The Marrow of a Bone (dir en grey, 2007)
I was worried about this album. If you hate it, you’re a bad fan who can’t move on from the visual kei days; if you like it, you’re an ignorant n00b with no appreciation for real music.
I’ve never heard anything like this album before, and it catches you off-guard. If you don’t have an ear for really really heavy music and screaming (because aye, this is metal?) this album is going to be a little scary. And if you go into it thinking you’re going to hate it, you probably will.
Don’t worry about the fate of Dir en grey after this album. They haven’t turned into a band that just mashes things together, and it’s in the quieter songs that show hope isn’t lost. But Marrow isn’t one of their best albums. One of the things that make Dir en grey great is that each of their songs have a little something-something. You shouldn’t have to listen to an album a couple of times to realise that, where you do with Marrow. It’s easy to wind up thinking that every song sounds the same, which is sad.
commentary of first listen
1). Conceived Sorrow This is a good way to start the album – it’s doesn’t launch into Diru’s new metal sound. ….But I’m left apprehensive about what the rest of the album will be like: the singles from the album are so not like this. There’s piano… Kyo’s voice and the guitars are softer. At some parts something bounces. This song is so pretty. Halfway through the songs the guitars go darker and mournful, but it’s not sudden or meant to throw you off. This is one of those songs where you feel sad that he’s taken to screaming so much more. D:
2). Lie Buried With a Vengeance Oooh, I like how the guitars are bouncing off each other, and then how the drums really kick off with Kyo. I have decided I like this song. Kyo’s voice borders on rap amidst the screaming. It starts off steady, and ends up rather disjointed.
And about two and a half minutes in Kyo does this funny little squeal thing (which is hilarious to look out for), and then they think they’re awesome for suddenly going “fuck fuck fuck fuck” like it’s supposed to offend people.
3). The Fatal Believer As soon as it starts, I think ‘generic crazy rock song’. There’s screaming and crazy guitars. That’s about it. Kyo then makes me wonder if I want to reconsider that… but not really… there are a few promising parts that almost make me change my mind, but nah. The only part where Kyo sings is good… but this doesn’t happen enough.
I feel bad listening to a song by a band I really love and deciding I don’t really like it. I like to pretend that it’s just a song I don’t really like as much as the others. But whatever. I’m-a be honest here.
4). Agitated Screams of Maggots The name’s hilarious, and the song seems to bounce along angrily! The guitars continuously swing from one rhythm to the next, and Kyo does nothing but scream. The drums are so… like. ♥♥ I remember listening to this song for the first time months ago. It doesn’t slow down at all, and then suddenly you’re at the end of the song and you’re … stunned.
5). Grief The guitars totally pwn this song, and remind me of bees, but all the “fuck you”s are naff. There’s another really high pitched squeal which is bizarre. ….And another. Kyo squeals now. Awright.
6). Ryoujoku no Ame This song I love. Like a lot. Not much is changed from the single version, except somewhere towards the end they took off some miscellaneous high-pitched singing “anata niwa sukuenai’. Oh wait – they made it so low that you can barely hear it.
7). Disabled Complexes Starts off to be really different from the others. Really different. Kind of calm and nonchalant. Kyo’s voice is quiet, low… and sings along sweetly. For him, anyway. The guitars midway into the song are awesommmmeee. It gets better towards the end, where the song soars with Kyo’s singing. I love the ending, where a lot of high-pitched Kyo voices are layered ontop of each other.
8). Rotting Root This one also starts off awesomely. I’m horrible at discribing guitars, but they totally overpower Kyo’s voice, who sounds somewhat muted. I love this song. The guitars are totallly “NWERRRR WHATEVERRR”, and Kyo swings between screaming and singing like he’s off by himself.
9). Namamekashiki Ansoku, Tomadoi Ni Hohoemi Ohhh, it starts of so quiet and sad with a synthesised orchestra. The first guitar is light and bouncy and sad. Kyo is very lovely here, and the chorus is so nice – I want to say bittersweet – and it kind of floats off to somewhere else. Such a nice relief from the rest of the album. And the way it ends… I will leave it a surprise. XD
10). The Pledge The word which comes to mind is powerful. Mixes these crazy warped guitars and this quietness. Now this is a nice wee balance.
11). Repetition of Hatred Ooooohhh, guitars are drilling away. There’s a real distinction between Kaoru and Die. I like the creepy and eerie in parts when Kyo sings in a high voice. Not a bad song.
12). The Deeper Vileness Fast, screamy song with lots of guitars. Shinya’s drumming is kickass. More really awesome squealing from Kyo. It’s so wtf that it’s awesome. And this song is especially awesome when you want to listen to some screeching ohboy. Like how the ending is staticky.
13). Clever Sleazoid Yeah, the single version was better. The opening’s different (worse)… they rerecorded Kyo to make him more screechy (and his English is… better!), which doesn’t really make it better or worse, but they also took away some of the drama and sadness near the end by making the guitars not stand out so much. It’s like they added too much.
But I said about The Deeper Vileness being a good screechy song I say here.
The whole album carries a light bounciness, right from the first song Headlock and it’s floaty and hopelessly cute even when the songs aren’t particularly happy. I adore her voice – sort of low and a little breathy with a wee English accent. Or at least it sounds English, so I hope I’m right! The music is heavily synthesised, which generally I’m not a fan of and why I don’t tend to take pop seriously, but it’s because I don’t listen to it often, I found it to be strangely refreshing. Occasionally her voice itself is also synthesised, which surprisingly works (especially in Hide and Seek), instead coming off awkward and melodramatic (as when it’s pulled off by the likes of Britney Spears and Gackt).