Xdinary Heroes’ contribution to Korean rock needs to be applauded (and nominated and awarded at music shows) with this multi-talented band successfully elevating a new era of Korean rock music with each new release. 

Consisting of eight tracks (some of which have been released throughout the year as part of the band’s XPERIMENT PROJECT) LIVE and FALL is the latest Xdinary Heroes mini-album to make waves across the K-Rock and K-Pop world with the band constantly serving up different subgenres of music that showcase their versatility and ever-growing presence within the K-Music scene.

“XH_WORLD_75” opens the album and immediately, I feel like I’m being transported into a concert VCR that would play at the start of an Xdinary Heroes show, with it carrying a sound that would perfectly complement ethereal footage of the members on a concert screen (if you’ve been to a K-Pop concert, you might know what I mean.) Being an instrumental track, the intensifying instrument arrangement of “XH_WORLD_75” replaces the members’ vocals and lyrics to beautifully capture the emotions of the song - particularly Junhan’s guitar alongside an intricate piano composition that beautifully builds up the song's dramatic ambiance.

“Night before the end” follows “XH_WORLD_75” as the mini-album’s title track, joining Xdinary Heroes’s ever-growing catalog of emotional rock ballads. With breathtaking vocals, heartfelt lyrics, and a poignant melody, “Night before the end” casts a soothing yet intense mood that deeply connects with the listener on a raw, emotional, and personal level. 

The music video further emphasizes the song's emotions, with the dark stylistic choices of the lighting, the members' clothing, and the video's setting. Butterflies play a significant role throughout the music video, with each member represented by a winged insect. In certain cultures and beliefs, butterflies are known to symbolize transformations and the act of letting go of negativity and embracing change. The music video's contents, imagery, and symbolism leave lots to viewer interpretation, whilst connecting to the song's lyrics of ‘falling’ and ‘letting go.’

There is something nostalgic about the third track “Save me” that I love. Its melody and composition are reminiscent of rock and pop-punk tracks of the noughties that would play over, or in the background of, scenes in an American teen drama series. It's another Xdinary Heroes track to beautifully depict emotion, not only through the vocal delivery and lyrics but also, through the composition and instrument arrangement. 

The fourth track, "소년만화 (Boy Comics),” breaks away from the emotions of the previous two tracks, delivering a high-energized, Anime-inspired, audio adventure, that was first heard as a digital single released through the bands XPERIMENT PROJECT four months ago. You can check out my full review of "소년만화 (Boy Comics)” here.

For their first-ever collaboration, Xdinary Heroes went above and beyond with the fifth track, “iNSTEAD!,” fully diving into the nu metal and hardcore genres with none other than Korean rock legend Yoon Dohyun (of YB). Full of vocal growls, screams, and plenty of grit, “iNSTEAD!” is undoubtedly one of the best tracks to have come out of the Korean music scene this year – ultimately becoming one of my all-time favorite K-Rock tracks. 

Villains couldn't have asked for a better collaboration than Yoon Dohyun; his vocal screams on “Bite my tongue instead / Instead / Instead” add an unforgettable presence to the track that makes me want to hear more of Yoon Dohyun’s music as well as hear more of Xdinary Heroes in this genre. If we already thought that Xdinary Heroes were musically versatile, then “INSTEAD!” further accentuates this, taking Xdinary Heroes to new heights that deserve so much more recognition within the K-Music world. 

With an upbeat, electro-rock composition, the sixth track “FEELING NICE” emits an infectious ‘Britpop meets Twenty One Pilots’ vibe that I can imagine becoming a fan favorite amongst Villains, with its playfully chaotic arrangement. This playful chaos follows into the seventh track “XYMPHONY,” a song that combines various detailed and intricate musical components to create one highly addictive and experimental track to come out of an Xdinary Heroes songbook. Led by a classical keyboard and featuring a vocal scream effect, “XYMPHONY” is eerie, energetic, chaotic, loud, eccentric, and overall amazing, whilst simultaneously still feeling authentically Xdinary Heroes. 

The eighth and final track, “LOVE and FEAR” perfectly closes LIVE and FALL with a sound reminiscent of an end-credit OST, for either an Anime show or a Superhero movie, as if Xdinary Heroes have accomplished a musical quest with the journey now coming to a bittersweet end. It's a fun song that carries a slight anthemic feel that I can imagine will hype up the crowd when played at a future Xdinary Heroes concert, no matter where it falls on the setlist.

Having followed Xdinary Heroes since their debut with “Happy Death Day,” I'm ecstatic to see them gain new fans and new recognition with each release, with LIVE and FALL continuing to highlight the band's musical greatness at creating songs of various genres, sounds, and sentiments. No matter your favorite genre within the Korean music world, Xdinary Heroes have something for everyone to enjoy and I can't wait to see them further develop their sound as time goes on.

Edited by Joi Berry