MISSA
Artist: Dir en grey
Album: MISSA
Musicians: Kyo (vocals), Kaoru (guitar), Toshiya (guitar), Die (bass), Shinya (drums)
Composer/Lyricist:
Release Date: 25 Sep 1997
| MISSA – Dir en grey Tracklisting:Â Â 01. Kiri to Mayu *Bold titles – recommended listening. |
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OVERVIEW
It’s rare that a rock band remains consistent throughout their career, but this is arguably the case with Dir en grey. MISSA is Dir en grey‘s first mini-album and was released during their indie days, but already their talent for unique rock could be seen. They are unafraid to try out different sounds, which continues to distinguish them from fellow rock bands, as well as keeping their music sounding fresh and unrepetitive. This fearlessness in particular set them apart when MISSA was released, leading to a quick signing with a professional record company and even quicker popularity. This album lacks some of the passion and a lot of the intricate composition that their later albums have, and it does, of course, sound significantly less polished than the albums they released under professional labels. Also, vocals performed by Kyo are less experienced and not as strong as in later albums. But even today MISSA remains a cut above the rest in terms of originality. I found every song on MISSA to be enjoyable; the rating is due to flaws mentioned above and below.
THE GOOD
Garden
“Garden” is the most standard-sounding rock song on this mini-album, meaning only that it is the easiest to sing along with. Dir en grey takes the usual rock formula and enhances it with masterful guitars and a catchy chorus. A quick beat provided by Shinya on drums launches the listener into the song, and then is matched by intricate guitar work. The melody is very catchy, as is the chorus. “Garden” is the best song on this album, and a classic Dir en grey song.
S
“S” launches off with a thumping drum beat and a catchy guitar riff. The vocals are muddled with an interesting sound effect. The highlights of this song are the quick and off-beat guitar line, and an interesting melody. The shortest song on MISSA, “S” speeds past almost too quickly.
Kiri to mayu
This album opener begins slowly with the sound of wind and a weird haltingly spoken voice. There is a very unique sound to this song, complete with more off-beat guitars and even a reprisal of a famous Russian song near the end. The somewhat weaker vocals are more than made up for with the interesting vocal line.
Aoi Tsuki
“Aoi Tsuki” is a borderline song for me, wavering over the line between good and merely average. The vocal line is rather monotone, but there are a number of other elements in this song that kept me listening. The constantly changing rhythms keep the listener off-balance, which doesn’t always work, but somehow did in this song. Also, several different musical ideas were blended together rather well, with seamless transitions between each. “Aoi Tsuki” might not be a song that I’ll put on repeat, but it was interesting to listen to.
Erode
“Erode” is a rather strange animal. It opens up with a bass solo before leading off the vocals with a guitar riff. The vocals and melody of the verses are intentionally discordant to the background instrumentals. Sections even sound slightly off-tune, but the chorus is strong, apart from slightly weak vocals. Again, throughout the song, there are a number of small touches that catch the ear, and midway through there is an enjoyable guitar solo. The off-tune vocals are a bit bizarre, but “Erode” was redeemed by the chorus and guitar solo.
Byo[]shin
I really like the opening to “Byo[]shin”; it has the right level of screaming thrash. This is the song that proves that Dir en grey has always had a core of heavy metal, rather than it being a new development in recent albums. The guitars are a highlight, with a very strong opening and a great solo halfway through. The melody of the chorus in particular could use some improvement, since it is a bit repetitive, but despite its flaws, it is still enjoyable.
The Rating: 6
Reviewed by: dheu
