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Album Review: Dir En Grey ‘Dum Spiro Spero’

Published

15 years ago

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With their eighth studio album, Dum Spiro Spero, Dir en grey are preparing to hit the music world like never before. Word is that there will be a massive American blitz to introduce those who were unlucky enough to never have heard of these guys before to the aural insanity that Dir en grey puts forth. Having seen these guys at the Family Values tour in 2006, I can safely say that they put on one of the most intense shows I’ve ever seen. But has that insanity held and intensity held strong through the years and made it onto Dum Spiro Spero? Find out after the jump!
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The first several minutes of the album are incredibly creepy and unsettling, using dissonant piano chords and droning guitars to create a miasma of suspense and dread. What follows, and makes up the rest of the album, is a cacophony of punishing metal, terrifying vocals and amazing production. 
‘Akatsuki‘ is, in many ways, a perfect example of how intense and complex the band is. The rhythm guitars chug along with dissonant consistency while the bass alternates between foundation notes and some awesome slapping-popping. The lead guitar comes up with a vast amount of different sounds, from clean effected passages to a solo sound that sounds like the fuzzy lovechild of Jimi Hendrix and Justin Chancellor to a funk-wah passage, which just might be one of the most unexpected yet awesome parts of the song. The drums are mixed and panned beautifully, creating a dizzying effect when the toms are played, jumping from the left field to the right to the left to the center and even more. Finally, Kyo’s vocals traverse his full range, from death growls to soaring, almost piercing heights. 
There are many other standout tracks, such as ‘Different Sense‘, which alternates between punishing riffs and yearning, aching melodies. ‘Lotus‘, used as the second single [thanks Abhorson] for the album, is the most accessible track without question, but is still incredibly strong and powerful. But perhaps the most standout aspect of this album is Kyo’s vocal work. His versatility and range are utterly mind-boggling and I’m convinced that he is one of the most diverse singers in the metal genre if not the entire music scene. 
The Final Word: Dir en grey have in Dum Spiro Spero a diverse, brutal, terrifying album that needs to be heard and spread. I wholeheartedly recommend this album.
Make sure to check out Kyo’s Top 10 Horror Movies.
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Music

Marco Beltrami’s ‘Scream’ Score Gets Deluxe Reissue For 30th Anniversary

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2 days ago

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July 9, 2026

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Seminal slasher Scream rewrote the rules in 1996, and for its 30th anniversary,  Varèse Sarabande and Craft Recordings are celebrating with a new anniversary reissue of Marco Beltrami’s landmark score.

The original 14-track album returns to vinyl in a collectible “blood-soaked” sleeve on August 28.

If blood red isn’t your color, there’s good news: the reissue will also be available in many different limited-edition exclusive pressings.

In addition to the wide “Woodsboro Bloodbath” red vinyl pictured below, look for the following exclusives:

An Extended Cut Edition of the Scream (Original Motion Picture Score), featuring all 40 of the film’s cues from the 2022 Scream boxset, will also be available on CD. All formats are available to pre-order or pre-save today.

Top L-R: “Knife’s Edge” silver vinyl with poster (Target), “Surprise, Sidney” metallic blend vinyl (Barnes & Noble), “Don’t Hang Up” clear vinyl (Books-A-Million),
Bottom L-R: “I’ll Be Right Back” blue vinyl (Urban Outfitters), “Final Girl” splatter vinyl (Hot Topic), “Wrong Answer” Blood Red Splatter vinyl (Varèse Sarabande/Craft Recordings), and “Final Phone Call” blue vinyl (Indie Retail)

Marco Beltrami composed the iconic score as a then young, up-and-coming composer—one who, ironically, had never scored or even seen a horror film.

Yet just three years after he completed the University of Southern California’s rigorous scoring program, Beltrami submitted 13 minutes of music for Scream’s opening sequence and his future was forever changed. “We knew in half a minute that we had found our composer,” Craven told Variety in 2012. “The music was haunting, beautiful and totally original. Marco turned out to be shy and soft-spoken, but a fountain of ideas and innovation. I never looked back.”

Scream (Original Motion Picture Score) (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

CD Tracklist

1. Dimension Logo (0:19)

2. The Cue from Hell (10:33)

3. Trouble in Woodsboro (1:52)

4. Sid’s House (1:12)

5. Red Herring (2:13)

6. Killer Calls Sydney (2:52)

7. Chasing Sidney (1:29)

8. Cell Phone (1:00)

9. Backdoor Gale (0:49)

10. Schoolyard 2 (1:17)

11. Sid’s Doubt (1:23)

12. Bathroom (2:58)

13. Mr. Himbry Gets It (2:11)

14. Sherriff and Dewey (1:21)

15. Tatum’s Torture (2:46)

16. Sidney Wants It (3:09)

17. Dewey and Gale (1:57)

18. Off to See Himbry (0:41)

19. Killer Stabs Billy (2:50)

20. Randy Almost Gets It (2:33)

21. Gale Crashes the Van (1:33)

22. They’re Crazy (9:42)

23. Sid Stabs Billy (4:24)

24. Billy’s Back (0:52)

25. End Credits (1:40)

26. Sid’s Window (0:26)

27. Gut Someone (0:13)

28. Sid Looks (0:16)

29. Billy Looks (0:24)

30. Billy to Cell (0:34)

31. Killer Calls Again (0:35)

32. Bang Into Billy (0:12)

33. Girl Talk (0:54)

34. Video Store (0:45)

35. Why She’s Here (0:16)

36. Billy Sting (0:13)

37. Prescott’s Car (0:29)

38. Hairbrush (0:38)

39. The Cue from Hell (Orchestra Only) (6:28)

40. I Don’t Care (Vocals Performed by Dillon Dixon) (3:01)

Scream – Original Motion Picture Score

Vinyl Tracklist

Side A:

1. Dimension Logo (0:19)

2. The Cue from Hell (10:33)

3. Trouble in Woodsboro (1:52)

4. Red Herring (2:13)

5. Chasing Sidney (1:29)

6. Backdoor Gale (0:49)

7. Schoolyard 2 (1:17)

8. Bathroom (2:58)

Side B:

1. Sherriff and Dewey (1:21)

2. Tatum’s Torture (2:46)

3. Sidney Wants It (3:09)

4. Killer Stabs Billy (2:50)

5. They’re Crazy (9:42)

6. End Credits (1:40)

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