I'll Kill You

1985 single by X

"I'll Kill You"

Single by X

Released

June 1985

Studio

Sound Market

Genre

Speed metal, power metal

Length

7:34

Label

Dada

Songwriter(s)

Yoshiki Hayashi

Producer(s)

X and Nobukatsu Hayashi

X singles chronology

"I'll Kill You"
(1985)

"Orgasm"
(1986)

"I'll Kill You" is the debut single by Japanese heavy metal band X Japan, then named X, released in June 1985.

Overview

In 1988, Yoshiki explained that the song is not about killing people as the title would suggest, but is a love song in the vein of a disgruntled married couple.^[1] All 1,000 copies of the record sold out.^[2] The cover art notoriously features numerous photographs of dead bodies taken during the Vietnam War.

A different recording of the B-side, "Break the Darkness", was included on the sampler Heavy Metal Force III in November 1985.^[3] While a re-recording of the title track was later featured on the band's first album, Vanishing Vision. "I'll Kill You" was covered by French symphonic black metal band Anorexia Nervosa as a bonus track for the Japanese edition of their 2004 album Redemption Process and later included on their 2005 The September E.P. as well.^[4]^[5]

Track listing

Side A
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"I'll Kill You"	Yoshiki Hayashi	3:21

Side B
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Break the Darkness"	Yoshiki Hayashi	4:13

Personnel

X

Toshimitsu "Toshi" Deyama – vocals
Yoshiki Hayashi – drums
Atsushi Tokuo – bass guitar
Yuji "Terry" Izumisawa – guitar
Tomoyuki "Tomo" Ogata – guitar

Production staff

Photo – Kazuyoshi Mori
Design – Atsushi Tokuo
Engineer – Mr. Ohzeki
Sleeve Design – Nobukatsu Hayashi^[6]

References

^ Kawamoto, Hirotake (June 1988). "Track by track analysis of Vanishing Vision by X". Rockin'f.
^ "Indies eXplosion: The Early History of X JAPAN". JRock Revolution. 2007-10-29. Archived from the original on 2015-07-01. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
^ "HEAVY METAL FORCE III". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
^ "リデンプション・プロセス". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
^ "September E.P." Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
^ "I'll Kill You" liner notes, 1985-06. Retrieved 2011-11-14.