Xenophobia 101

X JAPAN - Vanishing Vision [CD/1988] 8/10=Very impressive debut full-length here from the Japanese speed metal masters, after a lot of demos and EPs and waiting it arrived and did not disappoint.
X JAPAN - Blue Blood [CD/1989] 7/10=The band's raw potential, especially that of Hide's guitars and the vocals are plain to see here, i just don't like the overall vibe and the quality of the songs as much as I would like some of their later work.
X JAPAN - Endless Rain [CD/1989] 1/10=One cut from Blue Blood, and one live cut, also from Blue Blood.
X JAPAN - Kurenai [CD/1989] 1/10=Again. One cut from Blue Blood, and one live track.
X JAPAN - Jealousy [CD/1991] 9/10=Must be another amazing melodic speed metal rock opera from one of Japan's most infamous bands ever. Fuck yes it is. X JAPAN - Say Anything [CD/1991] 1/10=One cut from Jealousy, and one live cut from Jealousy. Rinse. Repeat.
X JAPAN - Silent Jealousy [CD/1991] 2/10=Whoah, one cut from Jealousy, the same one on the last single, and a new track. Killer!
X JAPAN - Standing Sex [CD/1991] 2/10=A single with a new tune, and then one track from Jealousy. Yay.
X JAPAN - Art of Life [CD/1993] 8/10=A single track clocking in just under a half hour, sort of a progressive metal epic, and it's extremely good, just shy of, but similar to their work on Dahlia.
X JAPAN - Tears [CD/1993] 1/10=I am getting pretty damned tired of this nonsense. A track from Dahlia, and a 'classic' version of said track.
X JAPAN - Rusty Nail [CD/1994] 1/10=Another cut from Dahlia, and the karaoke version.
X JAPAN - Longing (Nights) [CD/1995] 2/10=Three versions of a song you already have...
X JAPAN - Longing (Unchained Melody) [CD/1995] 1/10=Two more versions of that song you already have...
X JAPAN - Crucify My Love [CD/1996] 1/10=A song from Dahlia, and a live track.
X JAPAN - Dahlia EP [CD/1996] 1/10=Noticing a pattern of commercial bullshit here? Leave it to Japan. A song from Dahlia, and a live cut.
X JAPAN - Forever Love [CD/1996] 1/10=A song from Dahlia, and a karaoke version of said song. Oh boy.
X JAPAN - Scars [CD/1996] 1/10=Yet another track from Dahlia, and a remix of ANOTHER track from Dahlia. Wow, they really wanted to make them some money off this Dahlia record, eh?
X JAPAN - Dahlia [CD/1996] 9/10=Wow...hard to find something not to like about this album, one of the greatest Japanese metal albums ever, I only dock it a point for the excess of ballads and not enough heavier tracks.
X JAPAN - Forever Love (Last Mix) [CD/1997] 1/10=Ugh...
X JAPAN - The Last Song [CD/1998] 2/10=It's the last song, folks, although they'd release like 200 new greatest hits packages, compilations, DVDs, and other bullshit to reap the benefit. A great band, but a commercial one.
X JAPAN - The Last Live [CDx3/2001] 5/10=A great sounding live album with a nice mix of songs from their career, just about as good as live albums get folks.
X JAPAN - Blue Blood [DVD12/2007] 7/10=The Blue Blood record remains the same, but this includes a bonus disc with instrumental tracks for your karaoke or background listening pleasure.
X JAPAN - Jealousy [DVD12/2007] 9/10=Still sounds as good as ever, and now you've got the extra instrumental disc to race custom cars with on Japanese mountains late at night. Drift, baby, drift.
X JAPAN - I.V [DVD124/2008] 2/3=Well, it's a new X-Japan single...just one tune, has more of their classic ballad elements, but a few metal parts. It does sound like they never left.

XASTHUR - Rehearsal [CD/1997] 5/10=Pretty cool demo, for suicidal black metal with a drum machine. 5 tunes, 5 points, some of my favorite Xasthur, believe it or not.
XASTHUR/OROSIUS - Split [CD/1999] 5/10=Four primal and pretty cool Xasthur tracks, two tracks from Orosius who don't sound much different but have kind of shitty melodic black metal riffs at times.
XASTHUR - A Darkened Winter [CD/2001] 6/10=This EP has a beautiful, haunting atmosphere, I really enjoy it since it embodies so much of what this style of grim yet ambient black metal should sound like.
XASTHUR - A Gate Through Bloodstained Mirrors [CD/2001] 8/10=Again, it is difficult not to enjoy the primal wonders on display with this haunting, simple record of minimalist suicidal depression.
XASTHUR/ACID ENEMA - Split [CD/2002] 6/10=Xasthur is still pretty damn good here on his four tracks, Acid Enema are also a similar style of raw straightforward black grimness, not so bad either. A good enough split to hunt down.
XASTHUR - Nocturnal Poisoning [CD/2002] 6/10=This is good during some moments, but often very boring in others, I prefer the first full-length but you still got quality suicidal black metal with insane vocal filtering.
XASTHUR - The Funeral of Being [CD/2003] 7/10=Quite harsh, I think this might just be the most unique of Xasthur's albums, very raw and the vocals are fucking freaky snarly.
XASTHUR - Suicide in Dark Serenity [CD/2003] 7/10=Very haunting and bizarre, I prefer this to Nocturnal Poisoning at least, guaranteed to ruin your day.
XASTHUR - Telepathic With the Deceased [CD/2004] 8/10=Considered by many to be Xasthur's masterpiece, I like it about even with the first full-length, certainly a haunting epic worthy of grim black metal fans.
XASTHUR/NACHTMYSTIUM - Split [CD/2004] 4/10=Xasthur does a lot of splits, alwyas with fitting bands, but this is one of the weakest I have heard.
XASTHUR - To Violate the Oblivious [CD/2004] 7/10=Maybe the guy is just too prolific for his own good, but at least he always does a decent job, there is at least one riff here reminding me of Sonic Youth!
XASTHUR/ANGRA MAINYU - Split [CD/2004] 6/10=Holy fuck does he do a lot of split records, this one is quite damn cool, both bands represent the grim and suicidal, with Angra Mainyu more straightforward and slicing.
XASTHUR/LEVIATHAN - Split [CD/2004] 7/10=You could not ask for a more fitting split than this one, and it is completely worth having.
XASTHUR/NORTT - Split [CD/2004] 6/10=More worthy haunting black metal from these two bands, I prefer the Xasthur tracks.
XASTHUR - Subliminal Genocide [CD/2006] 7/10=More grinding and unusual aural black sickness from Malefic, another pretty strong record and he has been on a roll over the past year.
XASTHUR - Xasthur [CD/2006] 6/10=Three-track EP, his last release on current label, pretty good tunes.
XASTHUR - Defective Epitaph [CD/2007] 9/10=An extremely powerful statement from Xasthur, one of the best USBM releases of this year, haunting and pretty much unforgettable. I was taken aback.

X-WILD - So What! [CD/1994] 6/10=This album has some strong power metal, but some forgettable tracks, still 'Mystica Daemonica' and a few others make it an entertaining spin.
X-WILD - Monster Effect [CD/1995] 6/10=I was more thrilled about this when I first got it than I am now, I just don't like the production, but the band still have some great songs.
X-WILD - Savageland [CD/1996] 8/10=A band of mostly ex-Running Wild members called X-Wild is just a great idea, this is a fine power metal album and their strongest material by a longshot, like 'Field of Blackbirds' and 'Die Like a Man'.