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Dir en grey is a popular Japanese rock band formed in 1997. Starting out as a Visual Kei act the group has since experimented with various styles while maintaining the steady lineup of Kyo (vocals), Kaoru (guitar), Die (guitar), Toshiya (bass) and Shinya (drums). Their current music has become hard to categorize, falling somewhere between Hard and Gothic rock with influences from metal and Shock among others.

By far and above, they are definately one of the most unique visual rock groups, each of them having a certain flair that, when put together with the rest of the group, forms something stunning. From music to lyrics, from photo shoots to video clips, from interviews to live performances, they do everything with all the intensity and passion they can. And that passion is what drives them and makes them so loved.

Dir en grey originally formed in 1997 from the ashes of indies band La:Sadies, and released their first mini-album, MISSA, later that year. But it wasn't until 1998 with the release of several singles that their popularity began to grow. In August that year their single I'll broke the sales record of indie singles and reached #7 on the Oricon chart in Japan.

They soon came to the attention of one of their idols, Yoshiki from X-Japan, and in the beginning of 1999, three major singles were released that had been produced by him; these songs had a more slickly polished feel to them, but were nonetheless uniquely Dir en grey and well recieved by a hungry audience. Their first major release album, Gauze, came out in July, followed by an extensive tour, a video with clips for all the songs on Gauze, and an amazing performance at the end of the year in Osakajou Hall.

With the beginning of 2000, a live video of the Osakajou concert was released, along with a brand new single, the first since Gauze, called myaku. This single was more reminiscent of their indie days, in a way discarding the pop-glossiness of Yoshiki's production; and despite their success under Yoshiki's hand, this was definately the way for them to go. Further singles only proved they were maturing just fine on their own, and the September release of their second album, Macabre was truly an accomplishment; with it's hard, unique, dark feel excelling well and beyond Gauze's already auspicious beginning.

A long, sellout tour followed; partly postponed for a few months when Kyo became ill was forced to take time off, but they were soon back on the road. The tour ended in April 2001 with a fanastic live at the Budoukan, a venue that's quite an accomplishment to be able to fill. And since then, several new, amazingly cool singles have been released, and the release of their new album kisou is a fantastic start to 2002; with a trademark Dir en grey darkness and uniqueness, but with an even more experimental feel than before, it shows that the band is still pushing themselves to their limits and not looking back.

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Members:


Kyo - Vocals
Kaoru - Guitar
Die - Rhythm Guitar
Toshiya - Bass
Shinya - Drums

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Discography:

Albums
GAUZE (1999)
MACABRE (2000)
鬼葬 (kisou) (2002)
VULGAR (2003)
Withering to death. (2005)

E.P.
MISSA (1997)
six Ugly (2002)

Compliation
改-KAI- (2001)

Singles
JEALOUS (199 cool
-I'll- (199 cool
アクロの丘 (Akuro no Oka) (1999)
ゆらめき (Yurameki) (1999)
残-ZAN- (1999)
Cage (1999)
予感 (Yokan) (1999)
脈 (Myaku) (2000)
KR Cube (2000)
太陽の碧 (Taiyou no Ao) (2000)
ain't afraid to die (2001)
FILTH (2001)
JESSICA (2001)
embryo (2001)
Child prey (2002)
DRAIN AWAY (2003)
Kasumi (2003)
THE FINAL (2004)
朔-saku- (2004)
CLEVER SLEAZOID (2005)

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Dir en grey really is the drive of my life D: xP

See these guys here? Yeah, these guys I love. Not really into Malice Mizer, aside from a handful of songs and some of the costumes. But Dir En Grey kicks a**. And sorry for taking forever in accepting the invitation, Dixieme, I rarely use this account anymore, so if you could send one to my other account, Ivan_The_Transvestite, that'd be dandy. mrgreen

AND I KNOW! What the s**t?! Why in God's name are they touring with those Korn cunts?! I'm sorry, I love Diru and all, but I refuse to pay $60 for pit tickets and I'm not sitting in bleachers.

Dir en Grey was the first Jrock band I ever heard of. redface I was hold after listening to "Ain't Afraid To Die". scream cool They are an awesome band....I love them. heart

I've just never liked them. The music is sometimes okay... sometimes not. It just feels like a lot of the same "I'm different and I'm anti-establishment and-" etc etc. They also have publicly proclaimed that they are anti-Malice Mizer, for no clear reason. And that's trying too hard, not to mention being too political. Music is music. They shouldn't have taken that kind of stand. (and so serious, when comparing the costumes? and the fact that they have color motifs? and the fact that there are relationship --if only fangirl-- rumors between members driving part of the their popularity? ...mizer got the jump)

Also.. well... newsflash but (and it was a newsflash for me as well) no one (in general) knows who Dir En Grey is in Japan. No one really knows Malice Mizer either for that matter. Number 1 singles and Number 2 albums mean nothing here. Bands just don't last very long. Everyone moves on very quickly. One seriously begins to consider that Dir En Grey is going international (which is kind of frowned upon here... ) because they can't hold onto a fanbase in Japan.

They're not hard to categorize. They're visual kei. That's a category. They fall quite neatly into it. And visual kei... (another newsflash for me) is out of style in Japan.

Diru was my 1st Visual Kei band.... and i went to their live in Austin....
and Diru is definately one of my top vk bands!!!! love shinya!!! so kawaiiiiii!!!!!!!!!! heart heart

Yeah...the lead singer from Flyleaf looks like an anorexic bug. XD

Its gross that they're touring with diru...>__<

*sobs*

Prepare I may rant alittle....

It's really obvious to see that I am a Dir en Grey fan.
Look at my profile. And my sig. And my screen name. And yes, I'm a Kyo fan.
I like them all really. I don't have much a of a favorite .I just adore Kyo.

Anyhow.

Dir en Grey, and you can flame me or what ever for saying this, quite literaly saved my life. Yes yes. I am an emo child. I used to be very suicidal, I have about twenty attempts to my name. Alll from one month or so. None are recorded, because I over came the effects myself. No hospitlization for me. Anyway, I was going through a really rough break up at the time. One that torn me inside and out. And someone suggested something to me, and sent me a link. I watched this link to yout tube. Over. And Over. And over. Realizing the first time I watched it...I had stopped crying. So I kept watching it again and again .Well then I got curious nad looked up other things cornerning this band. And it went from there. The more I listened to their music, the better I felt. And thus, I became a fan.

You can ask my friends. They'd all tell you. Kyo's voice is what calms me down. I don't know why. But if I hear his voice, I'm calm on instant. And the lyrics, they're magnificent. And ofcourse, another reason to call me lame, with each lyric Kyo writes himself, I feel all that more connected to him.

The other day I was watching the Live they did in... Franc or something. And when they played Higeki Ha Mabuta Wo Oroshita Yasaskhiki Utsu, Kyo, I do believe, started crying. You could tell by the way his voice was that he was having alittle trouble singing clearly. And yes, he did shed a few tears. I saw them. Anyhow, I couldn't help but think, that maybe that song is hard for him to sing? Maybe. It is possible after all. Have you read the English translation to the lyrics? They're so lonely. Not saying that none of their songs are about pain....but this one...just kind of makes you stop and think. Kyo's getting lonely. That's my personal opinion.

The lyrics in English:

~To you, in the navy blue sea~
I close my eyelids as I know I'm alive
Slowly I throw up Life is white
No one can come into my frozen heart

~I pray to you in the navy blue sea~
You are weak But stay as you are
Can you hear? My rusty voice cries out to you
Can't make it into words But I just want to feel you now

Tomorrow
Deeper than the deep sea that I can't see deeper deeper deeper I sleep tomorrow

deep blue
The things I can't corget are too painful
deep blue
What voice, what words will you use to talk to me

~In the navy blue sea, the tears mix in~
No one notices the reason for crying
So the life can't be saved, feel life
Even just for this moment, please live

Deeper then the deep blue sea that I can't see deeper deeper deeper you sleep



deep blue
Just realizing that I am getting used to getting hurt
deep blue
When the seasons comes andwinter sleeps, I will come visit with flowers

Ofcourse this is only my personal opinion. But I did cry along with him. Either he's getting lonely.... or he just lost some one very close to him. Either way, I say the song is hard for him to sing.

I'm also going to sit here and tell you why I feel connected to him. Besides his lyrics. Well I can't exactly explain it. But I guess you can say, I don't know him personaly but I love him with all my heart. It's not a fandom love either. I...really truely love him. I know it's odd and you're all going to think I'm insane. But it's the truth. I can't help it.

Well that's the end of my little.... ranty thing. Enjoy. xD