I'll Kill You

Last updated
"I'll Kill You"
X I'll Kill You.jpg
Cover of the 1985 single
Single by X
ReleasedJune 1985
Studio Sound Market
Genre Speed metal
Length7:34
Label Dada
Songwriter(s) Yoshiki Hayashi
Producer(s) X and Nobukatsu Hayashi
X singles chronology
"I'll Kill You"
(1985)		"Orgasm"
(1986)

"I'll Kill You" is a song by Japanese heavy metal band X, written by Yoshiki Hayashi. It is the first song Yoshiki wrote after forming the band in 1982 and has been recorded by them several times, the first of which was distributed as a demo cassette tape in February 1985. Later that year, it was recorded again and released as the band's first 7-inch single in June 1985 by Dada Records. The song was later recorded for X's first album, Vanishing Vision (1988).

Contents

Overview

"I'll Kill You" is the first song that drummer and bandleader Yoshiki wrote for X after forming the band in 1982 with vocalist Toshi in order to play heavier music with two lead guitarists. [1] He first wrote the lyrics in Japanese before translating them into English, asking the smartest students in his high school to help with any difficult parts. [1] After reading them over, Yoshiki realized they were directed at himself. [1]

"I'll Kill You" was first recorded by X in February 1985 as part of a three-track demo cassette tape. [1] The tape was handed out by the band to earn bookings at live venues in Tokyo. [1] After a few months of performing concerts, X was contacted by the independent record label Dada Records about releasing a record. [1] "I'll Kill You" was recorded again and released as a 7-inch single in June 1985. [1] All 1,000 copies of the record sold out in a few days. [1] [2] The cover art notoriously features numerous photographs of dead bodies taken during the Vietnam War.

"I'll Kill You" was recorded a third time for inclusion on the band's first album, Vanishing Vision (1988). Discussing the 1988 version, Yoshiki claimed that the song is not about killing people as the title would suggest, but is a love song in the vein of a disgruntled married couple. [3]

A different recording of the 1985 single's B-side, "Break the Darkness", was included on the sampler Heavy Metal Force III in November 1985. [4] "I'll Kill You" was covered by French symphonic black metal band Anorexia Nervosa as a bonus track for the Japanese edition of their 2004 album Redemption Process and later included on their 2005 The September E.P. as well. [5] [6] It was covered by Volcano for their 2018 cover album Irregular. [7]

Track listing

Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I'll Kill You" Yoshiki Hayashi 3:21
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Break the Darkness"Yoshiki Hayashi4:13

Personnel

According to the 1985 single by Dada Records: [8]

X

Production staff

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Komatsu, Narumi (2009). Yoshiki/YoshikiYOSHIKI/佳樹 (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. pp. 116–118, 141, 149. ISBN   978-4-04-883687-6.
  2. ↑ "Indies eXplosion: The Early History of X JAPAN". JRock Revolution. 2007-10-29. Archived from the original on 2015-07-01. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  3. ↑ Kawamoto, Hirotake (June 1988). "Track by track analysis of Vanishing Vision by X". Rockin'f.
  4. ↑ "HEAVY METAL FORCE III". Amazon.co.jp . Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  5. ↑ "リデンプション・プロセス". Amazon.co.jp . Retrieved 2011-11-13.
  6. ↑ "September E.P." Amazon.co.jp . Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  7. ↑ "「速弾くためなら鬼となる…」ボルケーノ初のカヴァー・アルバム『IRREGULAR』を屍忌蛇がユルく解説". Young Guitar Magazine . Retrieved 2025-08-17.
  8. ↑ "I'll Kill You" liner notes, 1985-06. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
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