X Japan

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X Japan is a heavy metal band, which broke up in 1997. It was formed in 1982 by Yoshiki Hayashi and Toshimitsu "Toshi" Deyama, who were joined by Hideto "hide" Matsumoto, Tomoaki "Pata" Ishizuka and Taiji Sawada.

The group was originally named X and achieved success in 1989 with the release of their second album Blue Blood. They have sold over twenty million albums and singles and over two million videos.

Their first single, I'll Kill You was released on Dada Records in 1985.The following year, Yoshiki founded the independent label Extasy Records, on which Orgasm was released, as well as the group's debut album, Vanishing Vision in 1988.

X Japan was signed by Sony Records and their second album Blue Blood released in 1989. In 1991, the band made their first performance in Japan's largest live venue, the Tokyo Dome.

In 1992, the band were renamed X Japan to distinguish them group from the American punk band X. Taiji was replaced by Hiroshi "Heath" Morie, due to creative differences with Yoshiki and went on to work with Loudness and Cloud Nine.

X Japan left Sony and signed with Atlantic Records. Art of Life was released in 1993, the title track of which was almost twenty nine minutes and was only performed twice for a live audience. By this time, the members of the group had several side projects.

In 1996, Dahlia was released and the group adopted a more casual look. This was to be the band's last major release as vocalist Toshi left the group. X Japan performed their farewell show at the Toyko Dome on December 31 1997, the last of five consecutive New Year's Eves they had performed there.

Hide continued his solo career as Hide with Spread Beaver. However, this did not last long as he committed suicide in May 1998. At his funeral, 50,000 fans mobbed the streets.

Pata and Heath founded Dope Headz in 2001, which released two albums but then ceased activity. Heath is now pursuing a solo career and Pata is a member of Ra:In. Yoshiki has been briefly a member of the pop band Globe, produced singles for the Korean band TRAX and worked on his solo project Violet UK.

In March 2007, Toshi announced on his website that he and Yoshiki had resumed working together and that the band would reform.