Ok now while this isn’t anime related I really wanted to post this as i’m sure these bands aren’t as known as they should be. Dir En Grey and Versaillies. I’ve been listening to these guys for awhile now and i’ve been meaning to make a post about them. Chances are if you like anime, you have also taken a liking to the music played during the show be it OPs or EDs. On top of that you may also have started getting into other forms of japanese music. This is where these 2 bands come in. If you’re a fan of metal then you really should listen to them.

Dir En Grey

They are what I would call a heavy metal band but they could be classed as many things, including Visual Kei which they originaly belonged to before toning down their look a bit. They have 1 of the best music videos i’ve seen in awhile and by best I mean most twisted and disturbing even over throwing Marilyn Manson. Lets talk about the singer a bit. The singer in a band is argueably the most important person. He has to sing and people have to like his voice, he has to find a way to connect to the crowd and get their attention. This guy seems to have gone to the same showmanship school as Manson did as he has gathered some fame beyond just being a singer. according to Wikipedia…

“His stage presence has reached a level of infamy, as it is not only very energetic and emotional, but also littered with shock elements such as full-body makeup resembling heavy burns, fake vomit of varying color and consistency, and various acts of self-mutilation. However, the authenticity of the latter is not always clear, given how frequent certain practices occur, sometimes firmly in place within a tour’s usual setlist. For example, Kyo would regularly engage in fish-hooking (Wiki it) during the performance of “Kodoku ni Shisu, Yueni Kodoku.” throughout the It Withers and Withers and Inward Scream tours”

On top of that, they also have one of the best songs i’ve heard in awhile. This comes from their new album Uroboros, which for any metal or j-rock fan should be bought. Now the song in particular i’m talking about is track 3 which is called Red Soil. What seals the deal for me besides the awesome beat, kick ass melodic piano/synthesizer thing and the way he sings, is the part between 2:28 and 2:50. Think demonic tasmanian devil. It’s so strange and evil the way he does it and just comes off as unique to me. I love these guys and will be buying every cd I can get my hands on.

Versailles

When I first saw this 5 I thought straight away “ok so there are 2 girls in the band, Thats cool because they sound great to boot” A few youtube comments later and yes, my trap detection must be broken thanks to Krona (even though the jury is still out on that) because all 5 members are guys. Though I must admit the guitarist Hizaki is pretty hot. See what I mean?

Admit it, you thought the one on the far right was a girl too. That is Hizaki. He is hot. On top of being hot he is a pretty incredible guitar player. Anyway getting off topic here. So as you can see these guys are as flat out Visual Kei as you can get. In case you didn’t already know…

“Visual Kei refers to a movement among Japanese musicians,that is characterized by the use of eccentric, sometimes flamboyant looks. This usually involves striking make-up, unusual hair styles and elaborate costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics” Thanks again Wiki

You may or may not be into that whole type of thing but that doesn’t really matter when you’re listening to a CD. As you’ll see in the music video, these guys kick a fair amount of ass despite looking like time travelers from the renaissance. Oh and point of information incase you guys are actually looking to buy this CD (which you should!) after seeing the music video. Due to a band or person already using the name Versaillies in the US, their name for the sake of americans has been changed to Versaillies -Philharmonic Quintet-. So don’t go asking for a Versaillies CD or else you will get a choir CD or something horrible.

The song linked below is from their 1st, and so far only album Noble. Not much else to say about these guys so that about sums up my short post about new bands. Mabye in a few days time i’ll comment on the bands Nightmare and L’Arc ~en~ Ciel when i’ve heard more of their music.

Dir En Grey – Red Soil

Dir En Grey – Obscure

I had originaly linked the video directly into this post but on review I found it to be very excessive for a friendly and wholesome anime site. Gotta keep the site as clean as possible we do. If you want to see it though do a youtube search for “Dir en Grey – Obscure -uncencored-” and there you go.

Versaillies – The Revenant Choir