Dir en grey

[Karma’s Hat 3107]

The Mode of Macabre is so good. Best DVD out of this series hands down. 

 

egnirys is a top tier vk song, and it's only lost in the shuffle because comes from a band that up to this point had only put out straight heat anyway

Edited August 18, 2018 by Disposable

[matthazell 35]

13 hours ago, Rosner said:

Sad to see Kyo hurting himself again during 'Kodoku ni Shisu...'. That fish-hooking looks horrible. Hope it's just related to the overall feel of the show (some sort of 'throwback performance') and it does not become a live staple once again. Also, didn't watched the whole thing, but this feels like the worst Kyo performance out of all the 'FROM DEPRESSION TO...' shows I've seen yet ('Kisou', 'The Marrow of a Bone', 'Vulgar', 'Dum Spiro Spero' and 'Uroboros'). He sounds strained and really exhausted.

A little disturbing to see his brought his fishhooking antics back, but you can't deny the way he did it was fucking amazing

that teasing mocking smile as he held up his hands making you wonder if he was gonna do it and he finally does is actually brilliant, not to mention the swinging bloody lightbulb being reminiscent of the way he always slings his mic over his neck when he cuts himself... subtle but brilliant honestly. 

[Saishu 1589]

It’s okay guys he’s not really tearing up his mouth. 

[Kelrya 145]

Yeah sorry but there is nothing brilliant about self-harm.

[Karma’s Hat 3107]

visual kei funderground fuck off

 

 

[EvilHippy 142]

https://vk.com/club558881?z=video-558881_456239644%2Fvideos-558881%2Fpl_-558881_-2

Mode of Macabre

[Kelrya 145]

Does anyone know what order they did the mode of tours in? I know they started with Guaze but then they went to Vulgar and then DSS I think and I lost track.

[EvilHippy 142]

 

2 minutes ago, Kelrya said:

Does anyone know what order they did the mode of tours in? I know they started with Guaze but then they went to Vulgar and then DSS I think and I lost track.

Gauze->Vulgar->DSS->Kisou->Uroboros->TMoaB->Macabre->WtD

[Kelrya 145]

32 minutes ago, EvilHippy said:

 

Gauze->Vulgar->DSS->Kisou->Uroboros->TMoaB->Macabre->WtD

Thanks!

[kuyashii 124]

Man, this makes me really angry. I always thought those "modes of" tour didn't have any purpose other than take money from the rabid fans and make Kyo shreds his throat even more. I know, he's old, the amount of abuse he put his voice through in the past is just immense and it's hard to sound good when you run like a maniac, but honestly, watching live footage from Kyo is just depressing nowadays and IIRC the last time I watched a full DVD by them was the DSS at. I know he never was a consistent live performance but until early 2015 or so, he still tried (and even after it, every once in a while he would nail a something really difficult like "Tousei" from the 2nd day at Budokan).

 

I've been following him since 2011, and while it was cool to witness his vocal habilities at their very best (which peaked in 2013 IMO, The Unraveling has sick vocals and he could actually replicate it live almost perfectly - the Tabula Rasa tour was his best, even that DVD that comes with Sustain the Untruth, which was of a performance Kyo did while going through fever and amigdalitis had some very good stuff).

 

You can actually pinpoint the time where he (and the whole band as well) started bringing back the visual elements to live performances and started exploring other stuff besides music - which was all after the 2012 break they took before releasing Rinkaku. In addition to the poetry books, the photography stuff, the goods designs, he really started going. It was kinda cool at first, but nowadays I just get the impression he doesn't even care about the musical aspect of their live shows, as long as he prances around with corpse-paint wearing monk hoods or doing SM shit while dressed like a naughty nun he seems to be satisfied.

 

And most of all, there's a quote from Kyo himself that goes like "if you want perfection, go listen to the studio albums". That's what I do nowadays, but even then, the studio stuff isn't that good anymore and if you ask me, he sounds like absolute crap on Adoratio. His high register is almost gone, he lost the support to hit the high notes and he mostly sound like he's gagging. There's a reason people who absolutely shredded their voices don't try their old stuff anymore (think Nina Hagen, Phil Anselmo, etc.). Kyo just so self-absorbed with this "i'm expressing myself" thing that just insists on doing stuff he can't do anymore instead of revamping his vocal style.

 

He still has done some of the most batshit insane vocal performances I ever heard in my life though and I thank him for that. I just don't have any hope when it comes to his future

[Rosner 35]

13 minutes ago, kuyashii said:

And most of all, there's a quote from Kyo himself that goes like "if you want perfection, go listen to the studio albums". That's what I do nowadays, but even then, the studio stuff isn't that good anymore and if you ask me, he sounds like absolute crap on Adoratio. His high register is almost gone, he lost the support to hit the high notes and he mostly sound like he's gagging. There's a reason people who absolutely shredded their voices don't try their old stuff anymore (think Nina Hagen, Phil Anselmo, etc.). Kyo just so self-absorbed with this "i'm expressing myself" thing that just insists on doing stuff he can't do anymore instead of revamping his vocal style.

 

He still has done some of the most batshit insane vocal performances I ever heard in my life though and I thank him for that. I just don't have any hope when it comes to his future

 

Honestly, I kind of agree with the 'if you want perfection, go listen to the studio albums' thing, but I really enjoy the band's live shows more than the albums, so in this case I want to see something astonishing when I watch the recordings. I don't care if they cannot reproduce all of the sounds that they use on the albums (the guitar and vocal layers, the synths, the samples, etc.): I just want to be able to watch a memorable performance that's not as cringe worthy as (for example) the one in Wacken 2007.

 

I still have faith! The 'MODE OF...' shows have some of the most outstanding vocal performances by him yet. From a technical standpoint, I think the 'Uroboros' one is the most balanced, but the 'Vulgar', 'Dum Spiro Spero', 'Kisou' and 'The Marrow of a Bone' ones have incredibly tight performances too (that performance of 'Ryoujoku no Ame' may be one of my favourite live performances ever!). 

 

Watching the 'Withering to Death' one, he sounds strained and really weary. As Ozileras10 said, 'Withering to Death' is the most emotional one, and to some extent, the 'Macabre' one has also a lot of dramatism going on that makes the overall performance amazing, but I think they don't feel as good as the others. I think it may have to do with the way Kyo interprets the old songs that weren't remade, because on the newer tracks he sounds better (he really nails the new version of 'Rasetsukoku', which is also the last track). Or maybe it has to do with the emotional factor, and, as you said, the 'expressing myself' factor takes over the technical one. Regarding this, I think the 'Mode of Macabre' blends the drama and the good singing quite good.

 

Anyway, I still have high hopes for his future: for a man in his forties who has sustained a lot of  damage to his hearing, vocal chords, etc., it's a miracle he can even sing. Sometimes, he has average days; sometimes, he sounds amazing. The good thing is he doesn't seem to have any bad days (judging for this pro-shot live shows, of course). I still think that the band started to become really tight as a whole during 2011/12, with the 'Dum Spiro Spero' and 'Arche' shows at the Budokan being their finest moments. If the 'MODE OF' are an overall standard for what is to come and if Kyo can find the perfect balance between technique and emotion, then I'm more than happy.

[Nowhere Girl 189]

2 hours ago, kuyashii said:

nowadays I just get the impression he doesn't even care about the musical aspect of their live shows, as long as he prances around with corpse-paint wearing monk hoods or doing SM shit while dressed like a naughty nun he seems to be satisfied.

Not really sure what you mean. He's always been like this. In the VULGAR days he would sometimes take some time out of a song so he could spew fake vomit everywhere (a la the Obscure video), or have a gigantic nosebleed. In WtD, he didn't sing whole portions of some songs, instead putting a bucket over his head or some other such shenanigans.

 

This is really nothing new. Above all, he's an artist. He knows that it's pointless to just perfectly reproduce the music in a live setting. That's what the CD is for. In that way, their live show is more about ambience and atmosphere. It's a statement; a message. A visual representation of what he wants the audience to feel when listening to the music.

 

Bear in mind that touring is really fucking hard on everyone involved. They're all tired, probably jetlagged half the time, eating at weird times and having to perform the same songs constantly, and it becomes a drag. They're not going to be on top form every night. It certainly won't be perfect (this goes for practically any band). If he wants to dress up and bring some theatrics to break up the monotony, I say good for him. Let him have his fun.

 

Edit: Speaking of the MODE OF concerts, it would have been really nice if they had not been A KNOT exclusive. They're expensive as fuck. I would have bought most of them had they been £15-£20 a pop.

Edited August 18, 2018 by Nowhere Girl

[Saishu 1589]

I sometimes wish the rest of the band would get a little improvisational. Kyo is doing whatever the fuck he wants while the other guys are practically jukeboxes. Die seems to the only one that would add extra color here and there. Sometimes Toshiya would throw in a different bass run, but for the most part they played the songs straight. Can these guys jam once in a while?

[Nowhere Girl 189]

Just now, Saishu said:

I sometimes wish the rest of the band would get a little improvisational. Kyo is doing whatever the fuck he wants while the other guys are practically jukeboxes. Die seems to the only one that would add extra color here and there. Sometimes Toshiya would throw in a different bass run, but for the most part they played the songs straight. Can these guys jam once in a while?

INWARD SCREAM-like sections that involved the whole band would be amazing!

[matthazell 35]

5 hours ago, Kelrya said:

Yeah sorry but there is nothing brilliant about self-harm.

yeah, nothing brilliant of the concept of self harm, aint what i said, i said i just thought the way he played around with paying homage to his old performance tactics was cool. 

[kuyashii 124]

33 minutes ago, Nowhere Girl said:

INWARD SCREAM-like sections that involved the whole band would be amazing!

Like the live performances of "Uyuu no Sora" for Sukekiyo? Those are really cool! They remind me of the improvisations King Crimson does live.

[blacktooth 227]

I know what you guys mean but I just imagine everyone improvising vocally instead.

[Seelentau 884]

As I said before, I don't really have ears for music, but you can't tell me that some of you consider the mode of performances to be on the same level as the NoK live disc. Even I can hear the differences, the NoK live songs are beyond bad. I've only listened to mode of Wtd., but that one was nice. Not super-super spectacular, but it had its moments (like dead tree and kodou). Imma watch those shows tomorrow and maybe drop my mp3 rips if anyone cares about those.

 

By the way, is it true that VANITAS is about Daisuke? Allegedly, Kyo used similar lyrics to a Kagerou song or something like that...?

From what I found, the band received the message of his passing during the break before their encoure on 2010/07/15, and the next song was -mushi-, but Kyo wasn't able to sing because he cried so much... hm

Edited August 19, 2018 by Seelentau

[Saishu 1589]

1 hour ago, kuyashii said:

Like the live performances of "Uyuu no Sora" for Sukekiyo? Those are really cool! They remind me of the improvisations King Crimson does live.

I was thinking more like taking an existing song and adding a new section to it. They used to do it at the end of Mask where they would break to let everyone do a quick little solo. There’s also the new intro they added to Reiketsu Nariseba. Stuff like that. 

 

I mean, I sort of always wished they added a new jam in Shitataru Mourou. Stop for a bit after the second chorus and come back in with a different groove before returning to finish it out properly. I’m not expecting Mars Volta levels extended jams here, just something to break up the familiarity. 

[saiko 429]

16 hours ago, Disposable said:

The Mode of Macabre is so good. Best DVD out of this series hands down. 

 

egnirys is a top tier vk song, and it's only lost in the shuffle because comes from a band that up to this point had only put out straight heat anyway

Egnirys is one of Diru's sweetest highlights in their whole career. Pure sophisticated experimentation. Never came to hear something like that again  in Diru, or in vk. And that solo. 11/10.

This song is also one of the reasons to let grow hate on them, because "hey buddy, u like this vk song??? Cuz we r feeling like nevur play it again Cuz we are tough guyzzz who hate vk and like their music heavyyyy Woooo". Classic Dir.

[Kelrya 145]

Idk egnirys has always been one of my least favorite songs of theirs. It just sounds kinda goofy and awkward. I don’t dislike it but they have way more memorable songs that are still experimental. I like the mode of macabre performance though.

Edited August 19, 2018 by Kelrya

[Nowhere Girl 189]

egnirys is in my top 5 songs on MACABRE. It encompasses everything I love about that era.

[Saishu 1589]

I haven’t listened to the original mix of Uroboros in years, and I’m doing that right now. I can say that what Tue Madsen seemed to concentrate on was pushing Kyo more to the front, but he also removed a lot of the low end of everything else. He kind of nerfed Toshiya’s bass tone, and the hard planning of Kaoru’s and Die’s guitars seems to be less prominent. In the end he somehow managed to make a cleaner mix that sounds messier. Props for bringing out that extra percussion in Ware, Yami Tote though?

 

But fuck that  snare sound in the original mix of Red Soil. Sounds like Shinya is smacking tin foil. 

[kuyashii 124]

I think the track that suffered the most with the remaster was "Stuck Man". I'm suspicious to say that because I actually like the original mix, but the messy sound and the St. Anger snare actually work pretty well on that one and it helps achieving that weird Mr. Bungle/Fantômas-ish sound.

[Rosner 35]

Tue Madsen mixes are, on most cases, mids-centered. He reduces the low end as much as he can and thus, the mix gains clarity. The most bass-centered of his mixes I've heard is Meshuggah's 'The Violent Sleep of Reason', and ironically, the guitars are the ones that provide the low end. The drums, on the other hand, are heavy sampled and have that usual 'click'-ey sound that makes them cut through the mix.

 

I think the best thing about his Uroboros mix is how beautifully panned the drums are. The original drums have more of a 'mono' mixing that is allright, but I'm a sucker for widely panned, stereo drums. This sometimes can bloat the mix, but the reduction of the low end helps for a better control of the glueing and positioning of every instrument. I think the way he reamped and reduced the guitar panning was in favour of that excellent stereo imaging the drums have. Still, they seem to have a wide pan, like maybe 80/80. The only thing I cannot forgive is the way he aggressively used the drum samples: that snare has no personality whatsoever. But well, that's what he does.

 

I agree with kuyashii though: that weird snare with wires off really helps giving the album a Mr. Bungle-kind of vibe, which I think is very fitting for the overall nature of the album (especially on the funkier tracks like 'Stuck Man'). I think the unusual sound the original mix has (not only regarding the drums, but overall) contributes to the 'experimental' and 'progressive' feel of 'Uroboros'. I remember the reaction that a lot of friends who discovered the band thanks to Mike Portnoy's 'best of 2008' list had. They could sit through 'Leaving Your Body Map', 'Trout Mask Replica' or '666 International' without much trouble, but they were abhorred and confused with Uroboros, yet intrigued.

Edited August 19, 2018 by Rosner
First paragraph, second line: replaced the typo 'hix' for 'his' on 'The most-bass centered of his mixes...'