● DIR EN GREY spent most of the first half of this year working on their new album.
In April they were nominated for BEST INTERNATIONAL BAND at the Hammer Golden Gods 2008, organized by the European magazine METAL HAMMER (first Japanese band nominated ever).
In May they went on a domestic tour made of 16 shows, before going back to the recording studio.
● The new single “GLASS SKIN” came out in September, after long 11 months since the previous one.
At the same time, they held a domestic tour made of 18 shows, then headed to the US for a nationwide tour held in 22 cities all around the country from November to December.
In that while, on November 12th, they released “UROBOROS”, which is considered to be their “most extreme album” up to date. The album was released almost simultaneously in 16 countries all around the world, ranking 114th in the American Billboard magazine’s album chart. It also went straight to the very top of the “Heatseekers” chart from the same publication.
By the end of the year, they performed the show “UROBOROS-breathing” at Osaka-jo Hall on December 28th, coming back to this venue 9 years after their last performance to bring the atmosphere of the album to the real world.
● DIR EN GREY’s music video “Dozing Green” was voted #1 by the audience choice on MTV USA’s The Headbangers Ball Top 25 Metal Videos, getting the first position for the second time after their previous participation with「朔-saku-」.
TOUR08 DEATH OVER BLINDNESS
- 05.01 NAMBA Hatch
- 05.02 NAMBA Hatch
- 05.03 NAMBA Hatch
- 05.05 CRAZYMAMA KINGDOM
- 05.06 CRAZYMAMA KINGDOM
- 05.08 CLUB DIAMOND HALL
- 05.09 CLUB DIAMOND HALL
- 05.16 Zepp Sendai
- 05.17 Zepp Sendai
- 05.19 Aomori Quarter
- 05.20 Aomori Quarter
- 05.23 YOKOHAMA BLITZ
- 05.24 YOKOHAMA BLITZ
- 05.28 SHINKIBA STUDIO COAST
- 05.29 SHINKIBA STUDIO COAST
- 05.30 SHINKIBA STUDIO COAST
hide memorial summit
- MAIN STAGE : X JAPAN / LUNA SEA / DIR EN GREY
- 05.04 AJINOMOTO STADIUM
22nd SINGLE『GLASS SKIN』
- 09.10 RELEASE
TOUR08 THE ROSE TRIMS AGAIN
- 09.10 SHIBUYA-AX -「a knot」only-
- 09.11 SHIBUYA-AX -「a knot」only-
- 09.15 Matsuyama Multi-Purpose Community Center
- 09.17 Zepp Fukuoka
- 09.18 MIYAZAKI WEATHERKING
- 09.20 HIROSHIMA CLUB QUATTRO
- 09.21 HIROSHIMA CLUB QUATTRO
- 09.24 Zepp Tokyo
- 09.25 Zepp Tokyo
- 09.27 KBS HALL
- 09.28 KBS HALL
- 10.01 Zepp Nagoya
- 10.03 NAMBA Hatch
- 10.04 NAMBA Hatch
- 10.07 NIIGATA LOTS
- 10.08 NIIGATA LOTS
- 10.10 Zepp Sendai
- 10.12 Zepp Sapporo
- 10.18 SHINKIBA STUDIO COAST (additional)
7th ALBUM『UROBOROS』
- 11.12 RELEASE
OVERSEAS(US / CANADA)TOUR08 THE ROSE TRIMS AGAIN
- Opening Act: THE HUMAN ABSTRACT
- 11.05 Revolution Live -Ft.Lauderdale, FL / U.S.-
- 11.07 Club Firestone Greenroom -Orlando, FL / U.S.-
- 11.08 Center Stage Theater -Atlanta, GA / U.S.-
- 11.10 Rams Head Live -Baltimore, MD / U.S.-
- 11.11 The Theatre of Living Arts -Philadelphia, PA / U.S.-
- 11.12 The Wilbur Theatre -Boston, MA / U.S.-
- 11.14 Terminal 5 -New York, NY / U.S.-
- 11.15 Le Medley -Montreal, QU / Canada
- 11.16 Kool Haus -Toronto, ON / Canada
- 11.18 Clutch Cargo -Pontiac, MI / U.S.-
- 11.19 House of Blues -Chicago, IL / U.S.-
- 11.20 First Avenue -Minneapolis, MN / U.S.-
- 11.22 The Eagles Club -Milwaukee, WI / U.S.-
- 11.23 Pop’s -Sauget, IL / U.S.-
- 11.25 House of Blues -Houston, TX / U.S.-
- 11.26 Palladium Ballroom -Dallas, TX / U.S.-
- 11.28 Marquee Theatre -Tempe, AZ / U.S.-
- 11.29 The Wiltern LG -Los Angeles, CA / U.S.-
- 11.30 The Warfield Theatre -San Francisco, CA / U.S.-
- 12.02 Hawthorne Theatre -Portland, OR / U.S.-
- 12.03 The Showbox -Seattle, WA / U.S.-
- 12.05 The Gothic Theatre -Englewood, CO / U.S.-
BAJRA
- 12.24 YOKOHAMA BLITZ
- 12.25 YOKOHAMA BLITZ -「a knot」only-
- 12.26 YOKOHAMA BLITZ -「a knot」only-
- 12.31 NAMBA Hatch
UROBOROS -breathing-
- 12.29 OSAKA-JO HALL