Loudness Loudness
a band from Japan   flag 

Last Update: May 31, 2010

info

Loudness was formed by Akira Takasaki and Munetaka Higuchi, the duo leaving their previous band (Lazy, often described as a pop-rock band though apparently some of their material is quite accomplished) to explore a heavier style of music. The band followed in the footsteps of Bow Wow (the first Japanese metal band ever?) and proceeded to have a profound influence on practically every Japanese metal band of the 80's. They were at their heaviest and most distinctive in their early days, as their first three albums are bonafide classics. By the mid-eighties they had acheived quite a bit of worldwide acclaim and their style drifted towards a more Westernized metal, and with the arrival of American vocalist Mike Vescera the shift was even more noticeable. During the 90's the lineup and style continued to shift, but in 2001 the original lineup was back together, and they are still going strong, now one of the more prolific metal bands ever. Sadly, the original foursome is no longer together, as founding drummer Munetaka Higuchi passed away in November 2008 after an extended bout with liver cancer.

members
current lineup:
Minoru Niihara
   vocals
Akira Takasaki
   guitars
Masayoshi Yamashita
   bass
Masayuki Suzuki
   drums
 former members:
Mike Vescera
   vocals (Killing Machine, Yngwie Malmsteen, Obsession)
Masaki Yamada
   vocals (EZO)
Taiji Sawada
   bass (X-Japan)
Naoto Shibata
   bass (Anthem)
Munetaka Higuchi
   drums
   RIP: November 30, 2008, liver cancer
Hiro Homma
   drums (Anthem, EZO)
discography
The Birthday Eve
1981 Columbia,/Roa

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Loudness
  2. Sexy Woman
  3. Open Your Eyes
  4. Street Woman
  5. To Be Demon
  6. I'm On Fire
  7. High Try
  8. Rock Shock (More And More)
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Devil Soldier
1982 Columbia,/Roa

album pic

• BNR Top Ten Album 		    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Lonely Player
  2. Angel Dust
  3. After Illusion
  4. Girl Hard Workin'
  5. Loving Maid
  6. Rock The Nation
  7. Devil Soldier
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Law Of Devils Land
1983 Columbia,/Roa

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Theme of Loudness (Part II)
  2. In the Mirror
  3. Show Me the Way
  4. I Wish You were Here
  5. Mr. Yes Man
  6. The Law of Devil's Land
  7. Black Wall
  8. Sleepless Night
  9. Speed
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Live Loud Alive
1983 Columbia,/Roa

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Opening Theme (Mars, the Bringer of War)
  2. In the Mirror
  3. Road Racer
  4. I Was the Sun
  5. Fly Away
  6. Black Wall
  7. Tusk of Jaguar/Drum Solo
  8. Mr. Yes Man
  9. Exploder - Heavenward
  10. Loudness
  11. Sleepless Night
  12. Speed
  13. Shinkiro
  14. Burning Love
  15. Ending Theme (Theme of Loudness)
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Disillusion
1984 Music For Nations

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Crazy Doctor
  2. Esper
  3. Butterfly
  4. Revelation
  5. Exploder
  6. Dream Fantasy
  7. Milky Way
  8. Satisfaction Guaranteed
  9. Ares' Lament
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Thunder In The East
1985 Atlantic

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Crazy Nights
  2. Like Hell
  3. Heavy Chains
  4. Get Away
  5. We Could Be Together
  6. Run for Your Life
  7. Clockwork Toy
  8. No Way Out
  9. The Lines are Down
  10. Never Change Your Mind
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Lightning Strikes
1986 Atlantic

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Let it Go
  2. Dark Desire
  3. 1000 Eyes
  4. Face to Face
  5. Who Knows
  6. Ashes in the Sky
  7. Black Star Oblivion
  8. Street Life Dream
  9. Complication
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


8186 Live
1986 War

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Loudness
  2. Rock Shock
  3. Dark Desire
  4. Streetlife Dreams
  5. Crazy Doctor
  6. Geraldine
  7. Bass-Drum Solos
  8. Ashes in the Sky
  9. Let it Go
  10. 1000 Eyes
  11. Face to Face
  12. Ares' Lament
  13. In the Mirror
  14. Guitar Solo
  15. Crazy Night
  16. Speed
  17. Farewell
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Hurricane Eyes
1987 Atlantic

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. S.D.I.
  2. This Lonely Heart
  3. Rock 'N' Roll Gypsy
  4. In My Dreams
  5. Take Me Home
  6. Strike of the Sword
  7. Rock This Way
  8. In This World Beyond
  9. Hungry Heart
  10. So Lonely
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Jealousy
1988 War

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Jealousy
  2. Long Distance Love
  3. Good Things Going
  4. Die of Hunger
  5. Heavier than Hell
  6. Dreamer And Screamer
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Soldier Of Fortune
1989 Atlantic

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Soldier of Fortune
  2. You Shook Me
  3. Danger of Love
  4. Twenty-Five Days
  5. Red Light Shooter
  6. Running for Cover
  7. Lost Without Your Love
  8. Faces in the Fire
  9. Long After Midnight
  10. Demon Disease
  • Mike Vescera
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


On The Prowl
1991 Atlantic

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Down 'n' Dirty
  2. Playing Games
  3. Love Toys
  4. Never Again
  5. Deadly Player
  6. Take It or Leave It
  7. Girl
  8. Long Distance
  9. In the Mirror
  10. Sleepless Nights
  11. Find a Way
  • Mike Vescera
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Loud & Rare
1991 War

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. The Night Beast
  2. Risky Woman
  3. Silent Sword
  4. Long Distance Love (Super Mix)
  5. Mr. Yes Man (Live)
  6. Farewell


Loudness
1992 

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Pray for the Dead
  2. Slaughter House
  3. Walking the Dead
  4. Black Widow
  5. Racing the Wind
  6. Love Kills
  7. Hell Bites (from the edge of Insanity)
  8. Everyone Lies
  9. Twisted
  10. Firestorm
  • Masaki Yamada
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Taiji Sawada
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Once And For All - Live
1992 WEA

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  • Masaki Yamada
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Taiji Sawada
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Heavy Metal Hippies
1994 War

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Howling Rain
  2. Freedom
  3. 222 - instrumental
  4. Eyes of a Child
  5. Electric Kisses
  6. House of Freaks
  7. Paralyzed
  8. Desperation Desecration
  9. Light in the Distance
  10. Broken Jesus
  • Masaki Yamada
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Hiro Homma


Ghetto Machine
1997 Rooms

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Ghetto Machine
  2. Slave
  3. Evil Ecstacy
  4. San Fransisco
  5. Love and Hate
  6. Creatures
  7. Katmandu Fly
  8. Hypnotized
  9. Dead Man Walking
  10. Jasmine Sky
  11. Wonder Man
  • Masaki Yamada
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Hiro Homma


Dragon
1998 Rooms

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. 9 Miles High
  2. Dogshit
  3. Wicked Witches
  4. Crazy Go Go
  5. Voodoo Voices
  6. ??
  7. Babylon
  8. Crawl
  9. Forbidden Love
  10. Mirror Ball
  11. Taj Mahal
  12. Night Creepers
  • Masaki Yamada
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Hiro Homma


Engine
1999 Rooms

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Soul Tone
  2. Bug Killa
  3. Black Biohazard
  4. Twist of Chain
  5. Bad Date (Nothing I Can Do)
  6. Apocalypse
  7. Ace in the Hole
  8. Sweet Dreams
  9. Asylum
  10. Burnin' Eye Balls
  11. Junk His Head
  12. 2008 Candra Getten
  13. Coming Home
  • Masaki Yamada
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Hiro Homma


Spiritual Canoe
2001 

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. The Winds of Victory
  2. The Hate That Fills My Lonely Cells
  3. The End of Earth
  4. Stay Wild
  5. The Seven Deadly Sins
  6. Picture Your Life
  7. How Many More Time
  8. Touch My Heart
  9. Climaxxx
  10. A Stroke of Lightning
  11. Never Forget You
  12. Spiritual Canoe
  13. The Power of Love
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Pandemonium
2001 

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Ya Stepped on a Mine
  2. Bloody Doom
  3. The Pandemonium
  4. Vision
  5. What's the Truth?
  6. Suicide Doll
  7. Chaos
  8. The Candidate
  9. Real Man
  10. Inflame
  11. Snake Venom
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Biosphere
2002 

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Hellrider
  2. Biosphere
  3. Savior
  4. My Precious
  5. Wind From Tibet
  6. System Crush
  7. The Night Is Still Young
  8. Shame On You
  9. Break My Mind
  10. So Beautiful
  11. For You
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Terror
2004 

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Pharaoh
  2. Cyber Soul
  3. Life After Death
  4. Let's Free Our Souls
  5. Detonator (Fire and Thunder)
  6. Cross
  7. About to Kill
  8. Double-Water
  9. The City Of Vampire
  10. Seventh Heaven
  11. Terror
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Live Terror 2004   
2004 

album pic

Rockshocks
2004 

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Loudness
  2. Crazy Doctor
  3. In the Mirror
  4. Crazy Night
  5. Esper
  6. Like Hell
  7. Lonely Player
  8. Street Woman
  9. Angel Dust
  10. Rock Shock
  11. The Lines Are Down
  12. Milky Way
  13. Mr. Yesman
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Racing
2005 

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Racing
  2. Exultation
  3. Lunatic
  4. Believe it or Not
  5. Power Generation
  6. Speed Maniac
  7. Live for the Moment
  8. Crazy Samurai (Album Version)
  9. Telomerase
  10. Tomorrow is not Promised
  11. Misleading Man
  12. R.I.P. (Album Version)
  13. Don't Know Nothing
  14. Unknown Civilians
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Loudness Live DVD: Rock-Shocking The Nation   
2005 

album pic

Loudness Live - Limited Edit At Germany   
2005 

album pic

Breaking The Taboo
2006 

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Breaking The Taboo
  2. Brutal Torture
  3. Sick World
  4. Don't Spam Me
  5. Damnation
  6. The Love Of My Life
  7. A Moment Of Revelation
  8. Dynamite
  9. Risk Taker
  10. I Wish
  11. Diving Into Darkness
  12. Without You
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Metal Mad
2008 

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Fire Of Spirit
  2. Metal Mad
  3. High Flyer
  4. Spellbound #9
  5. Crimson Paradox
  6. Black And White
  7. Whatsoever
  8. Call Of The Reaper
  9. Can't Find My Way
  10. Gravity
  11. Transformation
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


The Everlasting
2009 Tokuma

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Hit The Rails
  2. Flame Of Rock
  3. I Wonder
  4. The Everlasting
  5. Life Goes On
  6. Let It Rock
  7. Crystal Moon
  8. Change
  9. Rock Into The Night
  10. I'm In Pain
  11. Thunder Burn
  12. Desperate Religion
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Munetaka Higuchi


Munetaka Higuchi - Forever Our Hero   
2009 

album pic

Live Loudest At The Budokan '91
2009 Warner

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Down N' Dirty
  2. Playin' Games
  3. In The Mirror
  4. Never Again
  5. Crazy Night
  6. So Lonely
  7. Crazy Doctor
  8. Loudness
  9. Find A Way
  10. Sleepless Night
  11. Soldier Of Fortune
  12. Slap In The Face
  13. Love Toys
  14. Take It Or Leave It
  15. Never Again
  16. Sleepless Night
  17. Down N' Dirty
  18. In The Mirror
  19. You Shook Me


King Of Pain
2010 Tokuma

album pic
    Track Listing: Lineup:
  1. Requiem
  2. The King Of Pain
  3. Power Of Death
  4. Death Machine
  5. Doodlebug
  6. Rule The World
  7. Straight Out Of Our Soul
  8. Where Am I Going?
  9. Emma
  10. Naraka
  11. Doctor From Hell
  12. Hell Fire
  13. #666
  14. Never Comes
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masayoshi Yamashita
  • Masayuki Suzuki


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