Review: Dir En Grey – Dum Spiro Spero

| Jul 26, 2011 | Comments 11 | Tags:

Rated:

3/5

These arty Japanese rockers say they sought to impart a hopeful vibe on Dum Spiro Spero in an attempt to fortify their countrymen following March’s catastrophic earthquake and tsunami. Judging from the slithering jab-and-pummel of cuts like “Juuyoko” and “Shitataru Mourou,” though, Dir En Grey were more interested in depicting Mother Nature’s unpredictable temper: These ominous minor-key workouts routinely change direction on a dime, not unlike a tornado or a hurricane. You do get the occasional wisp of wonder from frontman Kyo’s high, searching vocals, as in the strangely beautiful “The Blossoming Beelzebub.” But its calm precedes a discomfiting storm. MIKAEL WOOD


  • n a t

    Just bought this album today. It has totally blown me away. I would recommend them to anybody. Kyo’s voice is amazing. And I love Die’s guitar is amazing. I mean, this entire band kicks ass. 

  • kk

    What a lazy review. It doesn’t give justice at all to how hard the band worked to come out with this album. It’s amazing! You probably didn’t even listen to the entire thing.

  • omi

    Why even bother to write this “review”? Seems like just a bunch of words tossed together because it had to be done. This is an amazing, complex album. One of their strongest yet in my opinion. This album is very unsettling and discomforting; true, but in a good and purposeful way.  DIR EN GREY is here to stay, and strong as ever. 

  • Silenthill555666

    Dude seriously? Dir en Grey DID impact a hopeful vibe in this album. Japan is in a world of crisis and that’s what the CD is all about and bringing hope to the crisis. It is a dark record full of overtones of hope. Did you seriously not get the message behind Different Sense? It’s the best album ever released by them and they DID “fortify their countrymen following March’s catastrophic earthquake and tsunami.” Dir en Grey gives even the most hurt/devastated people hope and so far they are the only band in my opinion to change the outlook of a dark economy/music generation to something more than just “it’s the end of the world who cares what we do now” type bands. So take another listen to “While I Breathe, I Hope.” And actually listen to the full thing. 5/5

  • CUNT

    This is the WORST review of an album I’ve ever read. Could you please actually talk about the album and the sound they produced as a whole, instead of media, propaganda, tragedy bullshit. Fuck off the reviews for a bit.

  • ZOMB13

    Review fail. Why even publish this half assed attempt at a half assed review? try actually listening to the WHOLE CD and not just 10 seconds of each track, Dum Spiro Spero is such an amazing album by Dir En Grey, to put them down and shove them aside like this lame review did is a huge insult to both the band and fans of the band/magazine.

  • Christinekix

    This is the type of sloppy writing that makes Revolver unreadable. I bet if the album was all in English and if this was an American band you would jump up and down and talk about how amazing and unique they are, but since these guys are from Japan you feel safe in not only giving a poor review, but a lazy one too. Whatever takes the least amount of your effort and keeps you comfortably safe with music and lyrics that are familiar to the status quo.

  • Christinekix

    This is the type of sloppy writing that makes Revolver unreadable. I bet if the album was all in English and if this was an American band you would jump up and down and talk about how amazing and unique they are, but since these guys are from Japan you feel safe in not only giving a poor review, but a lazy one too. Whatever takes the least amount of your effort and keeps you comfortably safe with music and lyrics that are familiar to the status quo.

  • Meshuggahmouse

    This is album is an instant classic. I think it’s even better than Uroboros (although this is certainly debatable!)

    Shame on Revolver for not giving this amazing album the credit of a thorough review.

  • NegativeConductor

    to quote bad santa ” they all cant be winners now can they?”

  • AverageAlien

    I could write a better review of this album with my dick.