Chinese Linkin Park. That’s the first thing that came to my head when I first heard and saw XL in “Devil Besides You”. They got a minor part playing themselves in the series and performed [黯然銷魂] and [美麗的回憶]. Right away, [黯然銷魂] drew me like a big huge magnet. I was going nuts looking for their album because yesasia did not carry it for awhile and google-ing “XL” was not the brightest idea either. So finally, that long awaited day came. The moment yesasia showed their album is available for purchase, I clicked “Buy” without even thinking twice. In the sea of bubblegummy, melodramatic, and hip hop wannabe Chinese pop songs, finding XL is like revealing a treasure chest filled with gold and gems.

Notable tracks:
This album is filled with headbangers and without doubt, [黯然銷魂] is its best track. The combination of explosive electric guitar, drums and the perfect amount of spins makes this piece the ultimate headbanger. If you’re driving long distance on a boring highway, this is definitely the song you want to be blasting outloud in the car besides Smashing Pumpkins. I would also highly recommend [學校] and [小調吶喊]. The latter is sung in Hokkian, which I find awesome because it gives the song more pow. [黑色記憶] and [午夜] are good but not as hard as the first three I mentioned before. [時空探險] is an interesting track because it seems to be slightly out of place. It’s more of a ravey, techno-ish song with its repetitive lyric and beats. It’s a good party song for sure. Every bad boy has a soft side and so does XL. [美麗的回憶], [順其自然], and [三角] are their very nice and beautifully done ballads. [三角] is actually an acoustic piece which highlights their vocal quality. In overall, my rating for this album performance is definitely 5 out of 5 stars!

In a nutshell: Not eating out for a week: Saves $ 20. Buying XL album: Priceless

Track Listing:
1. 序曲 Xu Qu [Intro]
2. 黑色記憶 Hei Se Jiyi [Black Memory]
3. 午夜 Wuye [Midnight]
4. 黯然銷魂 Anran Xiao Hun [Gloomy Melted Soul]
5. 順其自然 Shunqi Jiran [Go Along with Nature]
6. 小調吶喊 Xiao Diao Nahan [A Little Cheering Tune]
7. 時空探險 Shikong Tan Xian [Spending Time Looking for Danger]
8. 寄生蟲 Jisheng Chong [Parasite]
9. 學校 Xuexiao [School]
10. 電話留給我 Dianhua Liu Gei Wo [Give Me Your Phone Number]
11. 美麗的回憶 Meili De Huiyi [Beautiful Memory]
12. 三角 Sanjiao [Triangle]

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