Dir En Grey is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in February 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. With a consistent lineup of guitarists Kaoru and Die, vocalist Kyo, drummer Shinya and bassist Toshiya, they have released eleven full-length albums. Numerous stylistic changes have made the genre of their music difficult to determine, though it is generally considered to be a form of metal. Originally a visual kei band, the members later opted for more subtle attire, but have continued to maintain a dramatic image on stage.
Dune is the debut album by Japanese rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel. It was released by the independent label Danger Crue Records, first in a limited edition on April 10, 1993, and followed by a regular edition on April 27, which contained an additional tenth track. The regular edition reached number 1 on the Oricon indies chart on May 10.
Kyo is a Japanese musician, singer, lyricist and poet. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the heavy metal band Dir En Grey. He was formerly in a string of visual kei rock bands, with the most notable being La:Sadie's from 1995 to 1997. He then started Dir En Grey in February 1997, following La:Sadie's disbandment with three of its members, formed the experimental rock band Sukekiyo in 2013, and the supergroup Petit Brabancon in 2021. Kyo was inspired to become a musician when he saw a picture of Buck-Tick vocalist Atsushi Sakurai on the desk of a junior high school classmate. When he then discovered X Japan he was particularly fond of hide and had his parents buy him the guitarist's black signature model guitar. However, after realizing how difficult it was to play guitar and then bass, he then switched to vocals.
Macabre is the second studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Dir En Grey. It was released on September 20, 2000. It was the band's first record to be released in collaboration of Free-Will's Firewall sub-division and Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The original print of Macabre featured an etched, tinted jewel case with five wooden beads placed within the spine. The album proper, like Gauze, included two booklets: one with the lyrics, and the other featuring a related image and poem.
Kisō is the third studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Dir En Grey. The album was released on January 30, 2002. It has helped them gain popularity across Asia. The first press edition came with an extra booklet of lyrics and the cover booklet came in color, as opposed to the normal release. Unlike their previous two albums, Kisō did not feature extra poems and images per song in the liner notes; rather, the standard booklet came with the band's own English translation of the lyrics, while the extra booklet in the first pressing contained the original Japanese lyrics.
"Akuro no Oka" is a single released by Dir En Grey on January 20, 1999. It is among the first to feature remixes and was released simultaneously along with "Yurameki" and "-Zan-". The single peaked at number 7 on the Oricon music charts in Japan.
This is the discography of Dir En Grey, a Japanese heavy metal band. They have recorded eleven original studio albums, three EPs and thirty one singles in their twenty four years together. Each of the band's releases has charted on Japan's Oricon charts.
Free-Will (フリーウィル) is a Japanese independent record label founded in 1986 by Color vocalist Hiroshi "Dynamite Tommy" Tomioka, with branches predominantly in Japan and the United States, as well as previously in Europe. It also continues to co-manage many of its artists after they have signed recording contracts with a major record label. Free-Will along with Extasy Records are credited with helping to spread the visual kei movement. Free-Will also produced the 2001 anime adaptation of the long running manga series Grappler Baki.
The Marrow of a Bone is the sixth studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Dir En Grey.
"Misery" is the fifth single by Japanese musician hide, released on June 24, 1996. It reached number 3 on the Oricon chart. It was certified gold by RIAJ in July 1996. On May 2, 2007, the single was re-released with a slightly different cover. On August 4, 2010, it was re-released again as part of the second releases in "The Devolution Project", which was a release of hide's original eleven singles on picture disc vinyl.
"Dozing Green" is a single by Dir En Grey, released on October 24, 2007 in Japan and across Europe as well as in the iTunes Store until the end of October. The Japanese edition includes two b-sides, "Hydra -666-" and "Agitated Screams of Maggots [Live]". The European release features only "Dozing Green" and "Agitated Screams of Maggots", while the iTunes release is sold as the title track only.
Uroboros is the seventh studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Dir En Grey. It was released on November 11, 2008, in the United States by The End Records and, due to the time difference, on November 12, 2008, in Japan through Firewall and European releases by Gan-Shin. A remastered and expanded edition was released in 2012, featuring new and reworked tracks. The album was remastered by Tue Madsen who also produced their following album Dum Spiro Spero.
"Glass Skin" is a single by Dir En Grey, released on September 10, 2008 in Japan in a regular and limited edition, the limited copy featuring a bonus live track as well as a sticker of the band and a poster. The single was released as a digital download on September 17, 2008.
"Believe" / "Kumorinochi, Kaisei" is a single released by Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released on March 4, 2009 through their record label J Storm. "Believe" was used as the theme song for the Takashi Miike movie Yatterman starring Arashi member Sho Sakurai, and "Kumorinochi Kaisei" was used as the theme song for the drama Uta no Oniisan starring member Satoshi Ohno. The single was released in three editions: a regular edition containing a bonus track and instrumental versions of all the songs released in the single, and two limited edition both containing a DVD with a music video of one of the A-side tracks.
The Kabocha Wine is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mitsuru Miura. It was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 1981 to 1984. The Kabocha Wine received the 1983 Kodansha Manga Award for the shōnen category.
La Vie En Rose is the debut album by Japanese rock band D'erlanger, released on February 10, 1989. It was instantly successful, having to be reissued three times that year alone. The 1991 release reached number 25 on the Oricon Albums Chart and charted for 5 weeks.
Dum Spiro Spero is the eighth studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Dir En Grey, released on August 2, 2011 in the U.S., and in Japan on August 3.
Sukekiyo is a Japanese band formed in 2013 by Dir En Grey vocalist Kyo. It is sometimes referred to as a supergroup as every member of the band is or has been in other well-known acts in the Japanese visual kei movement, although only Kyo is currently active in another band.
The Insulated World is the tenth studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Dir En Grey, released on September 26, 2018 via Firewall Div./SMEJ.
Vulgar is the fourth studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Dir En Grey released on September 10, 2003 in Japan and on February 21, 2006 in Europe. A limited edition containing an additional DVD was also released. It featured the video of the song "Obscure", albeit a censored version. Vulgar is the first Dir En Grey release not to feature individual credits for the music, though the preceding singles featured individual credits.
