Silent So Long - A Review of X Japan's Angel

Eight years after its last single, Japanese heavy metal legends X Japan have finally come around with another unreleased song in form of ballad "Angel". News of the new record have however not emerged  since then and the tragical death of guitarist Heath leaves fans wondering what might be happening next. Only band leader Yoshiki might know the answer but he is busy promoting his new documentary and has recently been creating a new supergroup called The Last Rockstars that isn't worth being discussed further at this point.

Let's just be grateful for what we have got here. As the cover artwork and song title might suggest, this song here is a ballad with elements of classical music and a few mellow hard rock elements. 

The track focuses fully on Yoshiki's emotional, melancholic and melodic piano play as well as Toshi's heart-warming, passionate and sincere vocals that recall once more that he is one of the greatest popular rock and metal vocalists in the world. 

The other instruments such as bass guitar, drums and precussion as well as electric guitars only kick in after abot two and a half minutes and have an overall brief appearance. They are supposed to add some power to the song but fail to deliver the goods because they sound somewhat restrained. 

In terms of style, X Japan's Angel recalls ballads such as My Immortal by Evanescence and Kardia by Seven Kingdoms. Both of these tracks sound more convincing overall but X Japan's Angel is still an overall very good ballad that shall please fans of the band's output from the mid-nineties in particular. One could describe this new song as a contemporary version of Forever Love or Tears. The song also reminds of Guns N' Roses ballads from the early nineties. The lush production blends in perfectly here and deserves particular praise.

At the end of the day, X Japan's Angel is a beautiful ballad and its unexpected release is certainly a welcome surprise. The new track has been well received by critics and fans alike. Here's hope that the release of the next new song will not take another eight years.

Final Rating: 80%