Dir en Grey

Dir en Grey is the first Japanese metal band to break through in the West. Initially associated with visual kei (a Japanese musicians' movement that employed aesthetic tenets drawn from Western glam metal, including heavy make-up, elaborate hair styles, flamboyant costumes, and an androgynous look), they were arguably the most successful non-English-speaking rock act since Rammstein. Gauze, their 1999 debut album, charted and won over homeland audiences immediately. 2000's Macabre, their Firewall Div. debut (Sony Music), hit the Japanese Top Ten upon release. The band made its...