APPARENTLY DIR EN GREY PLAY NU-DEATHCORE NOW

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB68P7_ED08&feature=youtu.be

I’m no Dir En Grey expert, but I did really dig their 2007 album Marrow of a Bone, the first album of theirs I listened to in full. 2008’s Uroboros was solid too, a bit more adventurous than its predecessor. From what I understand about Dir En Grey they’re one of those bands that are constantly morphing and changing from album to album, and they never repeat themselves; in other words, they’re the anti-Slayer. I also understand that they’re HUGE in their native country; in fact, in early 2010 I was invited by the band to travel to Japan, all expenses paid, to witness the filming of their two-night stand at Tokyo’s legendary Budokan arena (this would eventually become the Uroboros -With the Proof in the Name of Living…- At Nippon Budokan Live DVD) but I couldn’t go ’cause long story short I’m a pussy. But ever-evolving as Dir En Grey’s music may be, I just can’t get into this latest song of theirs.

“Different Sense” comes from Dir En Grey’s forthcoming album Dum Spiro Spero (“While I Breathe, I Hope” in Latin), out August 3rd via The End Records in the U.S. This band’s roots are in nu-metal, and the main riff of this song sounds as if they heard a Suicide Silence record and went “Woah! Teched-up nu metal riffs with screaming are totally in right now! Let’s ‘bring back our old sound’ in the form of something new that today’s kids can digest!” And that’s exactly what they’ve done. The chorus is pretty catchy, featuring Kyo’s patented high-pitched croon that I love so much, and there’s a decent twin-guitar solo too… but I miss the calmer, more introspective material of Marrow and said album’s lack of recycled Korn riffs. I’ll hold out hope that “Different Sense” isn’t representative of the new album as a whole.

-VN

Thanks: Kurt Hansen