Dir en grey - MACABRE

Macabre is Dir en grey’s second album. After their first album, the incredible Gauze, one would expect that they would try to reproduce their success by sticking to a certain style. However, instead of simply aiming to meet expectations, Dir en grey purposefully decided to create something combining past, present and future under a loose but powerful concept. Through a multitude of musical styles, they created an interesting and fresh album that gloriously redefines the band just in time for 2008.

Deity opens the album with a surprisingly soft, mystical melody. Combining a classic masterpiece with elements of German metal, chanted psalms with brutal vocals, it sets up an album full of harsh but beautiful contrasts. The Russian words perfectly compliment Kyo’s voice and he knows it. Second is Myaku, and with its typical Dir en grey sound and interesting structure, it smoothly leads from Gauze to Macabre. Written even earlier than Schwein no Isu, the next track Waku shows grunge influence and features beautiful guitar solos. It is evidence of great improvement from both the band and Kyo himself.

The band had given up strict structure in favor of the members’ personal tempo. When listening to the amalgam of sounds which is Egnirys cimredopyh, it becomes obvious how much all of them - especially Toshiya, the song’s main composer - have loosened up. The fast, rich, almost cheerful music full of heavily disturbing lyrics and even the short rap bridge: they all find their place in this piece, which is definitely one of the album’s strong points.

Hydra is up next, and it's a song that shows heavy western influence. With hard sounds, a melodic interlude and sparse lyrics all in English, this song was so strong and interesting that the band had it remixed seven years after its initial release as a B-side for the Dozing Green single. Then, with another change of pace, and the sound of violins takes us to ancient Japan. Hotarubi, meaning ‘the light of the firefly,' is a slower, melodic track with clever turns. Along with the beauty of the singer’s voice, it captivates the listener; drummer Shinya, is the main composer for the piece, which explains part of its beautiful diversity.

[KR]cube could be the manifestation of a psychotic child's game; the music will definitely make you want to break into dance. Up next is berry, a psychobilly influenced song with a fast tempo. Attention grabbing and so eccentrically structured that even Kyo had initially doubted it, it is an amazing song and a unique creation by Kaoru.

Following berry is the longest track on the album, Macabre sanagi no yume ha ageha no hane. A progressive masterpiece of eleven plus minutes, it exhibits a musical structure that screams the confidence of the band to the world. It also creates an unsettling but eerily attractive atmosphere. Every single note and scratching sound feels just right, and it's made complete by the vocalist's gorgeous murmurs, sighs and whispers.

Next up, featuring beautiful guitar lines and an energetic, catchy beat, is Audrey. This song was composed by guitarist Die. The mentions of demons, executioners and carnage are reminiscent of the band's indie period.

Then there is the ballad, Zakuro. Far from your typical ballad, it carries a taste of 70’s rock and leaves a lingering psychedelic feeling. Kyo’s heart breaking singing is absolutely enchanting. Pressure builds up throughout the song, only to break out at the very end during the last gorgeous seconds. Ending the album is Taiyou no Ao, a seemingly light track that gradually reveals its depth and frail beauty to the attentive listener.

Macabre is not a concept album, in the narrow-minded sense. Containing all the energy and creativity of five such differently talented people, it is diverse and multi-layered and reveals many underlying concepts and themes to the captive audience. The album tells the story of this controversial group, as they are currently rediscovering these same songs and exploring previously ignored aspects, and also communicates their feelings to their fans.

From the amazing, hand picked songs to the arrangement, from the album's engraved case to the appendix and the well produced booklet, Macabre is a perfect example of how an album of a great band should look, feel and sound.

Strictly put, Macabre is the one album that draws the line between one-hit wonders and true artists, and we all know where Dir en grey belong.