ALBUM REVIEW: ARCHE by Dir En Grey (Album of the Year 2014)

How do you fall for something you don't fully understand? 

 While 2014 might have been the best year in a while for music, particularly heavy music, it's only when diving down below the surface of popularity that you find the true monsters; the ones making art that challenges and pushes limits. It's the bands lurking below the surface that break musical boundaries and truly captivate those who find them. 

Japanese metal band Dir En Grey have been captivating an audience for years, but it is only now that they have crafted an album worthy of being my personal Album of the Year. 

 Over their 18 year career, they've experimented with so many different styles and sounds that it's become harder and harder to categorize or pigeonhole them. They are a band that makes the music they want to make and never compromises. Starting out as an experimental offshoot of Visual Kei, a Japanese style of rock music, to later including elements of Industrial and Nu Metal, to dipping their foot in the Metalcore pool, and finally to where they are now and have been since about 2008; in the realm of Progressive music. 

 Uroboros, the album the band released in 2008 which most consider their best album yet, was a shock to both fans and critics by being a different, darker, scarier, heavier, and all around more visionary release. This was not the same Visual Kei band that exploded onto the scene in 1999, this was a beast more akin to the likes of Tool, Faith No More, and other forward thinking alternative projects. Then in 2011, they shook their foundation again by experimenting with some of the more extreme sub-genres of metal like Death Metal and Black Metal on the album Dum Spiro Spero. So when they announced at the end of 2013 that they were releasing a new album again the following year, no one was quite sure what to expect. Especially considering the single they released as a bit of a teaser, Sustain the Untruth, was a return to the Nu Metal-esque sound they were working with in the early 2000's. Finally, after waiting over a year for it to be released, fans finally received ARCHE, the bands 9th album on December 10th, 2014. 

  ARCHE can be best described as an absolute refinement and summary of Dir En Grey's sound. Although they have experimented with styles and changed drastically over the years, they always created a certain atmosphere in their music, one with deep obscuring shadows yet contrasted with many vibrant colors. This album is no different, but instead of creating an album with one overall sound, they've decided to write eclectically, combining and fusing every style they've ever worked with while still keeping things coherent and together. It's almost as if they decided to rework the songs in years passed so they fit musically into what they do now.

  Highlights like "Phenomenon", "Rinkaku", and the beautiful "Kukou No Kyouon" make me feel as if I'm standing directly below a waterfall in the middle of a storm.  It's a mix of melatonin and adrenaline, as at any moment the situation could turn ugly, and it does. The two tracks that close the album, The Inferno and Revelation of Mankind are visceral, aggressive Death Metal - tinged songs, and feel as if someone has shaken you awake from the dream state you were just in. This album is littered with so many different colors and shades that all come together so well, as the styles brought out on this album are perfectly executed by the band.

  Dir En Grey has had the same lineup the entire time they've been a band, and it's starting to really pay off. They are as tight as ever, with Shinya and Toshiya (Drummer and Bassist respectively) musically dancing with each other to create rock solid rhythms, Guitarists Die and Kaoru crafting exceedingly interesting dual guitar riffs, and the legendary Kyo soaring over top the instruments effortlessly with his unique and refined voice. It's difficult to talk about Dir En Grey without mentioning Kyo, one of the most diverse vocalists in modern music as a whole. On this album we have him putting out all the stops, going from an operatic high tenor to a low, guttural death growl, to inhuman shrieks, back to his usual mid-range singing with such ease that at times it's hard to believe he's human. Kyo has always had an off-kilter approach to vocals both melodically and rhythmically, and it especially shows here. Being a Japanese band, the language barrier may turn some away but the english translations reveal very dark themes of violence, loss, self-doubt, abuse, and the chaos in humanity; things that Kyo will typically sing about, but have greater effect here due to the inherent dark sound of the record.

  By the time the record finally finished, I was both satisfied and left wanting more. Everything about this worked to create the most imaginative Metal album I've heard all year. I got everything I wanted out of a Dir En Grey release and so much more. I strongly encourage all those curious to listen and try to take it all in. Hopefully it will blow you away as well.

5/5

FILM REVIEW: Mr.Turner, or How "Based on a True Story" is a Curse

The mass populace looks to critics for a very specific function. The critics see movies ahead of time (usually), and write/talk about what they thought and why so people know whether or not to spend $10 on a ticket. It's a simple job with a simple explanation, so why is it that the tagline "based on a true story" seems to force most critics into being very biased in favor of a film despite its (glaring) flaws? 

That was the main question I had in my head while walking out of Mr. Turner, a biopic about the last 25 years of painter J.M.W. Turner's life. Going in to the film I had no idea what to expect, but then again I knew nothing of the man and wasn't even sure I had seen any of his work up until that point. The film begins a beautiful shot of Turner painting somewhere in the Netherlands by a windmill, and little did I know that shots such as that would be the most gripping part of it. Thankfully, the film is abundant in shots that look and feel similar or it would just be a mess of dialogue that doesn't flow or string together at all. 

When a filmmaker creates a film based on 100% true fact such as this, they still have to keep in mind that people are going to watch it expecting an actual movie or they essentially lose the magic that made the person in real life so compelling. This is where I find the films biggest flaw. The acting wasn't the problem, in fact it was some of the best in a long time with Timothy Spall playing the titular character and making me forget I'm watching an actor from the Harry Potter series, which as it's been seen is nearly impossible. No, the biggest problem is that the scenes themselves don't piece together like they should. The film has so many scenes that never needed to be there in the first place. The one big example I can think of is when Turner visits the home of a young admirer of his where they talk about where the best place to grow gooseberries is. Then, after a few minutes, they change the subject to the admirer denouncing one of Turner's biggest influences as being dull, with Turner not really saying much at all other than stating the contrary. It's as exciting as it sounds. There are about 5 long scenes of the same necessity as that. I understand staying true to that persons' character even if they aren't the most interesting person in the world, but at least give the viewers the most interesting parts of their life. Throughout the movie Turner falls into a relationship with a woman he met in a port town. Their actions help to drive the story along and show time passing, so why not elaborate on that and leave the extraneous material out? This film felt about 30 minutes too long because of scenes that didn't help the plot of character development, and that's a huge problem. Some of the shorter scenes felt infinitely more significant and had a much bigger impact, but the film spends time fleshing out ideas that don't feel like they matter. When the movie is on about him painting, loving, teaching, and thinking I'm engaged. Everywhere else, i.e most of the movie, I'm checking the time and fidgeting. If this had been a movie about an entirely fictional character, there would have been a much more polarizing opinion among critics, and deservedly so.

2.5/5