A Ranking of DEG Remakes, From Necessary to Not
- Undecided vs. Undecided (2008)
One of the few times I’m going to give it to the remake. The original is a great ballad, overshadowed by 蟲-mushi-.
- The Domestic Fucker Family vs. T.D.F.F.
I’m also going to have to give the crown to T.D.F.F., if only because the original was barely a song.
- Hydra vs HYDRA -666-
I like every version of Hydra, but I’m also going to concede here and say the remake is a more conceptualized song. Take out the Gregorian chant in the middle of the original and it’s a bit monotone.
- Children vs. Children (2002)
I like both versions of Children, but something about the six Ugly version of children sits right with me. Also, never liked that the original version has this weird cut before the measure is complete.
- 残-ZAN- vs 残
One of the few remakes where it strikes a good balance between familiar and new. The original riff translates nicely into a thicker, deeper sound. I actually listen to the remake more than the original!
- THE DEEPER VILENESS vs THE DEEPER VILENESS (2018)
I like the remake for THE DEEPER VILENESS! I don’t think the growls are unnecessary as much as the original’s style of “scream angrily at the top of your lungs” is something Kyo’s vocal folds can’t sustain at this age, and the song is aggressive as hell, so it works out. I do wish it had a bit more of the grit of the original fading out at the end.
- Beautiful Dirt vs Beautiful Dirt (2018)
I don’t listen to this often because it’s sandwiched at the end of VESTIGE OF SCRATCHES, but I think Beautiful Dirt’s remake is a slight upgrade from the original.
- 蜜と唾 vs 蜜と唾 (Remake)
This one is one you either love or hate. For as much as Dir en grey love their ultra dark and heavy sound, they never properly explored sludge and doom outside this and Warsaw no Gensou. And they have the potential to be really damn good at it. I would say I’ll take the remake, but then there are times where I listen to the original from GAUZE twenty times in a row, so I can’t really choose.
- Mazohyst of decadence vs Mazohyst of decadence (2022)
It has come to my attention that I never actually listened to Disc 2 of PHALARIS. Us international fans have also been teased with various live retakes of this song for years. Finally getting this recorded is a blessing. I’m going to take the remake here! I always skip the original - it’s bloated runtime and overly self-indulgent posturing has always been the primary roadblock on GAUZE for me.
- 秒「」深 vs 秒「」深 (2002)
This is around where the remakes and the originals start to even out for me. GENOCIDE AND DEADBORN and SAMPUURU are equally as iconic in my mind, so I can’t choose here.
- 理由 vs 理由 (2018)
One of the few remakes where Dir en grey didn’t make any unnecessary changes and so both are equal to me. I’m just used to the original, so I’m a bit biased.
- Ain’t afraid to die vs. Ain’t afraid to die (2022)
There used to be a time a long, long time ago where people would scoff at your taste if you didn’t like Ain’t afraid to die. I can’t say that I don’t hate it as much as I always forget about it - I spend my time with albums more than anything and having been relegated to a single forgotten to the Kisou era does it no favors. Mentioned somewhere else that if I had my way, I’d have sandwiched this song onto an album somewhere. Remake is great because it doesn’t ruin a good thing, so I’ll have both!
- 腐海 vs 腐海 (2018)
It took forever for Kyo to record the lyrics of the live version of Fukai, so I’ve spent a very long time with the lyrics of the original and that’s what just sounds right to me. But both versions bang.
- Embryo vs Embryo (2002)
These songs are instrumentally equivalent, different lyrics, and I’m not invested enough in either song to make a real distinction.
- THE IIID EMPIRE vs THE IIID EMPIRE (2018)
I don’t mind the reinterpretation too much, but it’s one of those songs where I wish Kyo was a little less harsh and a bit more aggressive. Also been listening to the original so long that it’s a Fukai situation where that’s what sounds right to me, and diverging from that has some mixed results.
- かすみ vs かすみ (2013)
There has to be a point where I start getting mean, and this is about it. The remake of Kasumi is serviceable, but I think it does too much and prefer the original.
- 鬼眼-kigan vs 鬼眼
Something is lacking in the remake and I can’t put my finger on it. The VICTIMIZATION isn’t as visceral and the groove post-solo was done away with, so while the rest of the song is on point it’s missing those parts that make it 鬼眼-kigan for me. OG all the way.
- Bottom of the death valley vs Bottom of the death valley (2013)
Another one of those where opinions are all over the place about it, but I knew the remake didn’t have the cajones the minute the bass solo/intro hits and I don’t feel a lump in my chest. IYKYK. I guess this song is serviceable, perhaps even good, but it’s a case where I prefer the original so strongly that it ends up down here. Totally understand if the remake is your jam; probably the only song this far down I’ll make that exception for.
- Ash vs Ash (2000) vs Ash (2018)
Despite the bloated exit refrain, the 2000 version of Ash is where it’s at. The original version is not very well recorded and is even longer, and the end of the remake has been reinterpreted but feels oddly short in comparison.
- MACABRE -揚羽ノ羽ノ夢ハ蛹- vs MACABRE
This would have been much higher on the list if the remake didn’t add an extra six minutes. They played it almost perfectly up until that point, but like I said elsewhere MACABRE needs atmosphere not gutturals.
- THE FINAL vs THE FINAL (2013)
Remake a straight downgrade from the original. Never try to improve upon an anthem.
- 業 vs 業 (2013)
The remake has some call backs to the original, and I figured we weren’t going to get an exact copy of the original, but all the new parts they composed for the remake…don’t feel like Karma to me. I want thrashy sub 3 min garage rock outta this song.
- 鴉 vs 鴉-karasu-
Another MACABRE situation where they nail the first 2/3 of the song and then sink the last 1/3 and this makes me never want to pick it up. I barely listen to the original, but I feel like the pay off for that one, while less “epic”, certainly cashes the emotional catharsis check better.
- 羅刹国 vs 羅刹国 (2011)
I’ll take the original all day. Excessive palm muting kills the forward momentum of the remake’s riff.
- Unknown…Despair…a Lost vs Unknown.Despair.Lost
I just really don’t like this reinterpretation.
- 惨劇の夜 vs 霧と繭 vs 霧と繭 (2012)
I was never invested much in the Sangeki no Yoru vs Kiri to Mayu debate, as it’s very clear the band only recorded the latter out of necessity and both are songs that have been out of rotation for decades until recently. And then they go and rerec the MISSA version of the song and it’s barely recognizable. This is a rare situation where…I don’t really have strong feels for any version of this song, although I guess I’ll take Sangeki if you wanna twist my arm about it.
- CLEVER SLEAZOID vs CLEVER SLEAZOID (2020)
The single that gets worse every time they try to improve it. Single version, despite the goofy lyrics, is the definitive version. TMOAB version tries to get more aggressive and doesn’t. The remake has different lyrics and that clashes with my mental meta. It’s telling that when given the chance, Diru chose the single version for VESTIGE OF SCRATCHES.
- OBSCURE vs OBSCURE (2011)
Absolutely abysmal retake, the worst one of them all IMO, simply because they butchered the main riff. It’s 0h1 1, not 1 0h1, and stop fucking palm muting everything Jesus Christ. This is another anthemic, iconic song, THE SONG that brought some visual kei fans back from the brink after they “”““renounced””“” visual kei post six Ugly and fans were left reeling for something to grab onto. You. Don’t. Change. A. Classic.
