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.
Akira Takasaki is a Japanese musician. He is best known as the lead guitarist and sole constant member of the heavy metal band Loudness. He is also the guitarist of the band Lazy, with which he first rose to prominence in the 1970s.
Minoru Niihara is a Japanese singer. He is the original and current lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Loudness.
Disillusion is the fourth studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was recorded, mixed and mastered in London, England, in 1983 and released at the beginning of 1984. The sound engineer chosen for the recording sessions was the expert Julian Mendelsohn, who had previously worked with acts like Yes, Elton John, Jimmy Page and Bob Marley. The original Japanese version was licensed and released by Music for Nations in the UK and Roadrunner Records in Europe. Attention by major US labels for the band and the need to make their work accessible to Western audiences, prompted a new release of the album with vocal tracks sung in English on July 1, 1984. The English version opened the album with the instrumental "Anthem " by Akira Takasaki, which was missing in the original Japanese release.
Hurricane Eyes is the seventh studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was released in 1987 worldwide with standard English lyrics. A "Japanese Version" was subsequently released only in Japan later in the year with Niihara singing most of the lyrics in Japanese. The album was produced by the famous producer and sound engineer Eddie Kramer, who had worked with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Kiss. The song "So Lonely", a reprise of "Ares Lament" from the album Disillusion of 1984, was instead produced by Andy Johns, another world-famous producer. This was the last Loudness album to enter the US Billboard 200 chart, where it remained for 4 weeks, peaking at No. 190.
Jealousy is an EP by Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was released in May 1988 only in Japan, a market that the band felt to have neglected in favour of American audiences. It would also mark the final recording with the classic line-up, until Spiritual Canoe in 2001. Singer Minoru Niihara left the band after the end of the domestic tour promoting this release. The song "Long Distance Love" would later be reworked for the On the Prowl album, with vocals by American singer Mike Vescera.
Odin is an EP by Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. The EP was released in Japan in 1985, with and without the instrumental tracks. All tracks on the EP were included on the soundtrack of the Japanese anime film Odin: Photon Sailer Starlight, released that same year.
Loudness is the tenth studio album by Japanese band Loudness. It was released in 1992 only in Japan, after the band had terminated the recording contracts with US labels. Original bass player Masayoshi Yamashita was replaced with former X Japan bassist Taiji Sawada and the American vocalist Mike Vescera with former Ezo singer Masaki Yamada.
Spiritual Canoe is the fifteenth studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was released in 2001 only in Japan. It also marked the first time since 1988's Jealousy that the original and classic line-up recorded together.
Biosphere is the seventeenth studio album by the Japanese metal band Loudness. It was released only in Japan, in 2002.
Racing is the nineteenth studio album by the Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was released in 2004 in Japan. On April 6, 2005, the band released the English version of the album, the first entirely sung in English since 2001. An international edition was released on August 9, 2005, published by Drakkar, with a different track listing, a different cover and little differences in the production of the solo parts. The album cover marks the return of the band's classic logo, which was originally used from 1985 to 1988. A special international release of the album contains as bonus tracks the entire Rockshocks album of self-covers from the 1980s.
The Everlasting is the twenty-second studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was released in 2009 only in Japan, after the death of original drummer Munetaka Higuchi, whose pre-recorded drum tracks were used on this album. It was also 15th and last album recorded by the original line-up. The song "I Wonder" introduces new drummer Masayuki Suzuki. The album also features a quasi-return to their 1980s sound in "Flame of Rock" and "I Wonder". The cover artwork is inspired by a Thailand's sculpture called "Budda Head in Tree".
8186 Live is the second live album by the Japanese band Loudness. It was recorded and released in Japan only in 1987 simultaneously in 3 formats; double vinyl LP with a 7-inch EP, double CD and double cassette tape.
Eurobounds is the second home video released by the Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was released on BETA, VHS, Laserdisc and VHD formats in 1984. This release documented the first European tour of the band, with footage from concerts in England, Holland, Belgium and West Germany. Columbia Records remastered the video and re-released it in DVD format in 2000. A live album with the sound track of the DVD was also released in 2000, with the same cover art of the DVD.
The Soldier's Just Came Back is the fifth live album by the Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was released in 2001 only in Japan and recorded during the successful Spiritual Canoe tour with the original line-up. At the same time a VHS with the videotape of the concert was released by Nippon Columbia.
Live Loudest at the Budokan '91 is the eighth live album by the Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was released at the end of 2009 as a package of a CD and a DVD, with recordings and footage from a concert held in Tokyo Budokan during the 1991 tour to promote the On the Prowl album, with Mike Vescera on vocals.
Tusk of Jaguar is the debut solo studio album by Japanese guitarist Akira Takasaki, renowned for his contributions to the rock bands Loudness and Lazy. Initially released in 1982 exclusively in Japan, it was reissued in 2005. The album represents a collaborative effort between Takasaki and keyboard player Masanori Sasaji, who composed three tracks and played a crucial role in arranging and co-producing the recording. A large contribution was given to the album by Takasaki's bandmates in Loudness, who play on most tracks and collaborated on the musical arrangements. However, the music of Tusk of Jaguar is much more varied than in any Loudness' album, with its music ranging from hard rock to progressive rock to jazz fusion, reminiscing of some Dixie Dregs' and Al Di Meola's works. The precise and fast guitar playing by Takasaki is anyway always present in every track, and he even takes the lead vocal spot in the song "Ebony Eyes".
Eve to Dawn is the twenty-fourth studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Loudness, released on September 14, 2011. The album reached number 36 on the Oricon chart.
Terror is the eighteenth studio album by the Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was released only in Japan, in January 2004. The album is one of the heaviest released by the band, and was created with a theme of horror and terror. This theme is also reflected in the album artwork. The band display influences from Black Sabbath, and the album overall has a doom metal type sound.
2012 is the 25th studio album by the Japanese heavy metal band Loudness, released on August 22, 2012. "The Voice of Metal" is about and dedicated to the late Ronnie James Dio.
