| "I'll Kill You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by X | ||||
| Released | June 1985 | |||
| Recorded | Sound Market | |||
| Genre | Speed metal, power metal | |||
| Length | 7:34 | |||
| Label | Dada | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Yoshiki Hayashi | |||
| Producer(s) | X and Nobukatsu Hayashi | |||
| X singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"I'll Kill You" is the debut single by Japanese heavy metal band X Japan, then named X, released in June 1985.
In 1988, Yoshiki explained 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. [1] All 1,000 copies of the record sold out. [2] The cover art notoriously features numerous photographs of dead bodies taken during the Vietnam War.
A different recording of the B-side, "Break the Darkness", was included on the sampler Heavy Metal Force III in November 1985. [3] While a re-recording of the title track was later featured on the band's first album, Vanishing Vision . "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. [4] [5]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'll Kill You" | Yoshiki Hayashi | 3:21 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Break the Darkness" | Yoshiki Hayashi | 4:13 |
X Japan is a Japanese rock band from Chiba, formed in 1982 by drummer Yoshiki and lead vocalist Toshi. Starting as a predominantly power/speed metal band with heavy symphonic elements, they later gravitated towards a progressive sound with an emphasis on ballads. Besides being one of the first Japanese acts to achieve mainstream success while on an independent label, the group is widely credited as one of the pioneers of visual kei, a movement among Japanese musicians comparable to Western glam.
Hideto Matsumoto, better known by his stage name hide, was a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He was the lead guitarist of the rock band X Japan from 1987 onward, and a solo artist from 1993 onward. He also formed a rock supergroup Zilch with musicians from the United States in 1996.
Yoshiki Hayashi, known by the mononym Yoshiki, is a Japanese musician, songwriter, composer and record producer. He is best known as the leader and a co-founder of the visual kei rock band X Japan, for which he is the drummer, pianist and main songwriter. Yoshiki's solo career includes two classical studio albums—Eternal Melody (1993), produced by George Martin, and Eternal Melody II (2005)—and the classical compilation Yoshiki Classical (2013). Described by Billboard as a "musical innovator" and named "one of the most influential composers in Japanese history" by Consequence of Sound, Yoshiki has also collaborated and played with artists such as Bono, will.i.am, Jennifer Hudson, Stan Lee, Roger Taylor, Gene Simmons and KISS, and Sarah Brightman.
Extasy Records is a Japanese record label founded in April 1986 by Yoshiki Hayashi, co-founder of the heavy metal band X Japan. The label's first release was X's 1986 single "Orgasm".
Art of Life is the fourth studio album by Japanese heavy metal band X Japan, released on August 25, 1993 by Atlantic Records. The album consists solely of the 29-minute-long orchestrated title track, which was written and composed by Yoshiki entirely in English and recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It topped the Oricon chart and has sold over 600,000 copies. The album is the band's first after changing their name from simply "X" and the first to feature bassist Heath.
Blue Blood is the second studio album by Japanese rock band X Japan, then known as simply X. It was released on April 21, 1989, by CBS/Sony as the band's major label debut. Blue Blood sold more than 700,000 copies, reached number 6 on the Oricon chart and stayed on the chart for more than 100 weeks. The album's singles would also reach the top five on the chart. In 2007, Rolling Stone Japan ranked Blue Blood number 15 on their list of the "100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time".
Vanishing Vision is the debut studio album by Japanese heavy metal band X Japan, then known as simply X. It was released on April 14, 1988 by Extasy Records, topped the Oricon indies chart and reached number 19 on the main chart.
Dahlia is the fifth studio album by Japanese heavy metal band X Japan, released on November 4, 1996 by Atlantic Records. It is the band's last album before breaking up the following year, and the last to feature new work by guitarist hide, due to his death two years later. The album is composed largely of ballads, with only a few tracks retaining the band's heavier musical traits seen on previous releases. It topped the Oricon chart and stayed on the chart for only 15 weeks, but managed to sell over half a million copies. Seven, nearly all, of the album's songs were released as singles, most of which also topped the singles chart and sold well.
Jealousy is the third studio album by Japanese heavy metal band X Japan, then known as simply X. The album was released on July 1, 1991 by Sony, as the band's second major label release. Jealousy is the band's best-selling album, having sold more than one million copies, it topped the Oricon chart and stayed on the chart for 50 weeks. The album's singles would also reach the top three on the chart. It is their last album under the name "X", before changing to "X Japan", and the last to feature Taiji on bass, who would be replaced by Heath.
"Silent Jealousy" is a single released by X Japan on September 11, 1991.
"Kurenai" is a song by Japanese heavy metal band X Japan, written by Yoshiki. One of the band's oldest songs, they have been performing "Kurenai" since 1985, and several versions have been released, most significantly as their major-label debut single on September 1, 1989.
The discography of the Japanese heavy metal band X Japan consists of 5 studio albums, 6 live albums, 1 remix album, 11 compilations, 1 soundtrack album, 23 singles, and around 22 live video recordings.
"Endless Rain" is the fourth single released by Japanese heavy metal band X Japan on December 1, 1989. It is their second single on a major record label and reached number 3 on the Oricon chart.
"Longing" is a ballad by Japanese heavy metal band X Japan and written by Yoshiki. The song has been released in several versions, most notably in two different single variations. The first, "Longing ~Togireta Melody~", was released as their eleventh single on August 1, 1995 and reached the number 1 spot on the Oricon chart. The second, "Longing ~Setsubou no Yoru~", is their twelfth released on December 11, 1995 and reached number 5.
"Dahlia" is the thirteenth single by Japanese heavy metal band X Japan, released on February 26, 1996.
"Orgasm" is the second single by Japanese heavy metal band X Japan, then named X, released on April 10, 1986.
Perfect Best is a compilation album by Japanese heavy metal band X Japan, released on February 24, 1999. It includes songs that go from their debut album Vanishing Vision to Dahlia, and also an interview with Yoshiki. Some tracks are taken from Live Live Live Tokyo Dome 1993-1996. The album reached number 4 on the Oricon chart. It was certified gold by RIAJ.
Luna Sea is the self-titled debut album by Japanese rock band Luna Sea, released on April 21, 1991 by Extasy Records. It sold over 30,000 copies by July 1992. The album was remastered and re-released by Universal Music Group on December 19, 2007. In 2011, after reuniting the previous year, Luna Sea re-recorded the whole album and released it on March 16, 2011 by their label at the time, HPQ.
"Jade" is a song by Japanese heavy metal band X Japan, released on June 28, 2011 in Europe, North and South America, and on July 13 in Japan and Southeast Asia. It is the band's third single since reuniting in 2007 and the second to feature newest member Sugizo on guitar, as well as their first worldwide release.
Yoshiki Classical is the third classical studio album by Japanese musician Yoshiki. It was released on August 27, 2013. The album peaked at 21st place on Billboard Top Classical Albums chart.