Vulgar (album)

Vulgar (stylized in all caps) is the fourth studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Dir En Grey released on September 10, 2003 in Japan and on February 21, 2006 in Europe. A limited edition containing an additional DVD was also released.^[7] It featured the video of the song "Obscure", albeit a censored version. Vulgar is the first Dir En Grey release not to feature individual credits for the music, though the preceding singles featured individual credits.

Vulgar
Studio album by Dir En Grey
Released	September 10, 2003 (JP) February 21, 2006 (EU)
Recorded	2002-2003
Studio	Studio Greenbird, Studio Fine, Cats Studio, Studio Inning, On Air Azabu, Sound City, Studio Z'd
Genre	Alternative metal^[1] nu metal^[1] gothic metal industrial metal^[2]
Length	57:02
Language	Japanese, English
Label	Firewall Div./SMEJ (JP) Gan-Shin (EU)
Producer	Dir En Grey & Tatsuya Sakamoto
Dir En Grey chronology
Kisō (2002) Vulgar (2003) Withering to Death (2005)
Singles from Vulgar
"Child Prey" Released: July 31, 2002 "Drain Away" Released: January 22, 2003 "Kasumi" Released: April 23, 2003

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Ultimate Guitar	8.8/10^[3]
Nihon Review	^[4]
CD Data	(Positive)^[5]
CD Journal	(Positive)^[6]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Kyo; all music is composed by Dir En Grey, except where noted.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Audience Killer Loop"	3:39
2.	"The IIID Empire"	3:05
3.	"Increase Blue"	3:46
4.	"Shokubeni" (蝕紅; "Ruined Crimson")	4:20
5.	"Sajō no Uta" (砂上の唄; "Song on the Sand")	3:14
6.	"Red…[em]"	5:01
7.	"Asunaki Koufuku, Koenaki Asu" (明日無き幸福、呼笑亡き明日; "Happiness Without a Tomorrow, a Tomorrow Where Laughter Has Died")	3:31
8.	"Marmalade Chainsaw"	4:13
9.	"Kasumi" (かすみ; "Haze") (Kaoru)	4:20
10.	"Я to the Core"	1:47
11.	"Drain Away" (Die)	4:06
12.	"New Age Culture"	3:19
13.	"Obscure"	3:59
14.	"Child Prey" (Kaoru)	3:52
15.	"Amber"	4:48
Total length:		57:02

^[8]

Personnel

• Dir En Grey
  • Kyo - Vocals, lyricist
  • Die - Guitar, composer
  • Kaoru - Guitar, composer
  • Toshiya - Bass guitar, composer
  • Shinya - Drums, composer

Notes

• "蝕紅" offers several ways of romanization, namely "Shokubeni" and "Syokubeni" (a variation utilizing Kunrei-shiki romanization). "Syokubeni" was once used on Dir En Grey's official site, although mention in most other media (including release booklets) the Hepburn romanization style is used, giving the title as "Shokubeni".
• A re-recording of "Shokubeni" appears as a b-side on their 2009 single "Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no Naka de Karamitsuita Shakunetsu no Yami", recorded only in one take.^[9]
• A re-recording of "Obscure" appears as a b-side on their 2011 single "Lotus".^[10]
• A re-recording of "Kasumi" appears on their 2013 mini-album The Unraveling.^[11]
• A re-recording of "The IIID Empire" appears on their 2018 "best of" compilation Vestige of Scratches.^[12]

References

1. "Dir En Grey - Vulgar (album review)". January 15, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
2. "Dir En Grey - Vulgar (album review)". June 24, 2008. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
3. "Vulgar Review". February 14, 2006. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
4. Nihon Review review
5. Funami, Keiko. "インタビューを終えて新たに感じたアルバム『VULGAR』とDir en greyというバンド". CDでーた (in Japanese). Vol. 15, no. 16. p. 11.
6. "DIR EN GREY". CD Journal. ONGAKU SHUPPANSHA Co. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
7. "Dir en grey / VULGAR [CD+DVD] [限定]". CD Journal. ONGAKU SHUPPANSHA Co. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
8. Vulgar (CD). Dir En Grey. Japan: Firewall Div. 2003. SFCD-0021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
9. "DIR EN GREY、シングルジャケ写＆最新ビジュアル解禁". ナタリー. Natasha,Inc. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
10. "DIR EN GREY 激ロック インタビュー". 激ロック. 激ロック. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
11. Masuda, Yuuichi. "DIR EN GREY、早くも新作の全貌が明らかに！ミニ・アルバムの概念を超えた"進化と深化、そして真価"の作品『THE UNRAVELING』". BARKS. JAPAN MUSIC NETWORK,Inc. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
12. "DIR EN GREY、来年1月2日リリースのベストアルバム『VESTIGE OF SCRATCHES』収録内容解禁！". Vif. ROCKの総合情報サイトVif. Retrieved 19 October 2018.