project revolution and this was the very first band on that ticket. You are wrong just because you do not know them doesn't mean that they're not extremely massive international. Deviloof and other new deathcore out of Japan are ALWAYS COMPARE TO THESE GUYS and the gazette cause to their credit they took the torch of dir when they went soft in 2014..
@seraph1el_
seriously love this band. this type of vkei is so underappreciated nowadays
@lactlict1909
世の中や無理解や偏見、そういうものへの怒りで叫んでると思わせる前半から、
｢声も出ないくらいに…そんな今に一人と気付く｣
というフレーズでいきなり嘆きや悲しみからの叫びだったのだと吐露する
あとはもう泣き叫んでるような状態でひたすら絶望に沈んで行きながら曲は終わっていく
映像もサウンドも凶悪だけど、描かれているものはとても繊細かつ切ない
まさにDIRにしか出来ない曲
@user-bk6ng4up7g
今回のリメイク受けてまたPV見に来たけどやっぱ個人的にはシングルが最強だな笑
そもそもこの時点で完璧に出来上がってるしこれが一番京さんの苦しみが伝わる
@user-jh7hs2nc2o
同意。よりテクニカルに複雑に難しい技術を使用して表現はいくらでもできるけど、これは奇跡みたいに出来上がってる。全てがパーフェクト。