X Japan In English

X Japan has signed a three-year contract with EMI Music to distribute the group’s records in North America. The initial release will be the single “Jade” March 15 followed by an as-yet-untitled album this summer.

X Japan is completing the album, which will be its first studio record since 1996 and its fifth overall. However, half of the cuts will be hit songs from the group’s past originally sung in Japanese. These tracks will be redone with English lyrics.

“Translating the songs into English was a challenge,” the group’s leader, Yoshiki, said in a statement. “For some reason, English needs more words, so I ended up rewriting many of the lyrics but kept the same message.” Most of the album is being recorded at Yoshiki’s studio in Los Angeles, where, before Yoshiki bought it, Metallica recorded their “Black” album and artists like Van Halen, Michael Jackson and KISS also created music.