X JAPAN formed in the late 1980s with a lineup that included drummer and composer Yoshiki Hayashi, vocalist Toshimitsu "Toshl" Deyama, and guitarist Hideto "Hide" Matsumoto. Their early albums like "Blue Blood" and "Jealousy" mixed heavy metal with orchestral arrangements, a sound that found a large audience in Japan. Songs like "Endless Rain" became signature ballads, known for their dramatic emotional pull.
The band faced significant challenges in the 1990s, including the departure of bassist Taiji Sawada and the tragic death of guitarist Hide in 1998. They released their final studio album, "Dahlia," in 1996 before going on hiatus the following year. A decade later, X JAPAN reunited in 2007 and eventually put out a new album called "We Are X" in 2016.
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