Dir En Grey

The Marrow Of A Bone

[3/5] Last December, Dir En Grey selected “Agitated Screams Of Maggots” as the anchor single to preview their upcoming full-length album. This undistinguished thrasher fueled fears that the veteran Japanese quintet’s stint on the Family Values Tour had contaminated their aesthetic, eliminating the elements that made them one of heavy music’s most seductive acts. The Marrow Of A Bone quells some of those concerns. A relatively generic growler on “Maggots,” singer Kyo croons suavely throughout the record, especially when the group isolate his voice against robust basslines. He can segue from mellow to melodramatic within seconds when swelling choruses dictate, and his precisely emotive delivery communicates the nuances of his largely Japanese lyrics. During the slower-paced songs, guitarists Kaoru and Die concoct moody swirls, eerie psychedelic tones, chilled-funk jangles and exotic Middle Eastern acoustic melodies. However, Marrow contains several monochromatic “Maggots”-style tracks that exchange the group’s sexy, eclectic style for bludgeoning metalcore. (WARCON) Andrew Miller