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DIR EN GREY returned on April 8 with MORTAL DOWNER, the band’s 12th studio album and first in nearly four years since PHALARIS. As the band approaches its 30th anniversary in 2027, the release arrives with a quiet sense of weight and intent. MORTAL DOWNER does not follow expectations set by its predecessors, instead dragging its heft across a more imposing sonic canvas. What unfolds feels less like a continuation and more like a recalibration of how DIR EN GREY perceives heaviness…

MORTAL DOWNER challenged my expectations of what “heavy” can mean. I’ve followed the band since the Kisou and VULGAR eras from the early 2000s, through the progressive heights of UROBOROS and DUM SPIRO SPERO in the 2010s, and into the form they carried forward with PHALARIS in 2022. I thought I understood the range. I didn’t.

Jacket artwork for the Regular Edition of “MORTAL DOWNER”

DIR EN GREY has always reinvented its sound while circling the same core theme of human pain. MORTAL DOWNER feels like a new facet of that identity. Progressive elements remain, but they’re fused with doom and sludge influences. The pacing slows. Drummer Shinya drives the album with a measured, almost processional weight. We first heard this shift in The Devil In Me two years ago. In hindsight, that single reads like a blueprint. Across 14 tracks, the album expands on that same suffocating tone—less flesh-ripping aggression, more steady bludgeoning.

Vocalist Kyo described “heaviness” as the central emotion behind the album, and it defines the listening experience. ISOLATION opens with melancholic piano against harsh sawtooth synth textures, pulling you into a space that already feels heavy before a single word is sung. Kaijin ni Kisu follows with punctuated guitar riffing reminiscent of the progressive metal band Tool and imagery of a trail of ants leading to a mangled corpse, reinforcing its theme of returning to ashes. Discard, first revealed during the band’s 2025 domestic tour, leans into nihilism and emotional vacancy. Its grinding edge and pacing echo the psychedelic, shoegaze vibe of 1990s alternative act The Smashing Pumpkins, reframed through DIR EN GREY’s lens.

Hizumi to Ame quickly drew attention. Toshiya’s bass carries a distinctly electronic tone, paired with airy clean guitars from Kaoru and Die. Kyo shifts from restrained verses into groovy screams with ease. It reinforces how much control he maintains over his range, no matter what the backdrop.

The band has described the album as “not for everyone”, and that tracks on first listen. It takes time. EN’EN coils slowly, as if tightening around its prey, reflecting the titular kanji’s serpentine imagery of long, unending suffering. That gripping tension blooms into one of the most beautiful choruses they’ve written. Demand revisits the baroque waltz phrasing heard in album cuts Doukoku to Sarinu from UROBOROS and Celebrate Empty Howls from The Insulated World. MOBS, paired with its recent visual, unfolds like a film score. While the lyrics remain relatively ambiguous, the music video depicts child sacrifice, centered on a mother who has surrendered herself to a cult, even as its ritual tears her sobbing daughter away. The track builds toward a massive orchestral climax that lingers long after it ends.

DIR EN GREY - 「MOBS」[12th ALBUM『MORTAL DOWNER』収録] Promotion Edit Ver. (Clip)

Ironically, the most immediate moment doesn’t come until the very last track. no end unleashes a soaring, Un deux-like chorus within seconds. The structure is direct. Long guitar chords ring out. The bass moves in wide, sweeping lines. The drums hit with space and clarity. It feels familiar in the best way, a reminder of the band’s melodic instincts.

For years, I wondered what DIR EN GREY might sound like if they pulled back. Something more digestible. Less distortion, more straightforward rhythms, maybe even a shift away from the density that culminated in releases like DUM SPIRO SPERO or THE UNRAVELING. MORTAL DOWNER answers that question in its own way. The arrangements are already more stripped down, but the weight never lifts. This is as “chill” as DIR EN GREY gets, and it still feels crushing.

This isn’t PHALARIS. It’s not UROBOROS. It’s definitely not Withering to death. The cohesion is still there, but the emotional impact shifts. Instead of chaos and release, you get gravity, despair, and a slow pull into the abyss. “The Almighty God does not exist,” Kyo proclaims in Kusabi‘s off-kilter chant. “What kind of life is that? Let’s see where you will die”.

To be honest, I didn’t fully “get it” on the first listen. I remember wondering, “This sounds cool… I think?” But after sitting with it, the album opened up. Now it feels like an essential entry in their catalog and a clear signal of where they’re heading next.

For fans who just want the old sound, there’s a safety net. The limited first-press edition bundles a second disc, which contains live recordings from their U.S. run of the 2025 tour Who Is This Hell For? in Los Angeles and Anaheim. The track list is stacked with the greatest hits from VULGAR and Withering to death. It’s a thoughtful inclusion, almost like the band acknowledging its past while continuing to move forward.

Suffocating, patient, and hard to shake once it settles in, MORTAL DOWNER marks a significant evolutionary step in DIR EN GREY’s songwriting. DIR EN GREY will change again. It always does. But for now, MORTAL DOWNER stands alongside past works as an essential piece of history, shaping how the band will be understood moving forward. However DIR EN GREY chooses to transform next, this chapter feels just as defining.

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MORTAL DOWNER

Regular Edition
CDJapan
iTunes
Amazon
Stream
Disc
  1. ISOLATION
    ISOLATION
  2. Kaijin ni Kisu
    灰燼に帰す
  3. EN'EN
    蜿蜒
  4. Discard
    Discard
  5. Bloodline
    Bloodline
  6. There's nothing else
    There’s nothing else
  7. Hizumi to Ame
    歪と雨
  8. The Devil In Me
    The Devil In Me
  9. MOBS
    MOBS
  10. Void
    Void
  11. Demand
    Demand
  12. Kusabi
    楔
  13. Moumoku ga Yue ni
    盲目が故に
  14. no end
    no end

MORTAL DOWNER

Limited Edition Limited Edition
CDJapan
Disc
  1. ISOLATION
    ISOLATION
  2. Kaijin ni Kisu
    灰燼に帰す
  3. EN'EN
    蜿蜒
  4. Discard
    Discard
  5. Bloodline
    Bloodline
  6. There's nothing else
    There’s nothing else
  7. Hizumi to Ame
    歪と雨
  8. The Devil In Me
    The Devil In Me
  9. MOBS
    MOBS
  10. Void
    Void
  11. Demand
    Demand
  12. Kusabi
    楔
  13. Moumoku ga Yue ni
    盲目が故に
  14. no end
    no end
Disc
  1. Ningen wo kaburu [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    人間を被る [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  2. THE FINAL [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    THE FINAL [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  3. Saku [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    朔-saku- [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  4. C [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    C [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  5. Kodou [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    鼓動 [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)

MORTAL DOWNER

Limited Edition 2CD + DVD / Limited Edition
CDJapan
Disc
  1. ISOLATION
    ISOLATION
  2. Kaijin ni Kisu
    灰燼に帰す
  3. EN'EN
    蜿蜒
  4. Discard
    Discard
  5. Bloodline
    Bloodline
  6. There's nothing else
    There’s nothing else
  7. Hizumi to Ame
    歪と雨
  8. The Devil In Me
    The Devil In Me
  9. MOBS
    MOBS
  10. Void
    Void
  11. Demand
    Demand
  12. Kusabi
    楔
  13. Moumoku ga Yue ni
    盲目が故に
  14. no end
    no end
Disc
  1. Ningen wo kaburu [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    人間を被る [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  2. DRAIN AWAY [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    DRAIN AWAY [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  3. Kasumi [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    かすみ [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  4. audience KILLER LOOP [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    audience KILLER LOOP [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  5. OBSCURE [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    OBSCURE [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  6. G.D.S. [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    G.D.S. [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  7. CHILD PREY [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    CHILD PREY [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  8. THE IIID EMPIRE [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    THE IIID EMPIRE [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  9. Spilled Milk [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    Spilled Milk [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  10. THE FINAL [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    THE FINAL [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  11. Merciless Cult [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    Merciless Cult [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  12. Saku [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    朔-saku- [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  13. C [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    C [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  14. Kodou [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    鼓動 [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  15. VINUSHKA [LIVE] (2025.04.11 House of Blues Anaheim - Anaheim, CA / U.S. -)
    VINUSHKA [LIVE] (2025.04.11 House of Blues Anaheim - Anaheim, CA / U.S. -)
Disc
  1. Behind a vacant image
    Behind a vacant image
  2. Discard
    Discard
  3. Devote My Life
    Devote My Life
  4. Midwife
    Midwife
  5. Keibetsu to hajimari
    軽蔑と始まり
  6. Keigaku no yoku
    谿壑の欲
  7. Kukoku no kyouon
    空谷の跫音
  8. EN'EN
    蜿蜒
  9. Schadenfreude
    Schadenfreude
  10. Ningen wo kaburu
    人間を被る
  11. Demand
    Demand
  12. The Devil In Me
    The Devil In Me
  13. T.D.F.F.
    T.D.F.F.
  14. Gyakujou Tannou Keloid Milk
    逆上堪能ケロイドミルク
  15. Fukai
    腐海
  16. Rasetsukoku
    羅刹国
  17. Hageshisa to, Kono Mune No Naka De Karamitsuita Shakunetsu No Yami
    激しさと、この胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇
  18. VINUSHKA
    VINUSHKA

MORTAL DOWNER

Limited Edition 2CD + Blu-ray / Limited Edition
CDJapan
Disc
  1. ISOLATION
    ISOLATION
  2. Kaijin ni Kisu
    灰燼に帰す
  3. EN'EN
    蜿蜒
  4. Discard
    Discard
  5. Bloodline
    Bloodline
  6. There's nothing else
    There’s nothing else
  7. Hizumi to Ame
    歪と雨
  8. The Devil In Me
    The Devil In Me
  9. MOBS
    MOBS
  10. Void
    Void
  11. Demand
    Demand
  12. Kusabi
    楔
  13. Moumoku ga Yue ni
    盲目が故に
  14. no end
    no end
Disc
  1. Ningen wo kaburu [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    人間を被る [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  2. DRAIN AWAY [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    DRAIN AWAY [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  3. Kasumi [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    かすみ [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  4. audience KILLER LOOP [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    audience KILLER LOOP [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  5. OBSCURE [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    OBSCURE [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  6. G.D.S. [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    G.D.S. [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  7. CHILD PREY [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    CHILD PREY [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  8. THE IIID EMPIRE [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    THE IIID EMPIRE [LIVE] (2025.04.08 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  9. Spilled Milk [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    Spilled Milk [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  10. THE FINAL [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    THE FINAL [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  11. Merciless Cult [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    Merciless Cult [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  12. Saku [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    朔-saku- [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  13. C [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    C [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  14. Kodou [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
    鼓動 [LIVE] (2025.04.09 The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA / U.S. -)
  15. VINUSHKA [LIVE] (2025.04.11 House of Blues Anaheim - Anaheim, CA / U.S. -)
    VINUSHKA [LIVE] (2025.04.11 House of Blues Anaheim - Anaheim, CA / U.S. -)
Disc
  1. Behind a vacant image
    Behind a vacant image
  2. Discard
    Discard
  3. Devote My Life
    Devote My Life
  4. Midwife
    Midwife
  5. Keibetsu to hajimari
    軽蔑と始まり
  6. Keigaku no yoku
    谿壑の欲
  7. Kukoku no kyouon
    空谷の跫音
  8. EN'EN
    蜿蜒
  9. Schadenfreude
    Schadenfreude
  10. Ningen wo kaburu
    人間を被る
  11. Demand
    Demand
  12. The Devil In Me
    The Devil In Me
  13. T.D.F.F.
    T.D.F.F.
  14. Gyakujou Tannou Keloid Milk
    逆上堪能ケロイドミルク
  15. Fukai
    腐海
  16. Rasetsukoku
    羅刹国
  17. Hageshisa to, Kono Mune No Naka De Karamitsuita Shakunetsu No Yami
    激しさと、この胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇
  18. VINUSHKA
    VINUSHKA
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