Review by Don

The first time I heard TAIYOU NO AO, I fell in love with it. It still holds a special place within me. I think the MACABRE singles are some of the most interesting ones, both MYAKU and [KR] cube had versions that differed some from the album versions. TAIYOU NO AO however remains just the same, only with a shorter outro. The single comes however with a nice B-side, children which is a really great song. A song they later re-recorded and released on six Ugly. The remix of TAIYOU NO AO is undoubtely hideous and a track I avoid like the plague. Otherwise, a really beautiful single!

Nothing less than a classic! JEALOUS is their first ever single, released along side the amazing B-side Unknown... Despair... a Lost. Both songs are of excellent quality and show Dir en grey as a very young group trying to break through. And they sure did. Two tracks long, and you won't find them on any of their albums, there's no denying what a great addition this is to your collection!

Dir en grey's second single -I'll- is a beautiful follow-up! It's just as good as their first single, only more gorgeous! How can you not allow yourself to be caught up in the great rhythm? The B-side TORIKO is a song at first glance I never cared much for, but after repetitive listenings, I realized that it's a very ambitious song with great versitality. Same as JEALOUS, these two tracks are not featured anywhere else so grab this little gem while it's still in print!

Yes, I know what you're thinking! Containing all her music videos from A Song for XX, LOVEppears, Duty, I am... and RAINBOW (as well as a couple from Memorial address) it's simply too good to be true! But true it is, and it was a great experience to watch through this entire 3 Disc DVD set in one row with those gorgeous videos of Ayu! They usually have very high production values and capture the feel of the music so brilliantly as if the music has been translated into visuals (the way it should be of course) There's no point in rambling about which are my favorites or how great they are, I can just say that there are in fact a couple of videos that aren't particuarily good. TO BE is not bad, but it looks like something that would've been technically impressive in the 70's, Endless sorrow has great production values, but Ayumi's presence is limited to a brief cameo at the end of it! Those are just small details that can easily be overlooked as this is a DVD set no Ayumi fan should be without. Thank heavens for these Japanese artists that do care for their fans and release such amazing products!

You can clearly tell how the songwriting improved on all of Ayumi's first four albums. One thing about 'RAINBOW' is that it may feel like relying a little too much on the 'I am...' formula, but that's not necessarily a bad thing! There are lots of good songs and some of my favourites are: Free & Easy, Heartplace, Over, HANABI, July 1st, Voyage, Close to you, Independent and of course the gorgeous title track that's not even featured on this album! This album doesn't have much rock in it, but a more pop oriented sound. Ayumi's voice is just as steady as on the last one, if not a notch better! As already mentioned, it's nothing groundbreaking but a solid album no less than great!

This mini-ablum feels in lots of ways like a slight experiment. Going through a wide range of different styles from one song to the other, some are better than others though. ANGEL'S SONG opens up the album nicely with it's electronic beat, Because of You is one of my all time favourites, it's just so intense and dramatic, ourselves is also a great highlight with it's very compelling arrangement, No way to say is truly one of the best songs here and the title track is amazing as well. Then there's also the bonus DVD that features on music video to every song (except for the title track) and every one of them is extremely well made. The videos for ANGEL'S SONG and No way to say are very cute ones, but the highlight is ourselves that is quite dark. HANABI ~Episode II~ is a very emotional one as well. The edition in itself is definitely 5 star, but as the DVD is only bonus I exclude it from the total rating and give it a strong 4 because it just doesn't feel complete and that's not because of the quantity of the songs. It's still no question about it, a great addition to your collection!

I've deliberately waited a long time before writing a review of Dir en grey's latest album, THE MARROW OF A BONE. After hearing it the first time I knew there was so much more to discover and after listening to it for 5 months, I can assure you there is. Due to the limit of words that can be fit into a review, I can't go into detail on why I think every song on this album is sheer exellence. CONCIEVED SORROW is their greatest opening song ever. LIE BURIED WITH A VENGEANCE, THE FATAL BELIVER and GRIEF are some of their most aggressive songs ever. DISABLED COMPLEXES is a rollercoaster of extreme emotions. Track 9 is definitely the most emotional song while THE PLEDGE has been added to Dir en grey's evergrowing list of best songs. AGITATED SCREAMS OF MAGGOTS sounds even better with the rest of the new album and the studio version of RYOUJOKU NO AME is superior to the single with better balance on the instruments. The re-recording of CLEVER SLEAZOID is nowhere near as good as the original, but it's a nice bonus. All the praise you've heard about the unplugged disc is true, it's a real gem. THE MARROW OF A BONE has definitely been worth the wait and has a darkness with unlimited depth.

In case you're wondering why I've reviewed both the regular and limited editions, it's because I'm such a fanataic that I own both versions. Due to the limit of words that can be fit into a review, I can't go into detail on why I think every song on this album is sheer exellence. CONCIEVED SORROW is their greatest opening song ever. LIE BURIED WITH A VENGEANCE, THE FATAL BELIVER and GRIEF are some of their most aggressive songs ever. DISABLED COMPLEXES is a rollercoaster of extreme emotions. Track 9 is definitely the most emotional song while THE PLEDGE has been added to Dir en grey's evergrowing list of best songs. AGITATED SCREAMS OF MAGGOTS sounds even better with the rest of the new album and the studio version of RYOUJOKU NO AME is superior to the single with better balance on the instruments. The re-recording of CLEVER SLEAZOID is nowhere near as good as the original, but it's a nice bonus. So if you haven't bought it yet, this edition is the only one available now, but it's well worth it. It's missing the unplugged disc, but the packaging is better though. THE MARROW OF A BONE has definitely been worth the wait and has a darkness with unlimited depth.

I think no one could imagine how successful Ayumi would become after making this album. Here's where it all started with the singer who would become the J-Pop Queen! This album is really sweet, filled with lots and lots of cute songs. The title track is a great opening number and other favorites are poker face, YOU, As If..., POWDER SNOW, Depend on you and For My Dear. It's fun to hear Ayumi's voice so young cause it sounds too cute. While this is nowhere near what would become of Ayumi and her music later on, it's a brilliant debut that every fan must check out just to see what it was that made her stick out among all other pop singers in Japan.

'A Song for XX' was indeed an impressive album, but it's with 'LOVEppears' where you really get how amazing Ayumi's music is. Not only is she more confident with her singing, the songwriting has improved enormously! Showing right from the start that the laid back feel from the debut is nowhere to be found here, Fly high and Trauma are two upbeat songs that set the mood! And Then, Boys & Girls, TO BE, WHATEVER, appears and Who... are some of my favorites. A superior follow-up, with more variation and injected with song writing by the highly talented D-A-I (mastermind behind Do As Infinity) 'LOVEppears' is a much better album and also has a better flow and is a guaranteed hit to any fan of Ayumi!

When having two great albums, a lot of pressure is always put on the third to see whether or not it can surpass it's predecessors or just simply be as good as them. No worries there, 'Duty' is not only as good, it's far more ambitious as well! The songwriting has become more classy and serious. The title track is a great opening. Other favourites include vogue, End of the World, SCAR, Far away, SURREAL and SEASONS. With the lack of fun songs, Ayumi's voice has grown even more through the emotions she puts in all of the songs. An ambitious and emotional album!

The first time I heard the title track, I was completely blown away by it. The emotion in her voice and the way she pushes herself through it is nothing short of amazing. It's definitely one of her greatest songs and stand as a statement against the 2001 incident... With three highly successful albums, Ayumi got to the top of J-Pop and has stayed there ever since. 'I am...' is an album that shows just why that is. While keeping the ambition from 'Duty', a rockier edge has been brought in to boost the music up onto a new level and succeeds brilliantly. And the fact that Ayumi herself has composed most of the songs is impressive. Favorites are UNITE!, evolution, still alone, Daybreak, Dearest and Endless sorrow. Special notice must go to Connected which I'm near obsessed with as well as one of her absolutely best songs ever, M! Among her first four albums, 'I am...' definitely stands as my favourite as it just throws great song after great song at you without any fillers. The writing is exceptionally great and Ayumi's singing is only better than ever. A must have for all fans!

'RETTOU GEKISHIN ANGYA' and 'THE CODE OF VULGAR[ism]' were two really great DVDs that blew me away completely. Unfortunately 'It Withers and Withers' falls short on the mark. This was recorded at the end of the tour and the band seem somewhat tired. Even though they have an incredibly enthusiastic audience, they never really take off and Kyo's having problems with his voice which seems to frustrate him a lot. His emotions come out loud and clear though. They're playing really well and powerful, but it felt a little disjointed, none the least because of the editing which didn't make it feel like they were together on the stage. Most attention was on Kyo, no harm in that, but I couldn't feel the others' presence. This sounds like I'm completely bashing it, but it's really not bad at all. I was just expecting too much and with such great previous live DVDs, I was hoping this would be their best. It's still a must for fans! Kyo's performance of HIGEKI HA MABUTA WO OROSHITA YASASHIKI UTSU needs to be mentioned though, it's really the highlight of the DVD! And I liked CLEVER SLEAZOID a lot too. Wither, wither, wither...

I've loved this song since the first time I heard it, and after having listend to it 62045 times, it just gets better! When I first got to know "CLEVER SLEAZOID", I had no idea the controversy it had stirred up among fans, and it's very clear that you either love it or hate it. I've made it clear where I stand. One thing I find laughable is when people slam Kyo because his English is "bad". Okay, his pronounciation is not correct at all, but first off, I don't think he wants it to be and second, that's the whole point of it anyway! I think it's boring when singers switch between languages flawlessly. I love to listen to a Dir en grey song and then look at the lyrics and go: "I had no idea that was in English!!!" Anyway, the lyrics are great and it has the best line ever written [Yes, you all know which one I mean!] The additional live tracks are a nice bonus, even though they're not perfect. A really great single!

Dir en grey brought their sound to an epic level with 'VULGAR'. Now they're taking it even further with 'Withering to death'. The one thing 'VULGAR' was lacking was variation, which this album more than makes up for. They've kept all the best parts of 'VULGAR' and then added more new stuff as they're constantly moving and never settle with what they've achieved. The impossibility to choose favourite tracks on a Dir en grey CD is always difficult, but I pass this time by simply saying that every song here is part of a masterpiece. The total lenght is actually slightly shorter than 'VULGAR', but it adds to a great tempo and listening experience. Even though it's a complete album, once the final track is over, the yearning for their next album is near unbearable.

Another brilliant live DVD from Dir en grey with just about as much heaviness as one can take! Two concerts melted into one which the feature jumps back and forth between. First off, the band members look really great in both concerts. Especially Kyo who goes back and forth between blonde and black hair. One thing that's noticable when compared to the previous live DVDs is that they are very fixed in their positions, rather than running across the stage. But that does happen more or less nonstop during the encores. The band is heavy as always and perform all material from 'VULGAR' really well, along with some older stuff. Two songs were exceptionally great, SYOKUBENI and KASUMI which are real highlights. However, in some numbers, melodic parts were completely ignored in favour of heavy riffing. While it's not bad in itself, it's hard to ignore the feeling that something's missing, and FUKAI felt rather sloppy. Besides from that, it's one awesome show of heaviness! I love when my sound system works like crazy and the editing was superb! A must in your Dir en grey collection!

While 'Kisou' was very different from the two previous albums, it still remained very close in feel only much harder. 'VULGAR' on the other hand is were a huge change occured. It may not be too unusual that after having listened through this album a first time that you'll get the feeling that there isn't very much variation on here when compared to the older albums. That may be true, but the depth and sheer power presented in every song is so undeniably good that it won't matter anyway. Besides, when having listened through it as many times as I have, there's the risk that you'll get addicted to it. Favourites are always hard, but audience KILLER LOOP, THE IIID EMPIRE, SYOKUBENI, SAJOU NO UTA, MARMALADE CHAINSAW, KASUMI, DRAIN AWAY, OBSCURE, CHILD PREY and AMBER are worth mentioning. One thing that's striking is that the total lenght feels a bit short, somewhere under an hour, but it makes for a better listening experience. That's what I love about Dir en grey is that they don't just cram everything tbey've got by trying to reach the 80 minute mark of a CD. An album that simply blows you away, this is one not to be missed. Powerful and epic throughout!

The hey-day of Dir en grey's visual kei era, performing the entire 'GAUZE' album as well as some of the earlier classics! I just love the band memebers' outfits, especially Kyo's, in this show with all having their own hair color. Kyo: blond, Kaoru: purple, Die: red, Toshiya: blue and Shinya: brown. They perform the whole set incredibly well, but I'd like to mention AOI TSUKI cause it's a song that's never left any greater impression on me, but I was blown away by it's explosiveness in this concert. GARDEN alone is worth the purchase not only for the brilliant deliverance from the band, but also the recieving they get from the enthusiastic audience. Pure magic! Really, it's as much a pleasure to watch as it is listening to, Dir en grey when they were only just getting started! This also has the greatest ending I've ever seen in any concert ever, a perfect experience!

A great concert from Dir en grey, covering most material from 'Kisou' and 'six Ugly'. The whole band's in great shape from beginning till end. I was very surprised at the relaxed camera work. Of course it does get crazy every once in a while, but very in-synch with the music. Even though I'm used to the stylized fast cutting, it was a nice change to be able to see a little better what was going on. The music is extremely well performed. Just going through my mind real quick, JESSICA, FILTH and -mushi- were amazing! It was a pleasent surprise to hear them perform WAZA as well, but I was so blown away by their excellent performance of ain't afraid to die, such a beautiful song! Once this concert gets going, there's no stopping until it's over! Great, simply great! If anyone in my neighbourhood wanted a relaxed evening when I was watching this, I can only pity those souls. Be sure to enjoy this LOUD AS HELL!!!

'GAUZE' and 'MACABRE' are two amazing albums, while having similarities were very different from each other. This one takes twice as many steps away than the previous ones did and is a true ground breaker, Diru never repeats themselves... This album is filled with great songs from beginning till end and I just don't see any need in mentioning favourites as I will probably just mention every track on the album. Okay, there are three instrumentals that would get excluded cause they aren't "actual" songs. Kyo never ceases to amaze me with his great voice on songs like ZOMBOID, embryo and Pink Killer (especially the ending) Kaoru and Die varies a lot with their versatile guitar work from extremely heavy (Gyakujoutannou Keloidmilk, -karasu-) to very gentle (undecided, -mushi-) Toshiya tries out some different bass sounds and I really like the one he uses in 24ko Cylinders. Shinya is flawless as always and goes from discreet to fierce. In general, it's a heavier sound on this album than on the last two even though there are a couple of gentle moments as well. It's a very satisfying listening experience that I recommend to all fans who haven't heard it yet!