X - BLUE BLOOD

X
BLUE BLOOD
1989/04/21

01. PROLOGUE (～WORLD ANTHEM)
02. BLUE BLOOD
03. WEEK END
04. EASY FIGHT RAMBLING
05. X
06. ENDLESS RAIN
07. 紅
08. XCLAMATION
09. オルガスム
10. CELEBRATION
11. ROSE OF PAIN
12. UNFINISHED

Arguably one of the most influential and well-known bands in what became the visual kei scene, X JAPAN (or X, as they were still known back then) released a beast of an album in the shape of "BLUE BLOOD"!

Of course it was inevitable to find out about X JAPAN as soon as I got into listening to VK. Their music was all over the then-popular mp3 rotation sites, a music video here and there, and obviously tons of photos of these strange and colorful spiky-haired gentlemen. I have to admit, I wasn't too impressed with Toshi's vocal style at the time, to me he sounded like a chain-smoking Tina Turner imitator on a particularly rough night... but the more songs I tried from them, the more I got used to it and finally accepted it.

My relationship with their album "BLUE BLOOD", iconic as it may be, was also a peculiar one. It took me a few years to fully appreciate and embrace its sound, for example. Compared to the Western heavy metal bands I listened to, I thought the album sounded weak, muddy and especially powerless in the guitar mix. I had to attune my ears to this different vibe, and nowadays I can enjoy and really get lost in the album. Even so, sometimes I can't help imagining how it would feel with a more in-your-face master... but enough about my useless whining, let's put this bad boy on, haha!

Everything about "BLUE BLOOD" is epic in scope, which is appropriately introduced with the grand symphonic metal intro transitioning with a cool spoken-word bit into the title track. The band makes it clear that when they're really rockin' out they go all the way, thrashy speed and blistering guitars included. I think this type of song has to be my favorite from them, when they just go full-force heavy metal. Luckily we get some more of this on later tracks such as the eternal live staples "X" and "Kurenai", or the bangin' quickie (no pun intended) "ORGASM". These tunes totally satisfy my inner metal nerd.

As I've mentioned, the album moves on quite a wide scale, so we don't just get speed metal assaults, but more mainstream sounds as well. "WEEK END" is the ultimate catchy high-energy rocker that would feel wasted in the hands of anyone else but the X guys, but they manage to elevate it with tasty tempo changes and a sense of theatricality that it's impossible not to be immediately drawn to it. "ENDLESS RAIN" is another big hit, one of the early examples of the endless (hah!) sappy ballads that Yoshiki & co. would go on to be known for in their later years. It's fine, but I'm not won over completely.

Finally, it's worth mentioning that there's also an interesting experimental side to "BLUE BLOOD", one that doesn't rear its head often, but just enough to keep things interesting. Our first taste comes in the form of the instrumental "XCLAMATION", a groovy tribal number that brings a mystical and exotic atmosphere, showcasing a different side of the guitar and bass department in particular. The other example is when the symphonic bombast promised in the album's intro reaches its climax with the mighty "ROSE OF PAIN", a 12-minute metal odyssey that foreshadows even greater heights of composition the band would go onto.

To me, this is where "BLUE BLOOD" ends, a suitably over-the-top closer to a grandiose record (and let's forget about that ballad at the end). As the years went by, I've always had different preferences when it comes to my favorite X album, usually varying between this, their debut or "Jealousy". However, there's no doubt that "BLUE BLOOD" is the perfect introductory experience for newcomers because of its variety and the number of classic songs. If you haven't given it a spin yet... what are you waiting for?