Loudness is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in 1981 by guitarist Akira Takasaki and drummer Munetaka Higuchi. They were the first Japanese metal act signed to a major label in the United States. Loudness subsequently released twenty-six studio albums and nine live albums by 2014 and reached the Billboard Top 100 during their heyday as well as charting on Oricon dozens of times. Despite numerous changes in its line-up, leaving Takasaki as the sole constant member, the band continued their activities throughout the 1990s, finally reuniting the original line-up in 2000. This incarnation released a further seven albums until November 30, 2008, when original drummer Munetaka Higuchi died from liver cancer at a hospital in Osaka at age 49. He was replaced with Masayuki Suzuki.
Dune is the debut album by Japanese rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel. It was released by the independent label Danger Crue Records, first in a limited edition on April 10, 1993, and followed by a regular edition on April 27, which contained an additional tenth track. The regular edition reached number 1 on the Oricon indies chart on May 10.
Back for the Attack is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Dokken, released on November 2, 1987, through Elektra Records.
Orange Range are a Japanese rock band known for their strong Okinawan identity. Formed in 2001, the band began with Spice Music and later signed with Sony Music Japan's gr8! records division in 2003. The band left gr8! records in 2010 to start their own label, Super Echo. In 2012, they signed with Victor Entertainment's Speedstar Records label.
The discography of Do As Infinity, a J-pop and rock band formed in Aoyama, Tokyo, Japan, consists of 13 studio albums, 5 live albums, 10 compilation albums, 31 singles, 19 video releases, and 39 music videos. Composer Dai Nagao of Avex Trax hosted auditions for a band in 1999, eventually choosing Tomiko Van as lead vocalist and Ryo Owatari as guitarist. The trio released their first single "Tangerine Dream" in 1999 and released three more singles between 1999 and 2000 which appeared on their debut album Break of Dawn (2000). Break of Dawn did well commercially, peaking at No. 3 on the Japanese Oricon albums chart. In December 2000, Nagao decided to devote all his time to composing the music and no longer appeared at live events. Do As Infinity's next two studio albums released in 2001, New World and Deep Forest, both peaked at No. 1 on Oricon. The band released their first greatest hits compilation album Do the Best in 2002, which also charted at No. 1. Do As Infinity's next three studio albums charted in the top 5 of Oricon: True Song (2002) at No. 5, Gates of Heaven (2003) at No. 3, and Need Your Love (2005) also at No. 3.
"Longing" is a ballad by Japanese rock band X Japan and written by Yoshiki. The song has been released in several versions, most notably in two different single variations. The first, "Longing ~Togireta Melody~", was released as their eleventh single on August 1, 1995 and reached the number 1 spot on the Oricon chart. The second, "Longing ~Setsubou no Yoru~", is their twelfth released on December 11, 1995 and reached number 5.
Saber Tiger is a Japanese heavy metal band from Sapporo. It was founded in 1981 by guitarist and sole-constant member Akihito Kinoshita - as well as two other musicians - who is responsible for producing, engineering and composing most of the band's work.
Anthem is a Japanese heavy metal band that was formed during the early 1980s in Tokyo. They are among the many heavy metal bands founded in Japan during that time and are considered to be one of the most successful and influential, alongside Loudness and Earthshaker.
Complete II is a box set released October 1, 2005. On ten CDs and nine DVDs it collects all studio and live albums, and all DVDs that X Japan released after changing their name from X, along with two DVDs containing previously unreleased and rare material from the band's earlier career. It reached number 92 on the Oricon chart.
Ninin Sankyaku in the tenth single by Japanese soloist misono, and the final single released for her Rock Singles Project. Out of the singles for the project, Ninin Sankyaku was the most successful on the charts, ranking at No. 10 on Oricon and remaining on the charts for ten weeks.
KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates is the third studio album by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN and was released in Japan on June 4, 2008 by J-One Records. The album was issued in two editions; the limited edition came with four bonus tracks, a DVD with an extended version of the music video for their 2008 single "Don't U Ever Stop" and a short film chronicling the making of the video.
Heavy Metal Anthem is the eighth studio album by the Japanese heavy metal band Anthem, released on April 21, 2000. It was their first album since their disbandment in 1992. Most of the former members play on the album, but the original vocalist, Eizo Sakamoto, did not return until the next album, and was a joint collaboration between the band and English singer Graham Bonnet. All of the songs are Anthem's older releases, which have been rerecorded and sung in English by Bonnet. Bassist and principal songwriter Naoto Shibata recreated the songs with Bonnet's voice in mind, including the English lyrics.
Seven Hills is the ninth studio album by the Japanese heavy metal band Anthem, released on August 22, 2001. It's the second studio album since their reformation in 2000 and the first with totally original material. It's also their first album with vocalist Eizo Sakamoto first 1987's Bound to Break. It debuted at No. 35 on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart.
Overload is tenth studio album by the Japanese heavy metal band Anthem, released on October 9, 2002. The album has been considered by most critics to be much more aggressive than their previous album, Seven Hills. This direction of blending both new and old styles into their own musical style became the force for their future releases. It debuted at No. 40 on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart.
Immortal is the twelfth studio album by the Japanese heavy metal band Anthem, released on August 30, 2006. In Europe, the album was sold together with the Anthem 20th Anniversary Tour 2005 bonus DVD; this DVD included several videos of the band rehearsing some of the songs that were included in the album: "Immortal Bind", "Insomnia", "Mob Groove", and "Road to Nowhere". This bonus DVD is known as "Core". It debuted at No. 41 on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart.
Black Empire is the thirteenth studio album by the Japanese heavy metal band Anthem, released on October 29, 2008. It debuted at No. 42 on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart.
Live' Melt Down is the third live album released by the Japanese heavy metal band Anthem and recorded during their "Overload Live" tour of 2003.
Back Number is a Japanese rock power trio formed in 2004. The group consists of Iyori Shimizu, Kazuya Kojima, and Hisashi Kurihara (drums). The group signed to independent record label Idolsmith Recordings in 2009 and released their debut EP Nogashita Sakana (2009) and studio album Ato no Matsuri (2010). They signed to Universal Sigma in 2011.
Mirror is the tenth studio album by Japanese rock band Scandal. The album was released on January 26, 2022, by Victor Entertainment in Japan and JPU Records in Europe and North America. It features a total of ten songs, including "Living in the City" and "Spice" as CD Bonus Tracks. The album peaked at number five on the weekly Oricon Albums Chart. This extended Scandal's streak of having all ten of their studio albums reach the top five of the chart upon release.
Sunburst is the twenty-eighth studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It is their first double album, as well as the first album released on their own label, Katana Music. It was released to commemorate the band's 40th anniversary. It was later released worldwide through earMUSIC on July 29, 2022.
