Search - Dir En Grey :: Macabre

Wild, Weird and Wonderful

V. Way | Maryland, USA | 10/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The first time listened to this album I was unable to form a coherent thought in relation to it. So I listened to it again. This time I heard the intricate interaction between the two guitars and the strength and emotion emerging from the vocals. So I listened to it again. This time I heard the throbbing bass driving the songs, and the incredible drumming that complimented every song. And so I listened to it again... and again, and again... each time the 80 minutes of music presented me with something I had never heard before.



To this day, over 5 years later, it still does.



The depth behind every track on the album is amazing. I was not a fan when I first heard the CD, but after one listen, I was. The first thing that struck me was the way the guitarists both have very unique styles. The band does not boast a lead guitarist, instead having two musicians both vastly qualified for the position instead playing off each other to create a sound uniquely their own. The bassist never allows himself to be overshadowed by them, however, his catchy and ever-changing base lines driving some songs and filling others out perfectly. And I cannot say enough about the drums in this album... they are simply a superb testament to a highly variable and incredibly talented musician.



Despite all of this, I guarantee you that if you haven't heard Dir en grey before the first thing you will notice in this album are the vocals. The style in which the vocalist chooses to sing is always changing but remains always, ALWAYS bizarre and sopping with emotion. Ranging from gentle vocals to all-out screeching, he never looses your attention.



Macabre offers such a variety from one track to the next that it is near impossible to become bored with it. The opening song, "Deity" is not musically one of the better tracks and is almost entirely instrumental but still provides a start to the album that fits it's overall character very well. Following it are two of the quicker-paced tacks "Myaku" and "Wake". "Myaku" is a bizarre smattering of choppy noise contrasted by a far more melodious chorus and ends up leaving you a little confused and very interested. "Wake" is one of the safer tracks since the vocals remain relatively soft and melodious, and is a very fun track to listen to. The next track, "egnirys cimredopyh" is most notable for the driving bass and admirable vocals and is very different from the rest of the CD. Following it, "Hydra" is one of the best examples of the "screeching" I mentioned earlier. The vocalist goes from whispering to screaming in a heartbeat and, with the driving guitars behind him, makes the song one hell of a head-banger. In a complete 180, the next song "Hotarubi" is one of the softest ballads the band has ever made. It is gentle, slow, and perhaps even a little dull compared to what is heard up to this point. Still, it is a ballad and nice break in the sound.



I consider "Hotarubi" the swing point of the CD. If you listen to it enough, it starts to seem like the second half of the CD is notably different from the first. Track 7, "[KR]cube" is a more up-beat tempo than we've heard this far, and is most commendable for the guitars. This song is a perfect example of the two guitarists knack for working together while remaining distinct in their sound. Next track is the quick and incredibly disturbing "Berry". While the song is not one best showcasing the talents of Dir en grey it does embody the strangeness creepiness evident in the CD with it's contrast between horrifying subject-matter and upbeat sound. The next song, the title tack "Macabre", clocks in at nearly 11 minutes long and is a perfect example of the brilliance of the drums on this album. The track is mostly instrumental but still enthralls you for the whole 11 minutes it plays. This song seems to capture a lot of the strangeness and talent that makes the CD worth having. Again, juxtaposing very different songs, the next track "audrey" is completely unique to the CD and band. The song is upbeat and melodious, and the plucking patterns of the guitars and bass almost make you want to dance. Musically clever and fun to listen to, it is very unique for the album.



The next two songs are the weakest on the CD. "Rasetsu Koku" is hard and fast but lacks the charm and rhythm that make their other hard songs enjoyable to listen too. Despite being the shortest track on the album, it seems to drag on. "Zakuro" is interesting, and the guitarists and drummer do a good job, but the over-emotional ballad seems to last too long and loses interest long before the climax of the song at the end..



The album closes with "Taiyou no Ao", which I feel is one of the cleverest moves the band makes on the CD. The song sounds more like it would be a beginning than an end, but still closes the CD off nicely. It's a slightly gentler song, but stays interesting and fun. All the band members put in a good performance on the track, and it ends the CD well.



Overall, this CD is one of the best I own. The musicianship is impressive and the sound is completely original and different then anything you'll ever hear again. For Dir en grey fans, and those who have never even listened to foreign music alike, I highly recommend this album.



As if the length of my review wasn't indicator enough. :D"

"Dead booOOORN!"

See about me | North | 05/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

""[Dir En Grey was] Formed in 1997, with the sole purpose to spread the feeling of hurt and sorrow caused by weakness, shallowness and egoism of humanity."

Nifty.



Macabre is one of Dir En Grey's most underlooked albums, (aside from a couple popular songs,) but easily my favorite. Before you listen to it, just look at the packaging. It's adorned with intricate, aztek-esque artwork, and even decorative beads. I bring this up because the music is proportional to the presentation; Dark and omnitonal. Macabre has an insane amount of depth. It's eclectic without trying to be, theatrical but very real, as enchanting hooks reel you into its sprawling soundscape of squeeling guitars and scampering bass lines. Macabre begins with the song Deity. It's a heavily atmospheric, tribal experiment with creepy ritualistic chanting that's more of a precursor to future offbeat weirdness than anything. I sense the influence of oldschool avant-garde black metal like Beherit and Celtic Frost in this song... The next track, Miyaku, is ample with demented shrieks and glittery hooks. Wake's sonically amorphous guitars and contorting vocals are anchored by geysers of driving bass.



I don't know what evil God Kyo sold his soul to for his singing voice, but it's amazing. One minute he delivers beautiful vocal melodies, and the next minute he barks like the Taco Bell dog on speed.



Yes, that observation was worth a paragraph. Don't ghost-argue. Anyway, Egnirys Cimrehdopyh an Injection is a funky song with frivolous groove. One of the album's highlights is when it dissolves into a screeching and beeping solo, as the distortion is promptly washed away by a wave of semiacoustic melody. Hydra is a turbulent, industrial-tinted metallic endeavor that marks the first time Kyo has ever simply screamed his throat raw for an entire song. It also has some of the worse English I've hever heard. "I wah be a alchoosto... DEAD BAAAWN!!! SID VICIOUS SUS PICIOUS!" This one was really meant to be played live. Hotalubi is one of my favorite songs. (I hate it when people say "one of," as it really describes nothing, but it really is.) Moving soft rock passages melt in and out of sobbing violin melodies, creating a deeply agonic aural fusion. I'm not sure what to say about [KR] Cube. It's just infectious and fun.



Berry is the most obnoxiously upbeat song ever, with trilling & infectious vocals, and bass lines that bounce off the walls. I can't decide if I love or hate this song. (Is that good or bad?) Macabre is an epic reaching just beyond 10 minutes. It's notable for intricately arranged buzzing and discordant guitars, and melancholic underpinnings that maintain an undeniably tragic feel. The half-way mark is signalled with a surreal interlude, followed by a hearwrenching solo. It sounds like Kyo's going insane by the end of the song, as his deeply affected singing grabs the listener by the heart and neck. Next is Audrey, with a thankfully brief country-sounding intro, which later becomes about as close to a radio rock song as Diru can make. Die and Kaoru's dual-guitar interplay is propulsive, and Kyo typically keeps the momentum going with booming vocals. Rasetukoku sort of revisits Hydra's pseudo-metal vibe, but with more of an 80's thrash influence than anything. It's a driving hurricane of a track that compels you to keep paying attention, after almost 20 minutes of softer stuff. Zankuro paints a recollective, windswept mindset with plodding instrumentation and another poignant performance from Kyo. Subtle feedback and schizophrenic muttering concludes the song. Suddenly, the depressive atmosphere recedes and is filled with the nitro-charged enthusiasm of Taiyounoao, an upbeat song that pulls influence from punk and reggae.



I liked it. 4.5."

One of the best.

kyoneko | the middle of nowhere, USA | 01/03/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dir en grey's second full length cd is just as wonderful as anyone could have expected. Ranging from hardcore (rasetsu koku) to something softer (hotarubi) and even more upbeat and pop sounding (taiyou no ao); this cd has it all. Kyo's vocals seem to have progressed and the music has taken on a more 'mature' tone; leaving a very well put-together sounding album. A must have. If you're not familiar with the band, start with Gauze.. but if you are already a fan, this is not to be missed. ^^ Don't forget check out "Kisou" 1/30/02!"