Dir En Grey - Dum Spiro Spero

Japan has been stricken with catastrophic proportions since March’s earth and tsunami incident, Dir En Grey has taken these occurrences and infused it within "Dum Spiro Spero".

The album appeals to all when you look at it, it upholds the ups and downs that make a Dir En Grey release, as such the mellow dramatic and heaviness that has always been there since 97 remains no doubts about it. But instead of having an obsessive amount of screaming rants again and again there is a variety of clean vocals that are sung and its quite surprising to say the least.

Kyo's vocals make the music what it is while Kaoru and Die's guitar work is anything but, whereas Shinya's drumming and Toshiya's bass lines just make the album stand out a whole lot better. Each song deprived of the vocals and guitar work really harness the bass and drum ranks to sound more in-depth and in focus with one another.

No more than two minutes to spare intro "Kyoukotsu no Nari", makes an ambient noise sequence that dwells right into 'The Blossoming Beetzebub", a seven minute torture chamber if you will, it'd not a bad thing just tends to linger much longer than needed, having the outro having a slap of the drums and bass clash together making it stand out.

"Different Sense", and "Juuyoku", go in accordance with one another each delivering an extensive amount of raw intensity that's thoroughly heavy when keeping to the beat. "Diabolos", "Decayed Crow", "Vanitas", all seem to come together each portraying their own sense of rhythm except counter with one another to excel a touch of uniqueness all alone.

Dir En Grey’s eighth triumph release is shall they say “not their last”. 

Falling In Reverse – The Drug In Me Is You

Ronnie Radke what can be said about him that has been said already? Well let’s recap shall we not. He was the former singer of Escape The Fate who got their start to rockstar stardom because of Radke. But as things kept falling to pieces with the band and him the band had to cut him loose. Due to these circumstances and others due to Radke’s actions he found himself behind bars. Though while he was in prison he spent his time thinking but also writing new material which would later become his brand new project, Falling In Reverse.

After paying his debts in the big house he was let loose to do his own bidding if you will, and got together band mates Nason Schoeffler (bass/vocals), Jacky Vincent (guitar), Derek Jones (guitar/vocals), and Scott Gee (drums). So the five some got together got to writing and took what Radke had written and got to work on putting together what would be the band’s debut full-length “The Drug In Me Is You”. But that’s not all the band got done they also got signed to record label Epitaph, who formerly roistered Escape The Fate who are now on Interscope’s bill.

 So the band got signed, got an album underway now what are the ending results? Well with Escape The Fate long and gone in Radke’s eyes and self being Falling In Reverse’s debut full-length proves to be quite promising to say the least. With such songs as “Raised By Wolves”, "I'm Not A Vampire", "Good Girls Bad Guys", and "Pick Up The Phone", these tunes alone set up the scene that these guys are aiming to direct. For instance “I’m Not A Vampire”, mocks at vampire society having the guitars being straight forward with riffs occurring here and there, the vocals being clear and focused; Radke interacting very upbeat at times.

“Good Girls Bad Guys”, and “Pick Up The Phone”, counter one another having the same source of guitar riffs with matching drum beats Radke’s vocal tones remaining clear yet he puts in a more in-your-face attitude approach. “Don’t Mess with Ouija Boards” consists of a lot of screaming attics while “Sink or Swim” has this same presents expect not as much. “Caught Like A Fly”, becomes the ballad tune offering here and presents a very mellow yet soft centered piano solo towards the mid-end of the song then breaks away returning to its soft yet hard rock.

In the long run Falling In Reverse has delivered quite an impressive record and will surely become the next big thing in 2011 and it is clear as day to say that these guys are the next Escape The Fate.