Hubbry Logo
The Marrow of a BoneThe Marrow of a BoneMain
Open search
The Marrow of a Bone
Community hub
The Marrow of a Bone
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
The Marrow of a Bone
The Marrow of a Bone
The Marrow of a Bone
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia
The Marrow of a Bone
Studio album by
Dir En Grey
ReleasedFebruary 7, 2007 (2007-02-07)
RecordedDecember 2005 – January 2007, various locations
Genre
Length63:25
  • 50:05 (disc one)
  • 13:20 (disc two)
LanguageJapanese, English
LabelFirewall Div./SMEJ
ProducerDir En Grey
Dir En Grey chronology
Withering to Death
(2005) 		The Marrow of a Bone
(2007) 		Uroboros
(2008)
Singles from The Marrow of a Bone
  1. "Clever Sleazoid"
    Released: October 21, 2005
  2. "Ryōjoku no Ame"
    Released: July 26, 2006
  3. "Agitated Screams of Maggots"
    Released: November 15, 2006

The Marrow of a Bone (stylized as THE MARROW OF A BONE) is the sixth studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Dir En Grey and the first to use an all caps capitalization. It was released on February 7, 2007, in Japan,[4] and in the United States (20 February), Germany (2 March),[5] France (6 March),[6] and the United Kingdom (7 May)[7] in the following months. In total, the album was released in eleven countries.[8] The band was touring North America at the time of the album's release in both Japan and the United States.[9] In March 2007, The Marrow of a Bone reached number 21 on Billboard's "Top Independent Albums" chart.[10]

The album was released in Japan with two editions. The regular edition is a single disc packaged in a traditional jewel case, and a limited edition was released with two discs, one being the main album, and the second an "unplugged" album.[11] The European and American releases were all single editions.

The main disc with the thirteen featured tracks were included. The initial pressing of the album's American edition was affected by a misprint that rendered the album cover unreadable.[12] Warcon Records announced that corrected booklets would be printed.[13] Later pressings featured a correctly printed booklet with a fully visible logo. The cover image is taken from the Dmitri Baltermants photograph "Grief".

A promotional site, in both Japanese and English, was launched prior to the album's release, containing video clips and samples of several songs, information about the album, hosted on the band's official web page.[14] A second promotional site was launched shortly after the release, only accessible with a password included in the Japanese release.[15] Both sites posted information about "premium live" shows, available to those who purchased the album and registered with their product barcode. Footage from the first show was featured on the fan club DVD, In Weal or Woe.[16]

Production

[edit]

The Marrow of a Bone is, like most other Dir En Grey albums, self-produced. Work began on the album as early as 2005,[17] while the majority of songs were written while touring throughout 2006 between shows in Japan, Europe, and America during the Family Values Tour.[18][19] The band members noted that touring in the United States on a major festival tour influenced and inspired them in the production process,[20] and several songs, including "Lie Buried with a Vengeance",[21] "Agitated Screams of Maggots",[22] and "The Pledge".[23] Guitarist Kaoru has said about the production process, "...some of it went really well, but some of it went really badly."[18] The entirety of the album's final recording was completed following their 2006 tour in December, with only the month of January to finalize production to meet the February release date. Even though the formal process was rapid, it has been described as their cleanest production and heaviest album to date.[24] The production on the supporting singles and the album showed a noted difference, with two of the singles, "Ryōjoku no Ame" and "Clever Sleazoid", being rerecorded entirely for the album, as Dir En Grey hired a new sound engineer.[25] "Ryōjoku no Ame" received a strong change instrumentally, as well as removing the falsetto vocals.[8]

As with every Dir En Grey album following Vulgar (2003), the lyrics are solely composed by Kyo, and all music is credited to Dir En Grey wholly, while the online liner notes give some insight into individual writing of songs, such as drummer, Shinya's writing of "Namamekashiki Ansoku, Tamerai ni Hohoemi".[26]

Style

[edit]

The entire album is a progression for Dir En Grey into heavier sounds, felt in the previous album, Withering to Death.[27] Individually, the album's songs vary from soft and slow-tempoed, to chunky and aggressive, however the sound on the album always remains dark and emotional.

The album opens with a moody,[28] slow-tempoed[17] power ballad,[27] "Conceived Sorrow", but the contrast is immediate with the second track, "Lie Buried with a Vengeance" displaying "thrashy drumming, callous riffing, and barked vocals".[27] The album continues at a heavier, faster pace with "The Fatal Believer", "Agitated Screams of Maggots", and "Grief".[24] "Agitated Screams of Maggots" is the pinnacle of the album's "straightforward bashing metal". The album steps down in heaviness as "Ryōjoku no Ame" is a "near-symphonic progressive metal tune."[28] Following is "Disabled Complexes", a song that "contains a lot of funk elements" but it quickly goes "into a different dimension in the middle of the song."[29] Showing a completely different sound, "Namamekashiki Ansoku, Tamerai ni Hohoemi" is a deviation from the heavier, loud sound enduring from the second track, and seen as the softest of the feature tracks.[24] The guitar work has a "Spanish-like", melodramatic sound,[30] with a very emotional expression showing "the band's maturity as songwriters,"[24]

The album's final progression to its heavier sounds begins with "The Pledge", which for Kyo, uses his full vocal range.[23] "Repetition of Hatred" is another heavy track to the album, which gives a strong example of the backing vocal aspect, performed by Kaoru, Toshiya and Die, the latter who commented "It's tough sometimes when you have to sing and play your guitar at the same time. Kyo [the lyricist] doesn't think about how difficult it can be."[31]

Music videos

[edit]

The first music video released was for "Clever Sleazoid" in 2005 with the single version of the song, however the new recording is featured in the live-footage music video found on Despair in the Womb. After a year of touring, the next single, "Ryōjoku no Ame" was released, also featuring a music video. The third single from the album, "Agitated Screams of Maggots", is another song with two music videos. The first music video for the song was an animated video created by Keita Kurosaka, which was shown at the 2007 International Film Festival Rotterdam.[32] The original video aired only as a censored clip on Japanese television, due to its "sick and twisted" nature.[24] A second music video for the song appears on Despair in the Womb, compiled of live footage of their 2006 touring.

"Grief" is the only track on the album to be turned into a music video without being released as a single. The video was released just prior to the album as a promotional clip.

Touring

[edit]

Dir En Grey supported The Marrow of a Bone with touring throughout 2006 and all of 2007. In 2006, Dir En Grey began their "Tour 06 Inward Scream" shows, with the debut show in August. The show featured several teaser tracks, making this the debut performance of "Conceived Sorrow",[17] "Agitated Screams of Maggots",[33] "Disabled Complexes",[29] and "The Deeper Vileness".[33] After featuring these teaser tracks in the later 2006 touring, the band started regularly rotating several new songs during the American tour, beginning in 2007. The album was released while Dir En Grey was on tour in the United States, however the band was not yet fully supporting the album.

In March, the band began "Tour 07 The Marrow of a Bone",[34] thoroughly covering much of Japan and ending in the beginning of May. This tour introduced set-lists containing most of the tracks from The Marrow of a Bone, and was the first time many of the songs had been performed publicly.[35] After the first leg of "The Marrow of a Bone" touring, Dir En Grey went on to another American tour, opening for Deftones in June and July.[34] The short set-lists, due to their opening position, usually consisted of new material, giving the first performances of several songs in the United States.[36]

Following American touring, "Tour 07 The Marrow of a Bone" continued, now in its European stage. The European tour, still supporting the album,[37] including several festival appearances, brought Dir En Grey through the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Finland, and Poland.[34] Upon returning to Japan, the band recorded and released a new single, "Dozing Green", and had a short tour supporting the new single, as well as the previous album.[38] The "Dozing Green" tour also contained a short European leg, supporting the same material.[39] "The Marrow of a Bone" tour concluded with a short Japan tour in December 2007, also featuring American band 10 Years as a support act.[40] The finale took place with three consecutive shows at Shinkiba Studio Coast in Tokyo.[34]

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.comStarStarStarStar[41]
AllMusicStarStarStarStar[42]
Billboard.com(favorable)[43]
Metal HammerStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStar
MusicOMHStarStarStarStar[44]
Ultimate Guitar8.5/10[45]

The album has received critical acclaim from music critics. Reviews by Apeshit,[24] Billboard.com[46] and About.com[47] described it as Dir En Grey's best album to date, and a definite progression from their last effort, Withering to Death, which was also met by underground critical acclaim.

The album reached the second spot on CDJapan 2007 sales charts.[48] The album charted on the Billboard "Top Heatseekers" chart at number 8,[49] the "Top Independent Albums" at number 21,[50] and again on the Oricon album charts at number 30.[51]

Track listing

[edit]

All lyrics are written by Kyo; all music is composed by Dir En Grey.

Disc one
No.TitleLength
1."Conceived Sorrow"4:49
2."Lie Buried with a Vengeance"2:43
3."The Fatal Believer"3:11
4."Agitated Screams of Maggots"2:57
5."Grief"3:38
6."Ryōjoku no Ame" (凌辱の雨; "Rain of Violation")4:03
7."Disabled Complexes"3:56
8."Rotting Root"4:45
9."Namamekashiki Ansoku, Tamerai ni Hohoemi" (艶かしき安息、躊躇いに微笑み; "A Charming Repose, Smiling in Hesitation")4:38
10."The Pledge"3:55
11."Repetition of Hatred"4:33
12."The Deeper Vileness"3:46
13."Clever Sleazoid"3:12
Total length:50:05
Disc two (unplugged, limited edition only)
No.TitleLength
1."Namamekashiki Ansoku, Tamerai ni Hohoemi" (艶かしき安息、躊躇いに微笑み; "A Charming Repose, Similing in Hesitation")4:29
2."Conceived Sorrow"4:59
3."The Pledge"3:51
Total length:13:20

Notes

[edit]

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Label Format Catalog
Japan 7 February 2007 Firewall/SMEJ double-disc CD album SFCD-0048~49
single-disc CD album SFCD-0050
United States 20 February 2007 Warcon/Fontana CD album WRCN-15
Germany 2 March 2007 Gan-Shin CD album FWEAL003CD
France 6 March 2007
United Kingdom 7 May 2007
South Korea 20 November 2007 Ales Music CD album ALESCD-2062

Personnel

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

The Marrow of a Bone

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The Marrow of a Bone is the sixth studio album by the Japanese heavy metal band , released on February 7, 2007, through Firewall Div., a subdivision of Free-Will. The album features 13 tracks blending aggressive riffs, experimental elements, and vocalist Kyo's versatile screams and melodies, marking a pivotal evolution in the band's sound toward more visceral and genre-defying heavy metal. Dir En Grey, formed in February 1997 in , emerged from the scene, known for its theatrical aesthetics and intricate rock-metal fusion. The band consists of and Die on guitars, Toshiya on bass, Shinya on drums, and Kyo as , whose performances often incorporate physical intensity and multilingual lyrics. By 2007, had established a global , having transitioned from visual kei roots to broader heavy metal influences, including nu-metal, punk, and avant-garde experimentation, while touring internationally and releasing in English markets. Their discography up to this point included five prior studio albums, such as (1999), (2000), Kisō (2002), Vulgar (2003), and (2005), each pushing sonic boundaries with themes of anguish, societal critique, and personal torment. The album's production, handled internally by the band with distribution by , resulted in a raw yet polished , emphasizing twin guitar attacks, atmospheric samples, and dynamic shifts from melodic to brutal thrash. Key tracks include "Agitated Screams of Maggots," a single that exemplifies the album's chaotic energy with nu-metal grooves and growls, and slower pieces like "Conceived Sorrow" that highlight emotional depth through clean vocals and jazz-infused textures. The limited edition includes a bonus unplugged disc with acoustic renditions of three tracks, offering a stripped-back contrast to the main recording's intensity. Lyrically, much of the content remains in Japanese, exploring themes of , , and vileness, though English titles like "Lie Buried with a Vengeance" and "The Fatal Believer" nod to their growing Western audience. Upon release, The Marrow of a Bone received mixed to positive reception for its ambition but was critiqued for occasional reliance on conventional nu-metal tropes amid its innovations. awarded it 3 out of 5 horns, praising its experimental highs while noting some tracks' mediocrity, and it solidified Dir En Grey's reputation as a boundary-pushing force in , influencing subsequent works like Uroboros (2008). The album's U.S. distribution via Warcon Enterprises further expanded their international reach, peaking at No. 7 on the Japanese Oricon weekly albums chart and contributing to sold-out tours.

Background and Production

Concept and Development

The Marrow of a Bone serves as Dir En Grey's sixth studio album, following Withering to Death. in 2005. This release marked the band's first use of an all-caps title styling for an album name, a stylistic choice reflected in official promotional materials. The album's development was heavily influenced by the band's extensive touring from 2005 to 2006, particularly their participation in the Family Values Tour alongside acts like Korn and Deftones. These experiences, including writing sessions on tour buses while listening to Western metal influences, contributed to the album's aggressive energy and introspective depth, blending raw intensity with emotional vulnerability. The band aimed to transition further from visual kei roots toward a heavier, genre-defying metal sound to appeal to a global audience. A key pre-production decision involved re-recording the singles "Ryōjoku no Ame" (originally released in 2006) and "Clever Sleazoid" (from 2005) for inclusion on the album. The re-recording of "Ryōjoku no Ame" stemmed from a last-minute change in recording engineers, prompting the band to update the track to align with the new production approach. Similarly, "Clever Sleazoid" was refreshed to integrate its established fan appeal with the album's cohesive sound, effectively bridging the band's recent singles era with fresh material and enhancing continuity for listeners. Post-Withering to Death., Dir En Grey pursued greater international accessibility, evident in The Marrow of a Bone's staggered releases beginning in Japan on February 7, 2007, followed by North America on February 20 and various European dates in March and May, marking their first widespread U.S. distribution. The band emphasized self-production throughout, handling creative direction internally to refine their evolving sound for a global audience while maintaining artistic control.

Recording and Production

The recording sessions for The Marrow of a Bone spanned from December 2005 to January 2007 and took place at multiple studios in , including in , Sound Crew Studio, Studio Fine, and Studio Greenbird. The album was self-produced by , with recording and mixing duties primarily handled by engineers Akinori Kaizaki and Yasushi "Koni-Young" Konishi, assisted by Akitomo Fukushima, Hiroaki Okuda, Kimihiro Nakase, and Seiji Itabashi. Mastering was completed by Kazushige Yamazaki, ensuring a polished, high-fidelity sound suitable for the band's evolving heavy metal aesthetic. Production also involved the creation of an unplugged disc for the limited edition release, featuring acoustic renditions of "Conceived Sorrow," "The Pledge," and "Glamorous Rest, Smiling at Hesitation," recorded to complement the main album's intensity with stripped-down arrangements. Tracks such as "Ryōjoku no Ame" (from the 2006 single of the same name) and "Clever Sleazoid" (from the 2005 single of the same name) were re-recorded for the , incorporating denser instrumentation and a more aggressive, heavier production to align with the overall sonic direction.

Musical Composition

Style and Genre

The Marrow of a Bone represents Dir en Grey's transition into a heavier, more Western-influenced heavy metal sound, incorporating progressive, industrial, and elements while moving away from their roots toward a global heavy metal aesthetic. Continuing their departure from the glam and pop-rock stylings of that began with earlier albums, embracing raw aggression and melodic complexity to appeal to international audiences. The production draws on nu-metal foundations blended with experimental touches, featuring crunching guitar riffs, digital-delay effects, and atmospheric keyboards that create a chaotic yet structured sonic landscape. The album showcases varied tempos and song structures, ranging from slow, brooding ballads to high-intensity aggressive tracks, highlighting the band's versatility within heavy metal. For instance, "Conceived Sorrow" opens with a minor-key, foreboding and acoustic elements that build into a soaring, epic crescendo with distorted guitars and clear vocals. In contrast, "Agitated Screams of Maggots" delivers frantic, thrash-like instrumentation with bellowing screams and relentless riffing, evoking influences. Tracks like "Ryoujoku no Ame" introduce funky, jazzy guitar chords alongside heavy riffing and sample loops, adding an experimental groove to the otherwise brutal sound. Instrumentation plays a key role in the album's chaotic yet melodic soundscapes, with guitarist Kaoru's layered, delay-drenched guitars providing intricate textures reminiscent of acts like In Flames. Bassist Toshiya contributes dynamic, grooving bass lines that drive the metallic pulse, while guitarist Die's rhythmic riffs enhance the twin-guitar attack and overall heaviness. These elements culminate in a darker, more experimental production compared to the 2005 album ., influenced by the band's exposure to Western metal during tours like the 2006 alongside acts such as Korn. This shift results in a more accessible yet intense sound, prioritizing emotional catharsis through complex arrangements.

Lyrics and Themes

All lyrics for The Marrow of a Bone were written by Dir en grey's vocalist Kyo, who infused the album with recurring motifs of sorrow, vengeance, , and existential despair. For instance, "Lie Buried with a Vengeance" delves into through imagery of emptiness and , with lines evoking a fractured mind and heart amid rage. Similarly, "" confronts loss and emotional turmoil, portraying anguish through visceral expressions of denial and bitterness, such as references to blood and futile righteousness. The lyrics are composed in Japanese, allowing global audiences to access their layered meanings through fan translations and online resources. Kyo's abstract and poetic style often reflects personal anguish intertwined with broader societal turmoil, drawing from themes of pain, confusion, and disorientation without resolution or positivity. Across the album, a thematic progression unfolds from introspective pain in opening tracks like "Conceived Sorrow," which captures innate suffering through subdued melancholy, to chaotic rage in later ones such as "The Deeper Vileness," where Kyo sought vagueness in the chorus to heighten emotional ambiguity and intensity. This arc mirrors the album's overall emotional journey, building from internal reflection to explosive catharsis. Distinctive elements include Kyo's screamed vocals in "Agitated Screams of Maggots," which convey maggot-like decay and societal alienation through raw, throat-straining delivery—recorded spontaneously as his voice neared breaking—paired with depicting slashed wounds and ignored voices in a fabricated world.

Release and Promotion

Album Editions and Release Dates

The Marrow of a Bone was first released in on February 7, 2007, by Firewall Div., a subdivision of Free-Will, distributed by . The album was issued in two editions: a regular single-disc version (catalog SFCD-0050) featuring the standard 13 tracks in a paper jacket packaging, and a limited double-disc edition (catalog SFCD-0048~49) that included an additional unplugged disc with three bonus tracks—"艶かしき安息、躊躇いに微笑み" (Namamekashiki Ansoku, Tamerai ni Hohoemi), "Conceived Sorrow," and "The Pledge"—performed in an acoustic arrangement. These unplugged versions were exclusive to the limited edition and not available on the regular release. Internationally, the album saw release in the United States on February 20, 2007, through Warcon Records as a single-disc edition only (catalog WRCN15), without the bonus unplugged tracks. In , it was distributed via Gan-Shin in early 2007 as a single-disc version (catalog FWEAL-0003), targeted initially at markets including , , and . The across all editions featured abstract imagery evoking bone structures in a minimalist, dark aesthetic. However, the initial US pressing suffered from a printing error where the was omitted, resulting in a completely black cover that rendered the title, band name, and artwork illegible; this was corrected in subsequent reprints. As of November 2025, no official reissues or anniversary editions of The Marrow of a Bone have been released. The album remains widely available digitally on streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.

Singles and Music Videos

The promotion of The Marrow of a Bone was supported by three pre-album singles released between 2005 and 2006, all of which were later re-recorded in more aggressive arrangements for inclusion on the album itself. The first, "Clever Sleazoid," was issued on September 21, 2005, as the band's 18th single, featuring live B-sides "C," "Garbage," and "Dead Tree" recorded at Shinkiba Studio Coast. The album version, re-recorded to emphasize heavier instrumentation and Kyo's intensified vocal delivery, was released as a promotional single in early 2007 to coincide with the album's launch. Its music video, a live-action piece directed in 2005, depicts the band performing amid chaotic, dimly lit industrial settings and was re-promoted internationally during the album cycle. Following this, "Ryōjoku no Ame" (translated as "Rain of Violation") served as the 21st single on July 26, 2006, with B-sides "The Final" (live) and "Higeki wa Mabuta wo Oroshita Yasashiki Utsu" (live). The track's album iteration, re-recorded after a change in engineering staff to incorporate denser harmonies and a more polished production, also appeared as a 2007 promotional single. The accompanying adopts a dark style, directed by Hiroyuki Kondoh, portraying themes of torment through shadowy, rain-soaked visuals and symbolic imagery of degradation. The lead promotional single, "Agitated Screams of Maggots," marked the band's 22nd single release on November 15, 2006, in , with an international edition following on March 27, 2007; it included live recordings from performances of "Kodoku ni Shisu, Yueni Kodoku," "Spilled Milk," and "Obscure" as B-sides. This track, retained in its original recording on the album without reworking, features an entirely animated directed by Keita Kurosaka, utilizing grotesque, surreal illustrations to convey visceral horror and rage. A live performance version from the band's tour was later included on the Average Blasphemy DVD release in 2008. Additionally, a music video for the album track "Grief" was produced in 2006, featuring abstract black-and-white footage of emotional isolation and decay. It was released on the 2008 DVD Average Blasphemy. No further singles were extracted from The Marrow of a Bone following its release.

Touring

Pre-Release Promotion

In 2006, Dir En Grey initiated their "Tour 06 Inward Scream," a series of Japan-based performances designed to generate anticipation for The Marrow of a Bone. The tour kicked off on August 1 at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo and spanned multiple dates through December, featuring stops at venues like Zepp Tokyo and Yokohama Blitz. During these shows, the band debuted early versions of tracks from the forthcoming album, notably "Agitated Screams of Maggots" at the Budokan concert, allowing fans an initial glimpse into the record's aggressive evolution. To expand their international reach, joined the in the United States that summer, sharing stages with headliners Korn and across 18 dates from to . This exposure to Western metal audiences marked a pivotal step in the band's global promotion, with setlists incorporating both established hits and previews of the heavier, more experimental sound shaping The Marrow of a Bone. Media efforts further amplified pre-release buzz, including interviews in outlets like Kerrang! and that emphasized the band's departure from stylings toward a rawer, genre-blending identity. In an October 2006 discussion with The Big Takeover, members articulated their intent to transcend labels, focusing instead on musical intensity to appeal beyond Japanese borders. Teaser trailers for "Agitated Screams of Maggots," released on November 15, 2006, were distributed via official channels to heighten excitement. Exclusive perks for "a knot" fan club members included early access to track previews and themed merchandise, fostering dedicated engagement ahead of the album's launch.

Album Support Tours

In February 2007, coinciding with the album's United States release on February 20, Dir En Grey headlined the "Inward Scream Tour 2007" across , with dates including February 2 at Revolution in Ft. Lauderdale, , and February 18 at The Wiltern in , . Setlists heavily featured tracks from The Marrow of a Bone alongside prior material. Following the release of The Marrow of a Bone, Dir En Grey launched "Tour 07 The Marrow of a Bone" in 2007 as their primary headlining effort to support the album, beginning with dates in Japan during March and May. The tour featured extensive performances across the country, including shows at venues such as Makuhari Messe in Chiba and Zepp Tokyo, where setlists emphasized tracks from the new album. Setlists for the tour typically included approximately 40% material from The Marrow of a Bone, with staples like "The Fatal Believer," "Obscure," "Grief," and "Disabled Complexes" forming the core of performances alongside select earlier songs such as "Agitated Screams of Maggots." In the United States, the band supported Deftones on their summer tour, delivering album-heavy sets at amphitheaters including the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. The European leg, held in August, saw Dir En Grey return to headlining status with dates in the United Kingdom (Carling Academy, London), Germany (Alter Schlachthof, Dresden), Sweden (Arenan/Fryshuset, Stockholm), Denmark (Vega, Copenhagen), Finland (Ankkarock Festival), and Poland (Metal Hammer Festival, Katowice). The tour's highlights were documented in the live DVD A Knot Of, released on February 4, 2009, which captured European performances including "Grief," "The Fatal Believer," and "Rotting Root," along with festival footage from . No dedicated tours for The Marrow of a Bone followed after 2007, though songs from the album remained staples in setlists through the on subsequent outings like the Uroboros and cycles. As of 2025, no revivals or anniversary tours focused on the album have been announced.

Reception

Critical Reviews

Upon its release in , The Marrow of a Bone garnered generally positive reception from critics, who highlighted the album's intense energy and the band's evolving sound within heavy metal. The review site described it as Dir en Grey's strongest effort to date, commending the cohesive songwriting, savage heaviness, and balanced production that allowed the bass to rumble prominently while emphasizing Kyo's aggressive roars and passionate clean vocals in tracks like "" and "Ryojoku no Ame." Similarly, Ink19 praised the album's goth metal intensity and Kyo's versatile delivery, ranging from growls to piercing screams, noting how it transcended barriers and showcased the band's global ambitions through standout cuts like "Lie Buried With A Vengeance" and "The Fatal Believer." AllMusic awarded the album 4 out of 5 stars, praising its shift toward a heavier, more straightforward metal sound influenced by Western acts, while highlighting the band's ability to blend aggression with melody in tracks like "Agitated Screams of Maggots." About.com also gave it 4 out of 5 stars, noting the progression from previous works and the raw power in songs such as "The Pledge." Metal Hammer rated it 8 out of 10, commending the experimental elements and Kyo's vocal range. MetalSucks awarded the album three out of five horns, applauding its experimental flair—drawing from and influences—and Kyo's unique, Mike Patton-esque vocal range that shone in slower, melodic passages, though it critiqued moments bogged down by nu-metal sludge in tracks such as "Disabled Complexes" and "Rotting Root." 's aggregated user reviews averaged 3.5 out of 5, with contemporary critiques noting the album's aggressive highs and but pointing to some uninspired filler that prevented it from reaching the heights of the band's earlier experimental work. Mixed opinions emerged regarding the album's position following Withering to Death., with some reviewers perceiving it as a creative plateau marked by more straightforward structures and predictable riffing compared to prior releases. Despite this, consistently centered on Kyo's dynamic vocals and the polished production, which elevated the overall listening experience. In retrospective analyses, such as a 2015 Sputnikmusic , the album has been viewed as a pivotal bridge to Dir en Grey's later , particularly Uroboros, valued for its raw energy fusing nu-metal and industrial elements while featuring some of the band's finest compositions like "The Pledge" and "Repetition of Hatred," despite rough edges in generic tracks. No major professional s have appeared between 2020 and 2025, though enduring acclaim in metal criticism persists for its visceral impact and key tracks such as "Agitated Screams of Maggots," which exemplify the album's emotional depth and heaviness.

Commercial Performance

In , The Marrow of a Bone peaked at number 7 on the following its February 7, 2007 release, selling 35,930 copies in its first week. The album accumulated total physical sales of 48,352 units in by the end of its chart run. In the United States, the album was released on February 20, 2007, reaching a peak of number 21 on the Top Independent Albums chart and number 8 on the Top Heatseekers chart. It achieved modest sales, reflecting the band's entry into the American market. The album achieved moderate success internationally through imports and tours, sustaining interest among niche audiences, though it did not enter major European national charts.

Track Listing and Credits

Standard Edition

The standard edition of The Marrow of a Bone consists of 13 tracks with a total duration of 50:05. All music was composed by , with lyrics written by Kyo.
No.TitleDuration
1"Conceived Sorrow"4:49
2"Lie Buried with a Vengeance"2:43
3"The Fatal Believer"3:10
4"Agitated Screams of Maggots"2:56
5""3:37
6"Ryōjoku no Ame" (凌辱の雨)4:02
7"Disabled Complexes"3:56
8"Rotting Root"4:45
9"Namamekashiki Ansoku, Tamerai ni Hohoemi" (艶かしき安息、躊躇いに微笑み)4:37
10"The Pledge"3:55
11"Repetition of Hatred"4:32
12"The Deeper Vileness"3:46
13"Clever Sleazoid"3:12

Limited Edition Bonus Disc

The limited edition includes a bonus disc featuring unplugged versions of three tracks from the standard edition, with a total duration of approximately 13:00. These arrangements were performed in a stripped-down, acoustic style.
No.TitleDuration
1"Namamekashiki Ansoku, Tamerai ni Hohoemi" (Unplugged)4:29
2"Conceived Sorrow" (Unplugged)4:36
3"The Pledge" (Unplugged)3:51

Personnel

The album The Marrow of a Bone was performed by the core lineup of .
  • Kyo – vocals
  • Kaoru – guitar
  • Die – guitar
  • Toshiya – bass
  • Shinya – drums
The album was self-produced by . Executive production was handled by Dynamite Tommy. Recording and mixing were engineered by Kazushige Yamazaki, with assistance from Akitomo Fukushima, Hiroaki Okuda, Kimihiro Nakase, and Seiji Itabashi. Mastering was also performed by Kazushige Yamazaki. Art direction was provided by Koji Yoda. No additional guest musicians are credited on the album. The limited edition's unplugged disc features acoustic arrangements performed by the same core band members.

References

  1. https://direngrey.co.jp/discography/929/
  2. https://www.metalsucks.net/2007/03/13/dir-en-grey-the-marrow-of-a-bone-album-review/
  3. https://bigtakeover.com/interviews/interview-dir-en-grey
  4. https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/6902/products/691754/1/
  5. https://www.tumblr.com/yridenergyridenergy/166256735493/dir-en-grey-burrn-interviews-die-35
  6. https://www.olympusproperty.com/apartments/tx/katy/olympus-grand-crossing/blog/ranking-dir-en-grey-s-10-albums
  7. https://www.degwiki.com/wiki/THE_MARROW_OF_A_BONE_%282007%29/Liner_Notes
  8. https://www.discogs.com/master/96630-Dir-En-Grey-The-Marrow-Of-A-Bone
  9. https://www.discogs.com/release/1997311-Dir-En-Grey-The-Marrow-Of-A-Bone
  10. https://genius.com/albums/Dir-en-grey/The-marrow-of-a-bone
  11. https://www.discogs.com/release/1059678-Dir-En-Grey-The-Marrow-Of-A-Bone
  12. https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/dir_en_grey/the_marrow_of_a_bone/12670/
  13. https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/E0/05/10/95/00001/MARCH_K.pdf
  14. https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/65638/Dir-En-Grey-The-Marrow-of-a-Bone/
  15. https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/11085/Dir-En-Grey-The-Marrow-of-a-Bone/
  16. https://genius.com/Dir-en-grey-agitated-screams-of-maggots-lyrics
  17. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2007/BB-2007-02-24.pdf
  18. https://www.discogs.com/release/3028006-DIR-EN-GREY-The-Marrow-Of-A-Bone
  19. https://direngrey.co.jp/discography/
  20. https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-marrow-of-a-bone/1493488712
  21. https://direngrey.co.jp/discography/720/
  22. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4855540/
  23. https://www.discogs.com/release/1441625-Dir-En-Grey-%E5%87%8C%E8%BE%B1%E3%81%AE%E9%9B%A8
  24. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4856976/
  25. https://direngrey.co.jp/discography/736/
  26. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2730204/
  27. https://mubi.com/en/us/films/agitated-screams-of-maggots
  28. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0ock91FhY8
  29. https://direngrey.co.jp/bio/bio-gallery/847/
  30. https://www.setlist.fm/stats/average-setlist/dir-en-grey-43d6c33b.html?tour=13d731c9
  31. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/dir-en-grey/2006/nippon-budokan-tokyo-japan-1bd681c8.html
  32. https://www.degwiki.com/wiki/AGITATED_SCREAMS_OF_MAGGOTS
  33. https://www.setlist.fm/stats/dir-en-grey-43d6c33b.html?tour=1bd73164
  34. https://direngrey.co.jp/discography/discography-a_knot/
  35. https://blabbermouth.net/news/dir-en-grey-u-s-tour-dates-announced
  36. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/dir-en-grey/2007/zepp-tokyo-tokyo-japan-53d6832d.html
  37. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/dir-en-grey/2007/carling-academy-islington-london-england-43d6831f.html
  38. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/dir-en-grey/2007/alter-schlachthof-dresden-germany-53d683bd.html
  39. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/dir-en-grey/2007/arenanfryshuset-stockholm-sweden-43d683bf.html
  40. https://www.apeshit.org/reviews/dir-en-grey-marrow-of-a-bone/
  41. https://ink19.com/2007/04/magazine/music-reviews/uw3bbg-dir-en-grey
  42. https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-marrow-of-a-bone-mw0000467473
  43. https://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?albumid=25588
  44. https://grassthread.com/165528048-html/
  45. https://www.discogs.com/release/1204881-Direngrey-The-Marrow-Of-A-Bone
  46. https://www.discogs.com/release/8864032-DIR-EN-GREY-The-Marrow-Of-A-Bone
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.