Dir en Grey: The Marrow of a Bone
Flushed with success after a tour that included sell-out shows in the USA as well as their native Japan, Osaka’s Dir en Grey released The Marrow of a Bone, their sixth full-length studio effort. Although some of the song titles and lyrics are in English, they still insist on performing many of the songs in their own native language - not that it’s very obvious given the in extremis screaming that is Kyo’s vocal trademark. The nu-metal influence is a little more obvious this time around but nevertheless they deliver a record that is characteristically original and difficult to pigeonhole.
As a whole this is probably their heaviest album yet but the opener Conceived Sorrow is deceptive with the slow tempo, smatterings of piano and acoustic guitar and a very restrained performance from all five of them. It’s hearfelt, sombre thanks to Toshiya’s powerful bass but, in its own ominous way, quite beautiful. Existing DeG fans will be on more familiar territory with Lie Buried with a Vengeance though, which explodes into life with thrashy, snarling guitars from Kaoru and Die and a pile driver drum beat delivered with conviction by Shinya. Needless to say, Kyo’s on top form as he yelps, howls and bellows over the maelstrom of distorted noise. The Fatal Believer keeps the pace but also reverts between heaviness and more melodic passages, making it a highlight of the album.
Things get a bit two-dimensional however with the gleefully sick single Agitated Screams of Maggots (which includes a memorable refrain of “I rape your daughter on your grave!”) and Grief, which require repeated listens to prevent them sounding alike. The same can be said of the later tracks, the suitably titled Repetition of Hatred and The Deeper Vileness, which blur into one another and detract somewhat from the clout of the closing track Clever Sleazoid, which is a superb example of the band at their hard-rocking best.
As the album’s title suggests (it is, like the band’s name itself, deliberately ambiguous and open to interpretation), the softer material is located towards the middle. Ryoujoku No Ame, like Clever Sleazoid, was re-recorded for the album cut and Disabled Complexes is driven by a funk-inspired riff that transforms into something more muscular and heavy as the song progresses. Rotting Root is built around a snaking, infectious riff - it isn’t exactly a standout track but highlights the album’s diversity and ability to blend heaviness with catchy hooks.
The lengthy-titled Namamekashiki Ansoku, Tomadoi Ni Hoemi is another stunning rock ballad not unlike the opening track but is also reminiscent of the Withering to Death single The Final. The majority of the song consists of Kyo crooning and wailing plaintively yet tunefully over an acoustic guitar line that waits until the last strain for the distortion to kick in - it’s a well-executed and emotional journey. The Pledge follows on well by upping the pace a little with a Depeche Mode-esque riff in between the heavier sections, making good use of the dual guitar parts.
Sadly the listener has to be in the right sort of mood for the return to heaviness and inhuman screaming that marks the latter portion of the record; it is relentless and uncompromising, which is probably the intention but won’t be appreciated by those outside of hardcore fans and true metalheads. These parts of The Marrow of a Bone may sound out of character for the band but could, ironically, give them the international attention they have worked so hard to achieve.
In Summary
Dir en Grey have once again created a diverse and hard-hitting piece of heavy rock that is, as with their earlier records, difficult to classify. Although it is less consistent in quality than the likes of Vulgar and Withering to Death, there are plenty of hidden gems to entice newcomers to the band’s own distinctive sound and long-standing fans can rest assured that this remarkable group are continuing to experiment and evolve.
Tracklisting
- Conceived Sorrow
- Lie Buried With a Vengeance
- The Fatal Believer
- Agitated Screams of Maggots
- Grief
- Ryoujoku No Ame
- Disabled Complexes
- Rotting Root
- Namamekashiki Ansoku, Tamerai ni Hohoemi
- The Pledge
- Repetition of Hatred
- The Deeper Vileness
- Clever Sleazoid
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