Dir En Grey Hits The States

The video for "Saku" by Japanese metal band Dir en grey was voted best video of the year on MTV2’s "Headbangers Ball" in December,

On February 2nd the band launched its first-ever American tour in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

The 18-date tour, which ends in San Francisco on February 25, is completely sold out, according to various Japanese media.

Formed in 1997 at the height of the "visual-kei" boom, Dir en grey has since disavowed the movement, which tends toward a more pop style of metal and favors elaborate costumes and stage props.

The band’s sixth album, Marrow of a Bone, will be released in the U.S. on February 20th.