X JAPAN Concerts Setlist

Formed in Chiba, Japan, X JAPAN is considered to be a legend in the hall of Japanese rock, also known as J-rock. The band was formed in 82 by Yoshiki and Toshi, also considered to be two legends in the genre. Throughout their career, the band delved into power metal and speed metal but later established themselves with a fusion of heavy metal and progressive metal.

X JAPAN's first name was actually X (エックス), their first album "Vanishing Vision" released in 88 brought massive success in less than a year. Through some ups and downs and changes in their original formation, the band released one more chart-topping album called "Art of Life" in 1993.

Some of X Japan's most famous songs, like "Kurenai," "Endless Rain," and "Forever Love," really show off their talent for telling emotional stories and putting on amazing shows. Their albums "Blue Blood" and "Art of Life" got a lot of praise from critics, proving that X Japan changed the way people see Japanese rock music.

X Japan was one of the first Japanese bands to become popular without a big record label. They got an award for "Best New Artist" in 1990. HMV Japan once said that they were one of the top 40 important Japanese bands in 2003. In 2010, a survey by Oricon showed people really want X Japan to keep making music for future generations.

By being legends and pioneers in the J-rock genre, the group influenced and paved the way for many other legendary bands that formed later, such as The Gazette, DIR EN GREY, and Versailles. But the band also had major influence from other pioneers of rock and heavy metal, like Iron Maiden, Sex Pistols, and others.

Even if you're not familiar with X Japan's influence, Gene Simmons from KISS once said something pretty big about them. He said that if the X Japan guys were from the USA or England and sang in English, they could be the biggest metal band in the World.