Dir En Grey profile

Dir en grey is a Japanese band formed in 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. As of 2008, they have released six full-length records and while the group's lineup has remained consistent since its inception, numerous stylistic changes have made its music's genre difficult to determine (though it is generally considered to be a form of rock music). Originally part of Japan's visual kei movement, the band has opted for less flamboyant attire in recent years.
The Marrow of a Bone

In February, Dir en grey went on its first North American headlining tour, visiting seventeen cities while its sixth full-length album, The Marrow of a Bone, was released on February 7 in Japan, and in the United States and Europe in the following months. From May to July, the group opened during a United States tour of Deftones and afterwards did another European tour, which included their debut shows in Denmark, Finland, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom, as well as several festival performances across the continent, including Ankkarock, M'era Luna Festival and Wacken Open Air.

The group went on another international tour in September, titled after its most recent single "Dozing Green", beginning in Japan, and continuing in Europe, including their first performance in The Netherlands and Switzerland. In late November, Dir en grey opened two shows for Linkin Park at Saitama Super Arena and in December performed another Japan tour with 10 Years as support act.Commemorating Dir en grey's tenth anniversary as a band, two greatest hits compilations, titled Decade 1998-2002 and Decade 2003-2007 respectively, were released on December 19.

At the beginning of 2008, Dir en grey is planning to start recording their new studio album, which name and release date have not yet been given. Their first touring of the year, in May, will be another Japan tour with a conclusion of three shows at Shinkiba Studio Coast, titled Death over Blindness.[22] Between touring, Dir en grey will also perform on one night of the two-night Hide Memorial Summit on 4 May, alongside X Japan, Luna Sea, and others.

Style and subject matter

Dir en grey's format has been subject to change throughout their career, initially being a rather experimental form of hard rock. Some tracks of their debut album Gauze also demonstrated a distinct pop appeal, which was largely dropped in favor of a more progressive sound on the following albums, Macabre and Kisou. While up to that point some songs had already been more fast-paced, raw and aggressive than others, the band's music took a decisive turn with the release of the EP Six Ugly, from then on sporting more metal influences in general. Dir en grey's style has since been gravitating towards riffs and song structures more along the lines of contemporary North American fusion genres, such as nu metal and metalcore.

All lyrics are written by vocalist Kyo and deal with subjects such as society, mass media as well as sexual obsessions and love, usually with negative implications. The vocabulary varies from subtle to explicit and several songs rely heavily on double entendres and other wordplay, often involving the multiple meanings of a kanji character.

As with numerous other Japanese bands, the members of Dir en grey are credited with their given or stage name, the names of Kyo (京, Kyo?) and Kaoru (薫) usually being written in kanji. While there has been speculation among fans, the artists' full names are not a matter of public knowledge.