J-Metal Reviews: X-RAY "TRADITION BREAKER"

By Badman

Welcome to another J-Metal review you Metal Maniacs! The Badman is back to give another killer dose of piercing sonic steel. What is there to sink your fangs into this week? Fear not rattleheads, for today I have another J-Metal gem! 

Forged in the scorching flames of Osaka in the early 80s, they are one of the earliest pioneers of Heavy Metal in the prefecture. With their wild attitudes, wild stage presence, and even wilder playing, they quickly rose to be mainstays of all Japanese Metal. I give a royal welcome to the steel studded throne, X-RAY and their album "TRADTION BREAKER"!

"TRADTION BREAKER" was released in 1983 and is X-RAY’s sophomore album. It's composed of nine tracks and runs a little over thirty-nine minutes. With the formal information out of the way, let's get down to the nitty-gritty. Boy oh boy, is this record packed with gnarly tunes! The band captures the glory of 80s Classic Heavy Metal with a splash of Hair and Glam Metal. The opening track, "QUESTION", kicks the record off right by teeing off with speed, power, and guts. "WILLFULL LADY" and "LAST SHOW TIME" touch on the commercial Hair Metal vibe. And I can’t forget the kickass power ballad "DAMSEL". The production is quite tight for an early 80s album and the guitars are extremely crunchy! The drums and bass powerfully punch through the mix. At the forefront, is one of the most badass vocals of all J-Metal. Singer Akira Fujimoto f**cking brings his A-game! From beginning to end, Akira’s vocal prowess is far beyond phenomenal. He is arguably my favorite part of the mix.

What is my verdict? "TRADTION BREAKER" is a strong recommendation for all metalheads in their journey through Japan’s J-Metal history. This record is a prime example of J-Metal's cream of the crop along the likes of ANTHEM and LOUDNESS. The tracks on here are crisp, heavy, and catchy as hell! Don’t pass X-RAY up or you will be missing one heck of record and one f**king hell of a band! Also that's one hell of an album cover!

Standouts:
QUESTION
WILLFUL LADY
GAMBLIN' MAN
DAMSEL
POWER
LAST SHOW TIME

Bonus Track:
Ai no Hero (Twisted Sister - "We’re Not Gonna Take It" cover)

The entire album can be listened to (probably not the most authorized of sources) via the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyOfNddFBBM