X Japan Postpone Upcoming Concerts, Album While Guitarist Pata Recovers From Blood Clot

X Japan had an extra buzz surrounding them in 2016 as they prepared to unleash their first album in 20 years along with a series of special performances including one at the prestigious Wembley Arena in London, England. But everything has been postponed following a reported "life-threatening" condition for guitarist Pata, seen on the far left above.

Pata was reportedly rushed to the Intensive Care Unit of a Tokyo hospital with a severe blood clot. The guitarist entered over two weeks ago but has since been released as his condition has stabilized. However, doctors have advised against touring while he continues his recovery. X Japan's yet-to-be-titled new album was expected March 11 of this year, but has been pushed back to an undisclosed date. Their scheduled show at Wembley Arena has already been rescheduled for March 4, 2017.

"My heart is filled with sadness. No words can describe how sorry I am to disappoint our fans," says Yoshiki. "I know the show must go on, but at this this time I can only pray for Pata's recovery.  I cannot tolerate more tragedy than what we've been through. I promise X Japan will come back strong, as we've done before, together with our fans." "We are truly sorry from the bottom of our hearts, for all the worries and concerns we've caused to our fans," adds Toshi. "X Japan is looking forward to playing with Pata again, and continuing our music journey together."

"We truly apologize for the postponement of our Wembley show and new album," says Heath. "In order to present ourselves in the best condition for all our beloved fans, we've made a very difficult decision to wait for Pata's full recovery. Upon his return, we promise to do our best to play even better and show you the best version of ourselves on stage. Please stay tuned." "There is no X Japan without Pata," concludes Sugizo. "I will wait for him, for as long as it will take."

X Japan's documentary, We Are X, recently made its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Yoshiki, excited by the finished product, stated, “It’s overwhelming to see the full documentary We Are X. Stephen Kijak and John Battsek opened doors, which I shut and never intended to re-open. I didn’t realize that on the other side, dark memories could co-exist with a meaningful future. Audiences will be a witness to our history and future.”

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