Longfellow said "Music is the universal language of mankind," and Japanese metal band Dir En Grey are proving the point. Despite singing exclusively in their native Japanese, they've gained a huge international fan base.

The group has a gritty, macabre presence--vocalist Kyo's frenetic performances go so far as to sometimes leave him bleeding on stage.

Dir En Grey formed in 1997, but fans in the US discovered the group when it played three packed headlining shows in 2006. Later that year, the band joined Korn's Family Values Tour; last year Dir en Grey [ tickets ] headlined 17 US shows.

Currently making the rounds in support of their new album, "Uroboros," Dir En Grey's next show is set for tonight (11/17) in Pontiac, MI. At least a dozen more stops are scheduled around the US though early December.

Dir En Grey performed at San Francsico's Fillmore Auditorium in February of last year, and yours truly was there. Here are some of the pictures I took.