DIR EN GREY have announced a co-headlining tour with APOCALYPTICA that begins in Toronto, Ontario (Canada) on August 23rd and concludes September 12th in Seattle, Washington. A fan pre-order and VIP package goes on sale this Friday, July 16th, and tickets will go on sale to the general public the following Friday, July 23rd.

Dir En Grey is considered the biggest Japanese rock band ever, and their intense live shows are the perfect way to experience their global appeal. With seven studio albums and tours on nearly every continent under their belt, the band continues to win over new fans with their extreme, unclassifiable sound and mesmerizing performances.

As Billboard noted around the band’s first US appearances in 2006, “Dir En Grey has transcended the language barrier in the United States through its music - which mixes pop elements with metal, incorporating lyrics that vocalist Kyo sings and screams - and its appearance.“

Dir En Grey - vocalist Kyo, guitarists Kaoru and Die, bassist Toshiya and drummer Shinya - became extremely popular almost immediately upon forming ten years ago and have steadily garnered international critical acclaim and a devoted fan base worldwide. The Los Angeles Times wrote that frontman “Kyo is a staggering vocalist” and “has stockpiled an extreme range of vocal inflections, from a guttural mutter to a tonsil-ripping scream - no electronic effects needed.”

In January 2010, the band wrapped up two years of touring in support of 2008's Uroboros by playing two sold out shows at Tokyo's legendary Nippon Budokan arena and on June 22nd Dir En Grey released a CD & DVD set from these shows, titled Uroboros - With The Proof In The Name Of Living... At Nippon Budokan. While many trends come and go Dir En Grey’s music crosses borders and transcends the language barrier worldwide.

Dir En Grey and Apocalyptica dates:

August

23 - Toronto, ON - Sound Academy
24 - New York, NY - Nokia Theatre
26 - Boston, MA - Royale
27 - Baltimore, MD - Ram’s Head Live
28 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
30 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage
31 - St. Louis, MO@ Pageant

September

1 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
2 - Minneapolis, MN - First Ave.
4 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
5 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre
7 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
8 - Los Angeles, CA - Club Nokia Live
10 - San Francisco, CA - Grand Ballroom at Regency
11 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo