I’m also glad you notice Toshiya, the bassist. He is great at providing countermelodies instead of just following the guitars or sticking to root notes. As you listen to more Japanese bands you’ll notice the bass player tends to be “featured” more than you’d expect compared to the average band from the West. Like I said in another video comment, just wait until you hear Sukekiyo’s bassist. Also, I had the pleasure of seeing Dir en grey live four times, but that was back when they were pushing to get more exposure outside of Japan. They have since limited their touring in North America, and they don’t even have an American record label anymore (though you can still purchase/stream some of their albums digitally). Hopefully they’ll come around for the next album drop, which should be some time this year I would expect. It’s been three years since their last album, and a massive 44 track, career spanning best of album has just been released.
As a bass player I find great bass players inspiring, and doing this channel has inspired me to start playing again. Toshiya does an outstanding job, and he does do things that I don't always expect from bass players. I really enjoy that. I do hope they tour the states so I can see them I wish I wouldnt have missed out before.
24:19 I agree that tastes do change. With Dir en grey I've been listening to them since highschool and over time they've moved from the more whimsical to the more dark. At the time I wasn't too happy about that change, but it didn't keep me from trying to enjoy it as I've always been a dedicated fan. Fast forward now, because of change of taste (or more specifically acquiring more tastes), I've come to honestly enjoy the songs that i didn't care for as much. So now I can listen to their newer music just as well as the classics. To digress, the first song I've ever heard from them was Myaku.
Interesting tidbit for you: this song was originally the title track for their second album back in 2000, and that version was only about 11 minutes long. This here is a live performance of the re-recorded version from 2013, placed on a bonus disc in a limited version of an EP full of re-recorded songs from their past. For the most part they play this version just like the original, but then the last 6 minutes is comprised of an entirely new composition. It’s a shame that the studio track was tied to such a limited physical release, but those of us that managed to get a copy truly got something special.
I will have to look up the original. I can imagine having a studio recording of this version is incredible. That said I am happy to know there are live versions out there. This song is amazing, and that word still does not do this band justice.
I have been following Dir en grey for 12 years. This is one of my all time favorite tracks of theirs. I was fortunate enough to see them in Atlanta on two of their tours. They know how to work a crowd even with a language barrier. If you ever see them have a North American tour scheduled, do buy tickets. It is so worth it
I need to see them live now. Ill have to keep a look out for NA dates. They are now on my list of bands I still need to see. I've found great bands can transcend the language barrier. Thank you for your continued support.
Thanks for another reaction to this fantastic band and a beautiful song. Most channels I've seen do one or two, maybe three at most reactions and move on. Sure I understand you can't just react to every song by one band and nothing else, but thank you for giving Diru a real listen and delving into their library. I'm glad its had an impact with your listeners. Personally I'll never get tired watching these for as many as you decide to do so by all means, carry on! Seeing someone discover a favorite band of mine is a really special experience
I have a list of all the requests that come in, and I just work down the list in order. It seems to be the most fair way to do it. If I have alot of requests for one band in a group, I will space them out over several days, and do one, or two a day depending on how many I know I can get through. I know I will have at least one or two DEG tracks today. My goal is to get to all the requests put in. I know we will get to a point where that is not possible, but will cross that bridge when we get there.
MACABRE is truly a masterpiece. No less. This is most likely my favorite song of theirs... Everything it in hits me so hard from ever single bass sounds to all the solos, the vocals... the lyrics even.. I interpret it in a very personal and all-consuming way. Thank you thank you for all these amazing videos on DIR, me and my wife are binge-watching them !
It's been fun to lurk along to this experience for you. Awesome to see the band recognized objectively, by a music fan, without all the j-rock baggage bogging it down. They really are incredible.
I've seen this live video countless times, and it still gives me chills. I was fortunate enough to find Dir en Grey 8 years ago, and I'm glad someone else is enjoy them. Great reaction!!! New Subscriber.
Thank you very much. This Dir En Grey journey started about 10 days ago, and it has been an incredible one. The first track I did "Different Sense," I could not get into. But the incredible family here on the channel have provided songs that truly have drawn me in. This track is just another step on this path. I am glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the sub.
Baldman Reacts I believe they tour outside of Japan. My brother saw them live at the House of Blues. If they are in your area, definitely check them out.
Thank you for your reaction, I have been fanatic about Dir en grey for 10 years and your reaction, comments and experiencing a song I have listened to too many times to count with you helped me appreciate it even more. Thank you for this series!
I've been a superfan of Diru since around 2003 and appreciate your reaction video so freaking much. You explain what's going on in such a natural and knowledgeable way that I understood more of the music that I've listened to for what is now half of my life. Thanks so much dude. Definitely subscribing.
Baldman Reacts I've heard and sort of adopted the term "peaks and valleys" to describe the concept, and It applies particularly well to the heavier bands. Probably one of the best examples of this from Diru is the track "Vinishka" that builds in suspense and emotion, climbing the mountain before it sends you careening out of control into the dissonance of the valley below. Just as you feel you might crash into the next hillside, you burst through clouds into another glorious harmony
Gojira definitely has a great grasp of tension and aggression countered with harmony. Opeth, Between The Buried and Me, and Periphery are a few bands that I feel do a fantastic job creating suspense and tension and then releasing it in similar methods, through different styles.
I just stumbled upon your channel today, i'm glad you're enjoying this band. It's always great to see someone who has no knowledge on the japanese music metal scene, come across this band and really LISTEN to them. It's easy for the jrock fans to go "omg this band is so good, listen to this one particular song!" But I would say, don't listen to just one song, definitely listen to an album of theirs. Dir en grey is a band that needs to be heard in album form, rather than by singles, because the singles don't do them justice. Their earlier works are experimental for their scene at the time, and they are good, but I think their 3rd album, Kisou is when the band grew musically and grew more mature. If you were to start there, I think that would be a good start if you find yourself getting into this band more and more. I find Uroboros and Dum Spiro Spero to be their best album in terms of range, musicianship and on top of that, Kyo's vocals are incredibly on point. They for me, are one of the very very few bands in the world that can transcend the language barrier and convey an emotion in a song, whether it is sadness, fury, melancholy, intensity etc etc. Lots of bands in the metal scene have a hard time doing that, but this band despite being Japanese, can create such a vivid landscape of emotions in a song. Its absolutely incredible. That being said, this version of Macabre is their best written song of their entire catalog. I cant even believe they took their own song from 18 years ago, and improved upon it 50 fold. Wonderful.
As much as I want to go listen to the records as a whole at the moment, I cant. I have so many songs to get to that it would kill my being able to do videos on them. Thank you for the kind words, and the very thoughtful response. I really appreciate it. Cheers.
Baldman Reacts so far, everyone has recommended good songs for the most part. I would go and see if you can find the song embryo. It's from 2002, and this was their experimental phase, trying out trip hop. It's actually very good. The bass guitar is very groovy
Man I can't thank you enough for completing my request. The lyrics as you said are mostly metaphors and a lot of people interpret it like when you are unable to make something yours, you capture it or kill it or eat it, and it becomes yours, a part of you even; forever. Something that appears a lot in crime cases. Like men who captivate girls in their houses for years, because there is no other way they could keep them by their side - or just make them interested in them in the first place. This is perixreloaded's intepretation
It is a very good interpretation. It was an amazing song. One I am blown away by. Thank you so much for the requests. They really have helped shape the channel.
Even after listening Dir en gray for a decade, this song still leaves me out of breath. Your professional but still emotional viewpoints on the bands work got me watching your other reactions and following to see ones to come.
Dude, love your comments on this! You should check out the 3 hour plus "ARCHE at Nippon Budokan" live performance. Imagine thia level of performance for over three hours straight, in good quality too. You can find it here on youtube, cheers!
Haha i love at 7.10min you said " oh it's coming" ..like you can feel the power rising ..it is coming for us the power of Dir en grey hehe 👌 great commentary yet again
One of the things I loved about this track is when it does build, it didn't build the way other bands would do it. In that transition most other bands would go heavy. They simply used distortion as coloring to build tension before that shift. I was floored.
Baldman Reacts yes they are individually so talented and together they are just out of our expectations..they ALWAYS surprise me with there songs eventhough ive been listening to them for 15 years... they never dissapoint me and its always a surprise what they have made for us. Could you try to react to "dir en grey - zakuro (eng sub) " its an old but very emotional song..it always gives me tears in my eyes. You feel his pain which he experienced in his past life.
I fell in love with DIR EN GREY around 2008-2009, just when I hear this very song, though the first version of it. I fell in love with them because of their talent, the art in their music, the emotions they manage to put on their songs, their lyrics, and how unique they are as a band. I didn't fall for them because of their looks, as what I see some people complaining about. Their looks, in my opinion, is just a very pleasing bonus. I like the fact that you react to (though the second version of) the very first song that made me fell head over heels to them. Thanks!
Macabre is one of my favorite from them i was in tears wen i saw this song live the gts were purely amazing but on top of that Kyos vocals are haunting and his screams and deeps and then his opera hi regesters were amazing
Really cool you liked it, DEG is a band I really got into when I was like 15 and they were of the bands that defined my musical interests, they're a real unrelenting force; easily one of my favorites. Really cool channel too, man.
Thank you so much for this profound and honest review. I have to agree with the others that it's just so nice to see you appreciating and understanding it. Like you said, it's a song you have to be open for ... When I first saw this live version I was so blown away and had to show it to a friend and their reaction was "ok cool, is this like a freestyle session?", needles to say I was a bit puzzled by that! I do think playing an instrument and having some knowledge about music helps with understanding the amazing complexness that is Macabre. Thank you for all of your reviews and sharing you musical knowledge and passion. Hope 2018 will bring even more great bands and tracks to discover as well as many new followers : ) greetings, Eri
Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Doing all the Dir En Grey is pulling all the influences that I really enjoy, into a band I simply did not know I would love, and it is making me a better reviewer. There are so many little things in their tracks that you can miss. As I type this the Diabolos vid is finishing it's upload.
I love how much you dig into this song and the performance. You really show your appreciation by really listening and focusing on detail. That shows respect. I love it. the original song is very different. It came out almost 10 years ago. Their earlier works are very different. I have their fans ever since they debuted. They have grown so much. I like the remastered version more as it’s deeper and more mature. I remember reading something about this song when it first came out, it’s about a spider fell in love with a butterfly and decided to eat the butterfly in order to become one with it. Simply put. I m sure there are all kinds of metaphor everywhere, spider, butterfly and everything. To me that explains the agony part besides the brutal ness. Obviously that’s not a healthy take of love. They added more in the remastered version, it’s like the story teller comes out and talks in a third person point of view (originally was from the spider point of view), and at the end when it goes back to the original melody, kyo changed the lyrics from original version too. To me, it’s like a closure or an explanation for the older version. Anyways, just some thoughts. Hope you got a chance to check out the original version. They have grown so much. It’s such a great artwork. Their songs always are.
I just recently discovered your DEG reactions. You're getting a lot of requests for the new stuff, but I highly recommend "In the Bottom of the Death Valley" from one of their early albums, Kisou. It's waaay more funky than metal, but still brings it. I love anyone who takes time with this band, they aren't always an easy pill to swallow but they are indeed musically nourishing.
I had the pleasure of seeing them live about a year+ ago. They are perfect live! Felt like their album did not do them justice . Kyo hits every note flawlessly.
I appreciate your opinion and thoughtful reaction/review of this song. I love it also, and it's nice to hear someone else appreciate it so much. I'm hoping maybe you'd check out Undecided by Dir En Grey. It's another one of my favorites and I'd love to hear your opinion. Thanks again sir.
I used to play bass, and guitar, and I was playing local gigs for awhile. I've studied theory, taken voice lessons, and worked in local, and, regional rock, and metal scenes. I've booked, local regional, national, and international bands. I've run street teams for local, and regional bands, and been on street teams for national, and international bands. I've helped manage local bands. I've spent time in studio's recording as an artist, as well as just an observer, and have a couple of close friends who are studio engineers. I've been writing record, and concert reviews for the past 15+ years on, and off. I've also been listening to metal for 30 years now. I consider my reactions to be reviews more than reactions. But instead listening to a track, or album several times, I am doing the review in real time. I guess you could say they are both. But I do my best to provide focused, honest feedback about what I am hearing, or watching. I hope this answers your question. Thank you for stopping by. Cheers.
I appreciate your experience. I've listened to all content this band has put out, studio or live. And I think you have showed me that there's a less superficial side to Dir en grey, and music in general that I didn't know existed. It's really cool to see you enjoy things that seem trivial to me like a bass effect toggle or a strat tone. Like I've missed out on so much. So if I go and listen to everything again it will be different, and that's a great feeling.
Wow. Thank you. I don't know what to say. I'm honored that my reaction could have that kind of effect on you. I hear those little things, and I am impressed by them. For example the parts where the guitar player uses the black guitar with the white pick guard, ( the stratocastor, or strat,) he is using it specifically to get that quack like sound, and I am really impressed that they would have that there just to get that sound. To me that shows a deep level of understanding of what sounds they wanted for those passages. It's the same with the part where the bass gets that tonal effect for the 45 or so seconds. He wanted a specific tone to color in that passage. That level of detail is really impressive. This was the first time I've heard the track. It is one I would love to revisit in a month, or two once I've spent time with it, and found all the little things I know I missed. Thank you for your comment. I truly appreciate it.
Baldman Reacts I think one of the reasons why he uses the Strat for that specific passage is because the original version of this song was written before Dir en grey made the switch to 7 string guitars. When they re-recorded this, I think he wanted to stay true to that tone. If you notice, Die (that’s his stage name) switches between the Strat, a 7 string, and an acoustic for this song. The other guitarist, Kaoru, sticks with his 7 string but chooses to go with effects to get the sounds he wants.
I did, and I was fascinated by it. The Strat has the incredible, and unique tone. You can get close to it with effects but it is not the same. I love Die's attention to detail that he wants stay true to the sounds. It was really impressive.
Nice reaction Baldman! Awesome as alwais. There's a brazilian band called Project46, their song Panico and Erro+55 are excellent, i'm sure you will like it. Happy new year!!
I'm gonna be real with you man, I'm a huge dir en grey fan, and watching you be so moved by so many performances, I felt connected because I felt the same way. from this standpoint I honestly request "pomegranate subbed" I'll even throw 20 bucks towards your channel however that works? PayPal? patreon?
Never thought I'd see a more perfect representation of my own feelings for the track. Akuro no Oka off Gauze is another that you ought to try, entirely different feel, equally epic.
If you decide to do another from Dir en Grey, how about "Diabolos". It's a step back in the direction of their heavier work, so maybe a little more challenging listen. It is a slower, progressive track most of the way through, with some extended melodic sections and plenty of instrumental beauty, while giving just a taste of the more dark and dirty of the band's genre-bending roller coaster of artistry.
There is a fantastic live performance that can be heard here th-cam.com/video/WGSCw4tPQ1E/w-d-xo.html. But you definitely won't be disappointed if you decide to go with the original album recording. You can listen to it @ th-cam.com/video/JMdlIL0opq8/w-d-xo.html Sorry that there don't seem to be any with lyrics as well (unless you happen to know japanese and/or spanish) But just like with all their music, the lyrics translate quite well just through their delivery and the accompaniment. Do yourself and the fanboys a favor and check it out 😄. (PS thanks for putting up with so many comments. I am just so thrilled that you're enjoying this awesome band)
At this point it is not a matter of if I check out more DEG, it is when. I've got one I know I will get to today, and there are plenty more on the list I need to get to. Diabolos is one. I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
This is a musical equivalent of "literature' rather than simply a "novel". Almost could have done without the translated lyrics to lock into the vibe more.
this is the rearrangement of the title track from their 2000 album, "MACABRE." I suggest trying the original from the band's prolonged 20th anniversary showcase (from depression to...mode of macabre) the band seems to agree the original, which stretched their progressive muscles at the time, is still enough. also, for more recent prog-ish vibes: th-cam.com/video/8W0h2yht6IA/w-d-xo.html
Hey im an huge Dir en grey fan since 2007 and i would like you listen to Zakuro which is from the same album as the old version of this song. Listen to the Blitz 5 days live version, you should be able to found a video of this song with english sub ON. It's my favorite Dir en grey song ever, and the most emotional one to me, i hope you'll give it a try.
I would not say they are the first to be honest. Tool have been doing it since 1990, and there has always been a heavy art component to what they do. There have been other bands as well. But few do it as well as DEG seem to.
If you're taking recs, give In Aw of by Cult of Luna a shot if you haven't already. It's a different sound from Dir en grey, but shares a similar amount of intensity.
Baldman Reacts Awesome, in that case I'll recommend Second Son of R by Oathbreaker as well. You might appreciate the emotion that goes into the vocalist's work.
I am aware that Kyo writes all the lyrics, and that Kyo has blown his voice several times. Though that is not due to overseas touring. It is due to poor vocal technique. Kyo really pushes his vocals without doing it properly. Though you can tell that in the past couple of years he has taken vocal lessons. Cheers.
I’m also glad you notice Toshiya, the bassist. He is great at providing countermelodies instead of just following the guitars or sticking to root notes. As you listen to more Japanese bands you’ll notice the bass player tends to be “featured” more than you’d expect compared to the average band from the West. Like I said in another video comment, just wait until you hear Sukekiyo’s bassist.
Also, I had the pleasure of seeing Dir en grey live four times, but that was back when they were pushing to get more exposure outside of Japan. They have since limited their touring in North America, and they don’t even have an American record label anymore (though you can still purchase/stream some of their albums digitally). Hopefully they’ll come around for the next album drop, which should be some time this year I would expect. It’s been three years since their last album, and a massive 44 track, career spanning best of album has just been released.
As a bass player I find great bass players inspiring, and doing this channel has inspired me to start playing again. Toshiya does an outstanding job, and he does do things that I don't always expect from bass players. I really enjoy that. I do hope they tour the states so I can see them I wish I wouldnt have missed out before.
I'm sure others have probably mentioned already, you don't need to see them in Japan. They do come to the states occasionally.
I did get to see them in the US at House Of Blues in Houston on their last US tour in 2019. They were fantastic.
24:19 I agree that tastes do change. With Dir en grey I've been listening to them since highschool and over time they've moved from the more whimsical to the more dark. At the time I wasn't too happy about that change, but it didn't keep me from trying to enjoy it as I've always been a dedicated fan. Fast forward now, because of change of taste (or more specifically acquiring more tastes), I've come to honestly enjoy the songs that i didn't care for as much. So now I can listen to their newer music just as well as the classics. To digress, the first song I've ever heard from them was Myaku.
Interesting tidbit for you: this song was originally the title track for their second album back in 2000, and that version was only about 11 minutes long. This here is a live performance of the re-recorded version from 2013, placed on a bonus disc in a limited version of an EP full of re-recorded songs from their past. For the most part they play this version just like the original, but then the last 6 minutes is comprised of an entirely new composition. It’s a shame that the studio track was tied to such a limited physical release, but those of us that managed to get a copy truly got something special.
I will have to look up the original. I can imagine having a studio recording of this version is incredible. That said I am happy to know there are live versions out there. This song is amazing, and that word still does not do this band justice.
I’ve seen these guys live a number of times...Diru are beasts!!! Amazing experiences!
I saw them live in December. They were outstanding. I have a review up. Cheers.
I have been following Dir en grey for 12 years. This is one of my all time favorite tracks of theirs. I was fortunate enough to see them in Atlanta on two of their tours. They know how to work a crowd even with a language barrier. If you ever see them have a North American tour scheduled, do buy tickets. It is so worth it
I need to see them live now. Ill have to keep a look out for NA dates. They are now on my list of bands I still need to see. I've found great bands can transcend the language barrier. Thank you for your continued support.
Thanks for another reaction to this fantastic band and a beautiful song. Most channels I've seen do one or two, maybe three at most reactions and move on. Sure I understand you can't just react to every song by one band and nothing else, but thank you for giving Diru a real listen and delving into their library. I'm glad its had an impact with your listeners. Personally I'll never get tired watching these for as many as you decide to do so by all means, carry on! Seeing someone discover a favorite band of mine is a really special experience
I have a list of all the requests that come in, and I just work down the list in order. It seems to be the most fair way to do it. If I have alot of requests for one band in a group, I will space them out over several days, and do one, or two a day depending on how many I know I can get through. I know I will have at least one or two DEG tracks today. My goal is to get to all the requests put in. I know we will get to a point where that is not possible, but will cross that bridge when we get there.
Baldman Reacts hey I hope you do get to that point. That'll be a huge milestone. Until then, keep up the good work and dedication!
I love dir en grey, please react to more songs 😀
I have 12 DEG tracks on the list, and at least four from Kyo's other band. There will be much more to come. Cheers.
i shed some tears watching this, this is a true performance and i felt like it really was a masterpiece. my god.
MACABRE is truly a masterpiece. No less. This is most likely my favorite song of theirs... Everything it in hits me so hard from ever single bass sounds to all the solos, the vocals... the lyrics even.. I interpret it in a very personal and all-consuming way. Thank you thank you for all these amazing videos on DIR, me and my wife are binge-watching them !
It's been fun to lurk along to this experience for you. Awesome to see the band recognized objectively, by a music fan, without all the j-rock baggage bogging it down. They really are incredible.
I can understand how you feel. They are an incredible band that is too easily dismissed because they are a j rock band. Cheers.
I've seen this live video countless times, and it still gives me chills. I was fortunate enough to find Dir en Grey 8 years ago, and I'm glad someone else is enjoy them. Great reaction!!! New Subscriber.
Thank you very much. This Dir En Grey journey started about 10 days ago, and it has been an incredible one. The first track I did "Different Sense," I could not get into. But the incredible family here on the channel have provided songs that truly have drawn me in. This track is just another step on this path. I am glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the sub.
Baldman Reacts I believe they tour outside of Japan. My brother saw them live at the House of Blues. If they are in your area, definitely check them out.
I am going to have to now.
So glad you did this masterpiece, you're easily the most thoughtful, educated, and entertaining music reactors I've seen.
That is very high praise. Thank you very much. It is an honor, and it is humbling. I will do my best to live up to it. Thank you.
Thank you for your reaction, I have been fanatic about Dir en grey for 10 years and your reaction, comments and experiencing a song I have listened to too many times to count with you helped me appreciate it even more. Thank you for this series!
I've been a superfan of Diru since around 2003 and appreciate your reaction video so freaking much. You explain what's going on in such a natural and knowledgeable way that I understood more of the music that I've listened to for what is now half of my life. Thanks so much dude. Definitely subscribing.
Thank you so much. I truly appreciate it. I'm really honored that die hard fans like yourself appreciate my perspective.
Keeping you off balance, great way of saying it, they understand tension and release in a way that I personally haven't seen matched.
I agree. I have seen very few bands that have such a grasp of it. I'd say Gojira have it mastered, but it is a different style.
Baldman Reacts I've heard and sort of adopted the term "peaks and valleys" to describe the concept, and It applies particularly well to the heavier bands. Probably one of the best examples of this from Diru is the track "Vinishka" that builds in suspense and emotion, climbing the mountain before it sends you careening out of control into the dissonance of the valley below. Just as you feel you might crash into the next hillside, you burst through clouds into another glorious harmony
Gojira definitely has a great grasp of tension and aggression countered with harmony. Opeth, Between The Buried and Me, and Periphery are a few bands that I feel do a fantastic job creating suspense and tension and then releasing it in similar methods, through different styles.
I just stumbled upon your channel today, i'm glad you're enjoying this band. It's always great to see someone who has no knowledge on the japanese music metal scene, come across this band and really LISTEN to them. It's easy for the jrock fans to go "omg this band is so good, listen to this one particular song!" But I would say, don't listen to just one song, definitely listen to an album of theirs. Dir en grey is a band that needs to be heard in album form, rather than by singles, because the singles don't do them justice.
Their earlier works are experimental for their scene at the time, and they are good, but I think their 3rd album, Kisou is when the band grew musically and grew more mature. If you were to start there, I think that would be a good start if you find yourself getting into this band more and more. I find Uroboros and Dum Spiro Spero to be their best album in terms of range, musicianship and on top of that, Kyo's vocals are incredibly on point.
They for me, are one of the very very few bands in the world that can transcend the language barrier and convey an emotion in a song, whether it is sadness, fury, melancholy, intensity etc etc. Lots of bands in the metal scene have a hard time doing that, but this band despite being Japanese, can create such a vivid landscape of emotions in a song. Its absolutely incredible.
That being said, this version of Macabre is their best written song of their entire catalog. I cant even believe they took their own song from 18 years ago, and improved upon it 50 fold. Wonderful.
As much as I want to go listen to the records as a whole at the moment, I cant. I have so many songs to get to that it would kill my being able to do videos on them. Thank you for the kind words, and the very thoughtful response. I really appreciate it. Cheers.
Baldman Reacts so far, everyone has recommended good songs for the most part. I would go and see if you can find the song embryo. It's from 2002, and this was their experimental phase, trying out trip hop. It's actually very good. The bass guitar is very groovy
God to hear Macabre for the first time. What a great.
It makes me so happy to see people appreciate this band ♡ This song really is a masterpiece
Amazing review! Dir en grey has been my absolute favorite band for a long time now. Thank you for giving me a new perspective on their music.
Man I can't thank you enough for completing my request.
The lyrics as you said are mostly metaphors and a lot of people interpret it like when you are unable to make something yours, you capture it or kill it or eat it, and it becomes yours, a part of you even; forever. Something that appears a lot in crime cases. Like men who captivate girls in their houses for years, because there is no other way they could keep them by their side - or just make them interested in them in the first place. This is perixreloaded's intepretation
It is a very good interpretation. It was an amazing song. One I am blown away by. Thank you so much for the requests. They really have helped shape the channel.
Even after listening Dir en gray for a decade, this song still leaves me out of breath. Your professional but still emotional viewpoints on the bands work got me watching your other reactions and following to see ones to come.
I didnt like reaction videos ... now I have found you on youtube and I enjoy your recations alot!!!
Thank you. That means alot. I really appreciate it.
Dude, love your comments on this! You should check out the 3 hour plus "ARCHE at Nippon Budokan" live performance. Imagine thia level of performance for over three hours straight, in good quality too. You can find it here on youtube, cheers!
Haha i love at 7.10min you said " oh it's coming" ..like you can feel the power rising ..it is coming for us the power of Dir en grey hehe 👌 great commentary yet again
One of the things I loved about this track is when it does build, it didn't build the way other bands would do it. In that transition most other bands would go heavy. They simply used distortion as coloring to build tension before that shift. I was floored.
Baldman Reacts yes they are individually so talented and together they are just out of our expectations..they ALWAYS surprise me with there songs eventhough ive been listening to them for 15 years... they never dissapoint me and its always a surprise what they have made for us. Could you try to react to "dir en grey - zakuro (eng sub) " its an old but very emotional song..it always gives me tears in my eyes. You feel his pain which he experienced in his past life.
Having listened to this innumerable times I find it so awesome to see someone else appreciate this song...
What a journey...
I agree. It is an amazing heartfelt track.
I fell in love with DIR EN GREY around 2008-2009, just when I hear this very song, though the first version of it. I fell in love with them because of their talent, the art in their music, the emotions they manage to put on their songs, their lyrics, and how unique they are as a band. I didn't fall for them because of their looks, as what I see some people complaining about. Their looks, in my opinion, is just a very pleasing bonus. I like the fact that you react to (though the second version of) the very first song that made me fell head over heels to them. Thanks!
You are very welcome. All these requests come from the amazing subscriber family that we have here. They are keeping me on the right track.
Macabre is one of my favorite from them i was in tears wen i saw this song live the gts were purely amazing but on top of that Kyos vocals are haunting and his screams and deeps and then his opera hi regesters were amazing
This song evokes so many incredible emotions. I'm blown away by the composition, and the attention to detail. It is amazing stuff.
Really cool you liked it, DEG is a band I really got into when I was like 15 and they were of the bands that defined my musical interests, they're a real unrelenting force; easily one of my favorites.
Really cool channel too, man.
Thank you so much. It has been an incredible journey that has opened up so many doors. I appreciate it.
I love this video so much because you had my same exact reaction when I first heard this song and vinushka
Thank you so much for this profound and honest review. I have to agree with the others that it's just so nice to see you appreciating and understanding it. Like you said, it's a song you have to be open for ... When I first saw this live version I was so blown away and had to show it to a friend and their reaction was "ok cool, is this like a freestyle session?", needles to say I was a bit puzzled by that! I do think playing an instrument and having some knowledge about music helps with understanding the amazing complexness that is Macabre. Thank you for all of your reviews and sharing you musical knowledge and passion. Hope 2018 will bring even more great bands and tracks to discover as well as many new followers : ) greetings, Eri
Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Doing all the Dir En Grey is pulling all the influences that I really enjoy, into a band I simply did not know I would love, and it is making me a better reviewer. There are so many little things in their tracks that you can miss. As I type this the Diabolos vid is finishing it's upload.
I love how much you dig into this song and the performance. You really show your appreciation by really listening and focusing on detail. That shows respect. I love it.
the original song is very different. It came out almost 10 years ago. Their earlier works are very different. I have their fans ever since they debuted. They have grown so much. I like the remastered version more as it’s deeper and more mature. I remember reading something about this song when it first came out, it’s about a spider fell in love with a butterfly and decided to eat the butterfly in order to become one with it. Simply put. I m sure there are all kinds of metaphor everywhere, spider, butterfly and everything. To me that explains the agony part besides the brutal ness. Obviously that’s not a healthy take of love.
They added more in the remastered version, it’s like the story teller comes out and talks in a third person point of view (originally was from the spider point of view), and at the end when it goes back to the original melody, kyo changed the lyrics from original version too. To me, it’s like a closure or an explanation for the older version. Anyways, just some thoughts.
Hope you got a chance to check out the original version. They have grown so much. It’s such a great artwork. Their songs always are.
Thank you so much for the kind words. I do my best. I have so much to get to by DEG. I will get to the original at some point, cheers.
I just recently discovered your DEG reactions. You're getting a lot of requests for the new stuff, but I highly recommend "In the Bottom of the Death Valley" from one of their early albums, Kisou. It's waaay more funky than metal, but still brings it. I love anyone who takes time with this band, they aren't always an easy pill to swallow but they are indeed musically nourishing.
I had the pleasure of seeing them live about a year+ ago. They are perfect live! Felt like their album did not do them justice . Kyo hits every note flawlessly.
I appreciate your opinion and thoughtful reaction/review of this song. I love it also, and it's nice to hear someone else appreciate it so much. I'm hoping maybe you'd check out Undecided by Dir En Grey. It's another one of my favorites and I'd love to hear your opinion. Thanks again sir.
Just curious, what's your musical background? You are like the only react TH-camr I've seen that seems to know what they're talking about.
I used to play bass, and guitar, and I was playing local gigs for awhile. I've studied theory, taken voice lessons, and worked in local, and, regional rock, and metal scenes. I've booked, local regional, national, and international bands. I've run street teams for local, and regional bands, and been on street teams for national, and international bands. I've helped manage local bands. I've spent time in studio's recording as an artist, as well as just an observer, and have a couple of close friends who are studio engineers. I've been writing record, and concert reviews for the past 15+ years on, and off. I've also been listening to metal for 30 years now. I consider my reactions to be reviews more than reactions. But instead listening to a track, or album several times, I am doing the review in real time. I guess you could say they are both. But I do my best to provide focused, honest feedback about what I am hearing, or watching. I hope this answers your question. Thank you for stopping by. Cheers.
I appreciate your experience. I've listened to all content this band has put out, studio or live. And I think you have showed me that there's a less superficial side to Dir en grey, and music in general that I didn't know existed. It's really cool to see you enjoy things that seem trivial to me like a bass effect toggle or a strat tone. Like I've missed out on so much. So if I go and listen to everything again it will be different, and that's a great feeling.
Wow. Thank you. I don't know what to say. I'm honored that my reaction could have that kind of effect on you. I hear those little things, and I am impressed by them. For example the parts where the guitar player uses the black guitar with the white pick guard, ( the stratocastor, or strat,) he is using it specifically to get that quack like sound, and I am really impressed that they would have that there just to get that sound. To me that shows a deep level of understanding of what sounds they wanted for those passages. It's the same with the part where the bass gets that tonal effect for the 45 or so seconds. He wanted a specific tone to color in that passage. That level of detail is really impressive. This was the first time I've heard the track. It is one I would love to revisit in a month, or two once I've spent time with it, and found all the little things I know I missed. Thank you for your comment. I truly appreciate it.
Baldman Reacts I think one of the reasons why he uses the Strat for that specific passage is because the original version of this song was written before Dir en grey made the switch to 7 string guitars. When they re-recorded this, I think he wanted to stay true to that tone. If you notice, Die (that’s his stage name) switches between the Strat, a 7 string, and an acoustic for this song. The other guitarist, Kaoru, sticks with his 7 string but chooses to go with effects to get the sounds he wants.
I did, and I was fascinated by it. The Strat has the incredible, and unique tone. You can get close to it with effects but it is not the same. I love Die's attention to detail that he wants stay true to the sounds. It was really impressive.
Nice reaction Baldman! Awesome as alwais. There's a brazilian band called Project46, their song Panico and Erro+55 are excellent, i'm sure you will like it. Happy new year!!
I just got a request for panico. To have two endorsements for the track, I know it is going to be good.
They are awesome, im sure you will like it
Please please do: Dir En Grey - Soshaku (Arche Live) HQ I'm sure you'll love it!
I'm gonna be real with you man, I'm a huge dir en grey fan, and watching you be so moved by so many performances, I felt connected because I felt the same way. from this standpoint I honestly request "pomegranate subbed" I'll even throw 20 bucks towards your channel however that works? PayPal? patreon?
th-cam.com/video/j4Iz88ivHYM/w-d-xo.html
zakuro in Japanese
I'll get Zakuro in. Peri does such a great job with her videos.
Though I might have done it. I'll have to check.
It looks like I did do it way back in Jan of 2018
Never thought I'd see a more perfect representation of my own feelings for the track.
Akuro no Oka off Gauze is another that you ought to try, entirely different feel, equally epic.
macabre even sounds different in any live ♥ this is a great song that need no specifics words to say anything
If you decide to do another from Dir en Grey, how about "Diabolos". It's a step back in the direction of their heavier work, so maybe a little more challenging listen. It is a slower, progressive track most of the way through, with some extended melodic sections and plenty of instrumental beauty, while giving just a taste of the more dark and dirty of the band's genre-bending roller coaster of artistry.
There is a fantastic live performance that can be heard here th-cam.com/video/WGSCw4tPQ1E/w-d-xo.html. But you definitely won't be disappointed if you decide to go with the original album recording. You can listen to it @
th-cam.com/video/JMdlIL0opq8/w-d-xo.html
Sorry that there don't seem to be any with lyrics as well (unless you happen to know japanese and/or spanish) But just like with all their music, the lyrics translate quite well just through their delivery and the accompaniment. Do yourself and the fanboys a favor and check it out 😄. (PS thanks for putting up with so many comments. I am just so thrilled that you're enjoying this awesome band)
At this point it is not a matter of if I check out more DEG, it is when. I've got one I know I will get to today, and there are plenty more on the list I need to get to. Diabolos is one. I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
This is a musical equivalent of "literature' rather than simply a "novel". Almost could have done without the translated lyrics to lock into the vibe more.
Well said brother. I agree.
Very nicely said!
インディーズから今に至るDIR EN GREYの進化を見て欲しい！日本１のバンド(*´∀｀)貴方のreactionは
最高😃⤴⤴thank-you✨
If I can suggest, and it hasn't been done yet, with your full album reviews, their album Arche is one of my favorites front to back.
I did Arche a few months ago. It was the first DEG record I did. Cheers.
Baldman Reacts well damn, time to find and watch that!
I´m so glad you liked this track. i hope to see more from you. take care.
There is more coming. The list is long, but we will keep working though it.
this is the rearrangement of the title track from their 2000 album, "MACABRE." I suggest trying the original from the band's prolonged 20th anniversary showcase (from depression to...mode of macabre) the band seems to agree the original, which stretched their progressive muscles at the time, is still enough.
also, for more recent prog-ish vibes: th-cam.com/video/8W0h2yht6IA/w-d-xo.html
Glad you enjoyed it!
To say the least my friend.
Hey im an huge Dir en grey fan since 2007 and i would like you listen to Zakuro which is from the same album as the old version of this song.
Listen to the Blitz 5 days live version, you should be able to found a video of this song with english sub ON.
It's my favorite Dir en grey song ever, and the most emotional one to me, i hope you'll give it a try.
I will certainly get to it as soon as I can. Thank you for the support.
They’re the first metal band that literally creates modern art by music. Not really easy to understand though.
I would not say they are the first to be honest. Tool have been doing it since 1990, and there has always been a heavy art component to what they do. There have been other bands as well. But few do it as well as DEG seem to.
Could you mention these other bands? Wanna listen.
I haven't been through all of your videos yet, but if you haven't watched it yet, Zakuro is one of my favorites.
Like that you like the aggressive vocals now😂
It just took getting used to them. It really adds alot to certain parts of songs.
Sublime
DIR EN GREY 閲覧ありがとう！
React to Threat Signal - Elimination Process (Official Band PlayThrough)
I have no Threat Signal on the channel. We will get it up brother.
Greeeat song!
Incredibly powerful stuff.
If you're taking recs, give In Aw of by Cult of Luna a shot if you haven't already. It's a different sound from Dir en grey, but shares a similar amount of intensity.
I am always taking requests. I've heard of Cult Of Luna, but I have not heard them. I will get them on the list. Cheers.
Baldman Reacts
Awesome, in that case I'll recommend Second Son of R by Oathbreaker as well. You might appreciate the emotion that goes into the vocalist's work.
Please react to dir en grey - lotus :)
Sex Machineguns : Hanabi-la Daikaiten ?
React Dream Theather-A nigthmare to remember-Studio. Brazil!
Oh yes. I have a lack of Dream Theater, and I love them. Cheers.
Kyo has lost his voice several times, because they do tours overseas and in their country of Japan.
Also, Kyo writes all the lyrics to their music
I am aware that Kyo writes all the lyrics, and that Kyo has blown his voice several times. Though that is not due to overseas touring. It is due to poor vocal technique. Kyo really pushes his vocals without doing it properly. Though you can tell that in the past couple of years he has taken vocal lessons. Cheers.
It is very good, isn't it? 😉