Dir en grey - Hageshisa to...

It's been a little over a year since Dir en grey unleashed Uroboros onto the rabid fan base. Uroboros was a logical step forward, but at the same time a logical step backwards. The band utilized the harshness of Marrow of the Bone and added bits and pieces of the melodic aspects of Vulgar, and released what has been considered by many to be one of the best post-visual kei releases so far. It was due to anticipation from this, combined with already high anticipation from the fans, that resulted in Dir en grey's latest single getting as much hype as it did.

On the title track, Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no Naka de Karamitsuita Shakunetsu no Yami, the band really tries something they haven't done in a long time. The main focus of the first track are the melodic, clean vocals by Kyo, who is supported by extremely fast music. Of course, you still have Kyo's growling and screeching, but the track is really presented in a new light due to the perfect pitch from Kyo throughout the song. This really shows that Kyo can still perform both aspects of the vocal style he developed on Uroboros.

The second track is a re-recording of Zan. A lot of fans were concerned that this track could either make or break the single. Dir en grey is able to translate the early trash elements of the song into a modern day metal song. Although there are a lot of new aspects, the music still sounds familiar to the long time fans.

The last track is a one-take live studio recording of Shokubeni. One can't help but feel that this is a recycled idea, as the band has previously done a live studio recording of the same song on the single Saku. Although this is obviously the weakest link on the single, due to the fact that the previous two tracks were new recordings of new ideas, Shokubeni doesn't detract too much from enjoying the single as a whole.

In closing, Dir en grey has really taken major steps froward since they created their new sound on Withering to Death. The band no longer focuses on using a Western Metal sound exclusively, and has found their niche in mixing popular metal with their unique approaches to melody and vocals. The newest single really showcases this fact, and at the same time, it still shows they can bring heavy aspects into songs. This single is highly recommended for those who are interested in what Dir en grey will try next.