X-Japan
Blue Blood

THE REVIEW

Here I am to review the best album by X-Japan (together with "Art Of Life") ''Blue Blood''. 

The work begins with a ''world anthem'' named ''Prologue (World Anthem)'', an anthem lasting about 2 and a half minutes where the guitars of hide and Pata are the true protagonists and create an atmosphere of ''victory''. The next track ''Blue Blood'', the title-track, features Pata and hide’s guitars which again dominate in a true Speed-metal song. The next song ''Weekend'', starts with a fairly slow riff but mixes smoothly with the very hypnotic bass and Toshi's unmistakable voice, the singer. Yoshiki's drumming begins a real rock version of a disco ballad '''Easy Fight Rambling'' if you want to treat it as an ''Interlude'' that prepares the group for the launch pad for the next 3 songs, those that represent X the most.

The first is ''X'' where they praise themselves and thank their fans, a sort of biography in a song, if you will. A moment of silence, a moment where you still have to regain consciousness after the orgasm of ''X'', and here are the sweet and melancholic notes of ''Endless Rain'' that completely dispel that feeling of ''alienation'' that ''X'' made you feel and can even make you cry; it is incredible how the group's drummer and pianist, Yoshiki, can make you feel such emotions, everything is perfectly matched: the piano, the drums, the guitar solo... if I could, I would have this piece played at my wedding. As the notes of ''Endless Rain'' slowly fade and the volume decreases, there it is, the SONG of X. The magical arpeggios of hide accompany Toshi’s voice full of sadness and vanish as if it were a dream interrupted at its best, but no, it's not over. Some cymbal hits on the drums and the sodomizing riff of ''Kurenai'' starts. Everything is perfect, EVERYTHING. The solos by hide and Pata, Toshi's voice full of grit, the drum solo, the very confused bass... there are even strings, which accompany us to the end to make way for ''Xclamation'', an instrumental of about 3 minutes: just what is needed after such a compact trio of songs. ''Xclamation'' is the most experimental track on the album and here, finally, the true protagonist is the electric bass, more jazz than metal in this case the song. The next song ''Orgasm'' starts with the sounds of a woman gasping who, as the title suggests, very likely has just had an orgasm, something I myself almost had from the previous albums. The track ends with the roar of a jet engine and allows hide time to plug his guitar into the amplifier and prepare it for the next song ''Celebration'', a guitar that at least to me resembles that of Brian May. Here's another genius Yoshiki move, the organ, introducing the next track ''Rose of Pain'' with Bach's ''Fugue'' which dissolves into silence and gives way to a guitar riff that, by this millennium, we might say ''vaguely resembles Dimmu Borgir''. A complicated and very ''Dream Theater-esque'' piece that ends this ''Album within an album'' in the best way possible. The last track ''Unfinished'' is a sweet rock ballad performed by a majestic Yoshiki on piano accompanying Toshi's sweet and warm voice until the end of the album.

In summary, it is an album that fully satisfied me, and I appreciated the quality and skill of all 5 members.

PS: Rest in peace Hideto Matsumoto.