This is the discography of Loudness, a pioneering Japanese heavy metal band formed in 1981 in Osaka. It consists of 26 studio albums, three EPs, eight live albums, 15 singles and 16 compilation albums, thus making Loudness one of the world's most prolific heavy metal bands.
| Year | Titles | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN [1] | US | ||
| 1981 | The Birthday Eve | ||
| 1982 | Devil Soldier | ||
| 1983 | The Law of Devil's Land | ||
| 1984 | Disillusion | ||
| Disillusion (English Version) | |||
| 1985 | Thunder in the East | 4 | 74 |
| 1986 | Shadows of War | ||
| Lightning Strikes (U.S. Remix of Shadows of War) | 64 | ||
| 1987 | Hurricane Eyes | 190 | |
| Hurricane Eyes (Japanese Version) | 34 | ||
| 1989 | Soldier of Fortune | 18 | |
| 1991 | On the Prowl | 7 | |
| 1992 | Loudness | 2 | |
| 1994 | Heavy Metal Hippies | 29 | |
| 1997 | Ghetto Machine | 65 | |
| 1998 | Dragon | 49 | |
| 1999 | Engine | 48 | |
| 2001 | Spiritual Canoe | 20 | |
| Pandemonium | 27 | ||
| 2002 | Biosphere | 45 | |
| 2004 | Terror | 88 | |
| RockShocks | 37 | ||
| Racing | 60 | ||
| 2005 | Racing (English Version) | 174 | |
| 2006 | Breaking the Taboo | 129 | |
| 2008 | Metal Mad | 51 | |
| 2009 | The Everlasting | 42 | |
| 2010 | King of Pain | 21 | |
| 2011 | Eve to Dawn | 36 | |
| 2012 | 2012 | 33 | |
| 2014 | The Sun Will Rise Again | 29 | |
| 2015 | The Sun Will Rise Again (U.S. Mix) | ||
| 2016 | Samsara Flight | 19 | |
| 2018 | Rise to Glory | 13 | |
| 2021 | Sunburst | 5 | |
| Year | Titles | JP |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Live-Loud-Alive: Loudness in Tokyo | |
| 1986 | 8186 Live | |
| 1994 | Once and for All | 48 |
| 1995 | Loud 'n' Raw | 55 |
| 2000 | Eurobounds | |
| 2001 | The Soldier's Just Came Back | 76 |
| 2003 | Loudness Live 2002 | 259 |
| 2009 | Live Loudest at the Budokan '91 | |
| 2017 | 8186 Now and Then | |
| 2019 | Live In Tokyo: Loudness World Tour 2018 Rise to Glory | |
| Loudness Japan Tour 19 Hurricane eyes+Jealousy: Live at Zepp Tokyo 31 May 2019 | 55 |
| Year | Titles | JP |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Never Stay Here, Never Forget You | |
| 1989 | Early Singles | |
| 1991 | Loudest | 59 |
| Loudest Ballads | ||
| 1996 | Best Songs | |
| Masters of Loudness | ||
| 1997 | Very Best of Loudness | |
| 2001 | Best of Loudness 8688: Atlantic Years | 71 |
| Re-Masterpieces | 94 | |
| 2005 | The Best of Reunion | 139 |
| 2007 | Loudness Complete Box | |
| 2009 | Golden Best Loudness: Early Years Collection | |
| 2012 | Loudness Best Tracks: Columbia Years | 156 |
| Loudness Best Tracks: Warner Years | 130 | |
| Loudness Best Tracks: Tokuma Japan Years | 177 | |
| Single Collection |
| Year | Titles |
|---|---|
| 1985 | Gotta Fight (Odin) |
| 1988 | Jealousy |
| 1989 | A Lesson in Loudness[promo] |
| 1991 | Loud 'N' Rare |
| Slap in the Face |
| Year | Titles | JP | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | "Burning Love"/"Bad News" | Non-album singles | |
| 1983 | "Geraldine"/"In the Mirror" | ||
| "Road Racer"/"Shinkiro" | |||
| 1984 | "Milky Way" (English version)/"Milky Way" (Japanese version)[promo] | Disillusion | |
| 1985 | "Crazy Nights"/"No Way Out" | Thunder in the East | |
| "Never Change Your Mind" [promo] | |||
| "Gotta Fight"/"Odin" | Non-album single | ||
| 1986 | "Let It Go"/"Farewell"/"Dark Desire" | Shadows of War | |
| "Let It Go"/"1000 Eyes" | Lightning Strikes | ||
| "Risky Woman"/"Silent Sword"/"The Night Beast" | 32 | Non-album single | |
| 1987 | "So Lonely"/"Strike of the Sword" | Hurricane Eyes | |
| "This Lonely Heart"/"Take Me Home"[promo] | |||
| "Rock 'N Roll Gypsy" [promo] | |||
| 1988 | "Long Distance Love"/"Good Things Going" | 58 | Jealousy |
| 1989 | "Dreamer & Screamer"/"Die of Hunger" | ||
| "You Shook Me"/"Faces in the Fire" | 79 | Soldier of Fortune | |
| 1991 | "Down 'n' Dirty"/"Take It (Or Leave It)" | 97 | On the Prowl |
| "In the Mirror"/"Sleepless Nights" | |||
| "Sleepless Nights" [promo] | |||
| 1992 | "Black Widow"/"Racing the Wind" | 30 | Loudness |
| "Firestorm" [promo] | |||
| "Slaughter House"/"House of 1,000 Pleasures" (live)/"S.D.I." (live) | 40 | ||
| 1994 | "Electric Kisses"/"House of Freaks (Alternate Guitar version)" | Heavy Metal Hippies | |
| 2004 | "Crazy Samurai"/"R.I.P."/"Cyber Soul" (live) | 72 | Racing |
| 2005 | "The Battleship Musashi"/"Wolfgang Amadeus"/"More Than Machine" | 89 | Non-album singles |
| 2010 | "The Eternal Soldiers"/"The Danger Zone" | 143 |
| Year | Titles |
|---|---|
| 1983 | Live-Loud-Alive: Loudness in Tokyo |
| 1984 | Eurobounds |
| 1985 | Thunder In The East Vol. I |
| Thunder In The East Vol. II | |
| 1986 | Live in Tokyo - Lightning Strikes |
| 1991 | Video Loudest |
| 1992 | Black Widow - Once and for All |
| Welcome to the Slaughterhouse | |
| 2001 | The Soldier's Just Came Back - Live Best |
| 2002 | Loudness Live: Loudness Presents Loud'n Fest Vol.1 at Club Citta - official bootleg, series 1 |
| 20th Anniversary Pandemonium Tour: Live @ NHK Hall 2001.11.25 | |
| 2003 | Live Biosphere |
| 2004 | Loudness Live Terror 2004 |
| 2005 | Rock-Shocking the Nation |
| Loudness Live in Germany - limited edition | |
| 2006 | Loudness Live in Seoul20051203 - official bootleg, series 2 |
| Loudness in America '06 Live ShocksWorid Circuit 2006 Chapter 1 | |
| 2007 | Thanks 25th Anniversary: Loudness Live at International Forum 20061125 |
| 2008 | Liveshocks 2008 Metal Mad Quattro Circuit - official bootleg, series 3 |
| The Legend of Loudness - Live Complete Best | |
| 2009 | Munetaka Higuchi Forever Our Hero 20090214 |
| 2010 | Classic Loudness Live 2009 Japan Tour the Birthday Eve - Thunder in the East |
| Munetaka Higuchi Forever Our Hero 20091114 | |
| 2011 | Loudness World Circuit 2010 Complete Live |
| Lightning Strikes World Circuit 2010 Asia Tour | |
| 2012 | Everlasting Munetaka Higuchi 2010 |
| Loudness 30th Anniversary World Tour In USA 2011 Live & Document | |
| Loudness 2011-2012 Live & Document In Japan | |
| 2013 | Loudness 2012 Complete DVD - Regular Edition Live & Document |
| Loudness 2012 Complete DVD - Limited Edition Live Collection | |
| Loudness Best Music Videos 85-12 | |
| 2014 | Loudness Complete Live DVD World Circuit 2013 |
| Prime Cut Masterpiece Sessions - Dedicated to Munakata Higuchi | |
| 2016 | Loud ∞ Out Fest 2016 |
| 2017 | Loudness Japan Tour 2017 "Lightning Strikes" 30th Anniversary 8117 at Zepp Tokyo 13 April 2017 |
| 2019 | Loudness World Tour 2018 Rise To Glory Metal Weekend |
| Loudness Japan Tour 19 Hurricane Eyes + Jealousy Live at Zepp Tokyo 31 May, 2019 |
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands developed a thick, monumental sound characterized by distorted guitars, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats and loudness.
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 26 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, with Takasaki 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.
EZO was a Japanese heavy metal band originally formed as Flatbacker in the spring of 1982 in Sapporo, Japan out of the remnants of two high school bands, Power-Station and Scrap. EZO has been named a "seminal influence by such artists as Steve McDonald of Redd Kross and Michael Steele of The Bangles."
Minoru Niihara is a Japanese singer. He is the original and current lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Loudness.
Munetaka Higuchi was a Japanese musician and record producer. He is best known as the original drummer of the heavy metal band Loudness, but first rose to prominence as a member of Lazy in the 1970s.
Michael Vescera is an American heavy metal singer for various bands and projects like Loudness, Obsession (Marshall Law, Scarred for Life, Methods of Madness, Carnival of Lies, Order of Chaos), Yngwie Malmsteen, Dr. Sin, Roland Grapow (Kaleidoscope) or his own band MVP.
Thunder in the East is the fifth studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Loudness, and the first released by a major American label after the contract signed with Atco Records, then a subsidiary of Atlantic Records. Aside from being the band's first all-English release, it is the first Loudness album produced by Max Norman, best known for his previous work with Ozzy Osbourne, who also produced Lightning Strikes in 1986 and Soldier of Fortune in 1989. Thunder in the East features the single "Crazy Nights", the band's biggest hit in America, and the power ballad "Never Change Your Mind". This album marked the first time a Japanese band entered the US Top 100 chart, where it remained for 23 weeks, peaking at No. 74.
"Children of the Grave" is a song by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, from their 1971 album Master of Reality. The song lyrically continues with the same anti-war themes brought on by "War Pigs" and "Electric Funeral" from Paranoid.
The Birthday Eve is the first studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was released in 1981 only in Japan. The 24bit digitally remastered Japanese limited edition CD includes two additional tracks not on the original release, coming from the first single of the band. The success of the album was measured by Loudness' sold out debut concert at Asakusa International Theater, in front of an audience of 2.700.
Devil Soldier is the second studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was released in 1982. The American Daniel McClendon was called to engineer the sound of this album, because there was no Japanese technician experienced enough in heavy metal records at the time. The album won the award for Best Heavy Metal record of the year in Japan. The reissue in CD of 2005 contains two bonus tracks, coming from the second single of the band.
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.
Heavy Metal Hippies is the eleventh studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was recorded and mixed by Chris Tsangarides and released in 1994 only in Japan. After the defection of bassist Taiji Sawada, Akira Takasaki played both the lines of bass and guitar on the album. In addition, drummer and band co-founder Munetaka Higuchi was replaced by Hirotsugu Homma.
Rockshocks is an album of self-covers by the Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. The album, released in Japan in 2004, contains tracks taken from the first five studio album of the band from the 1980s, played again with a more modern sound and different musical arrangements than the originals. The album was published in the USA in 2006 by Crash Records, with three bonus tracks taken from the album Racing: "Exultation", "Lunatic" and "R.I.P.".
Animetal USA is a Japan-based American heavy metal band formed as a tribute to Eizo Sakamoto's band Animetal. They made their world debut at the 2011 Loud Park Festival, where they performed on stage with Momoiro Clover Z.
Japanese metal is heavy metal music from Japan. The country's first metal bands formed in the mid-to-late 1970s. The number of acts increased significantly in the next decade, but only a few saw their material released internationally, including Europe and North America with their pre-established metal bases. Domestic metal saw its commercial peak in Japan in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with the top acts selling millions of records. Many metal bands from the visual kei scene toured and gained recognition in the West in the 2000s. The 2010s saw a boom of all-female metal bands form and gain mainstream attention.
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.
Japanese rock, sometimes abbreviated to J-rock, is rock music from Japan. Influenced by American and British rock of the 1960s, the first rock bands in Japan performed what is called group sounds, with lyrics almost exclusively in English. Folk rock band Happy End in the early 1970s are credited as the first to sing rock music in the Japanese language. Punk rock bands Boøwy and The Blue Hearts and hard rock/heavy metal groups X Japan and B'z led Japanese rock in the late 1980s and early 1990s by achieving major mainstream success.
"Crazy Night" is the fourth single by Japanese heavy metal band Loudness, from their 1985 album Thunder in the East. Written by lead vocalist Minoru Niihara and guitarist Akira Takasaki and produced by Max Norman, the single was released by Nippon Columbia on December 1, 1984, in Japan and by Atco Records on November 1, 1985. The song was the band's big break in the American metal scene and has since become their signature song.
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.
Rise to Glory-8118- is the twenty-seventh studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. It was released in Japan through Ward Records and in the US and Europe through earMUSIC. It was their first album released in the US since 1991's On the Prowl and their first in Europe since 2004's Racing. All international editions contained their previous album of self-covers, Samsara Flight, as a bonus disc, much like how the international version of Racing contained RockShocks as a bonus disc.