DIR EN GREY The Rose Trims again
Photos by: Derek Shaw
Report by: Amy O'dey

As the curtains which enshrouded the stage of the House of Blues Chicago drew back at 9:15 pm on November 19th, 2008 and the sounds of "Sa Bir" - the new opening theme of Dir en grey's live sets and the first track on their staggeringly impressive album "Uroboros" - reverberated through the PA system, the voices of the thousands-strong crowd united in one enormous roar of welcome. Chicago fans of the heavier-than-lead Japanese rock band were hungry... it has been over a year since Dir en grey has played anywhere near the Windy City, and pickings have been slim here for other Jrock shows to tide them over.
Dir en grey delivered. From the opening number "Obscure", they delivered a meaty buffet of some of their heaviest and finest recent works from their four most recent albums. The set was virtually flawless, which has almost became an expected trait of Dir en grey. One of the most impressive aspects of the band's concerts is their ability to look as fresh and hungry and eager to perform as the crowd is to see them, regardless of how many shows in a row they have played. This is clearly a band that thrives on the energy generated by live performances. Each member was emoting beautifully through his instrument on every song: Shinya hammering away like Thor himself on heavier numbers such as Agitated Screams of Maggots and Hydra-666-, then softening into the finesse and gentle rolls of Conceived Sorrow and the brand-new track Toguro; Toshiya's expressive stage movement providing the perfect compliment to his varied playing styles, from the heavy-funk of Disabled complexes to the drop-tuned thundering foundation of IIID Empire; Kaoru's coercing of his six-string into its thin, lovely wail lead on Glass Skin was enough to rip your heart from your chest; and Die's heavy shredding on Ryoujoku no Ame and Merciless Cult kept the section of the crowd in front of him moving in a frothing mass of bodies and hair.

It was Kyo who was the front and center, and certainly the most impressive performer of the night. During Conceived Sorrow, he dropped the mic away from his lips and, with no musical backup whatsoever, tore into a verse of the song with such power and natural volume that even those seated in the balcony high above could hear each word clearly. Kyo's vocal abilities seem only to be improving with time, gaining in stature from undeniably impressive on the Inward Scream tour of early 2007 to virtually inhuman now.

"The Rose Trims Again" tour was not one to be missed. Those who have brushed aside their opportunity to see this steadfastly phenomenal band on this tour with the excuse that they have seen them x-number of times before are truly missing out. This is the most impressive Dir en grey performance to date.