APOCALYPTICA and DIR EN GREY
APOCALYPTICA
Apocalypticas brand new album, Worlds Collide: Produced by long-time Rammstein muse Jacob Hellner, this is plainly the pinnacle of the Finnish ingénues steadily accelerating upward ascent; a dazzling collection of stunning mini-epics that touches upon every aspect of the bands history while introducing countless new ideas and unexpected detours to their unmistakable sound. Or simply put: a collection of great rock songs.
DIR EN GREY
Dir en Grey have risen to become the top band of the post-visual kei era, especially for the Western audience -- in the 2000s they were arguably the most successful metal act without English lyrics since Rammstein (though not rivaling the popularity of the Germans). The band began as a visual kei collective, too, but gradually moved to more reserved and darker attires and a separate sound that leaned on gothic rock, death metal, and the likes of Korn and Slipknot.
Dir en Grey was formed in early 1997, essentially being the indie collective La:Sadies with a new bassist -- Toshiya -- and a new name that was supposed to carry no other meaning than to designate the band. They started off with the EP Missa... Read More...
by Alexey Eremenko
