Loudness (Band)
Loudness is a Japanese heavy metal band.
History
Loudness (ラウドネス) by guitarist Akira Takasaki was (高崎 晃), born February 22, 1961 and drummer Munetaka Higuchi (樋 口 宗 孝), December 24, 1958 to November 30, 2008 Founded in May 1981 the dissolution of their previous band Lazy. Lazy had released six albums and several singles considerable in Japan 1977-1980, was Takasaki and Higuchi, who wanted to play harder music, but pop - oriented. The two were joined by Minoru Niihara (二 井 原 実), born March 12, 1960 had 1978 sung in the first occupation of the band Earthshaker and played bass, vocals and Masayoshi Yamashita (山下 昌 良), born November 29, 1961 Zephyr as a bass player. In August of the same year, the band went into the studio in Chestnut Suzuka and released three months later, her debut album, The Birthday Eve. Was sung in Japanese and thus there was little attention outside of Japan. Still, it was a huge success and beating strongly in the Japanese rock scene.
On 17 December 1981, the band gave their first concert in Asakusa International Theater in Tokyo. The approximately 3000 tickets were sold on the spot. The second album Devil Soldier followed in July 1982, in January 1983 the Law of Devil 's Land, in November, the first live album Live - Loud - Alive (recorded on 24 September 1983 at the Nakano Sun Plaza in Tokyo ) and in January 1984 Disillusion (recorded in SARM studio in London ), an English-language version with different cover art and a bonus track was released in April 1984. After the band had already given some 1983 concerts in the U.S. and in Europe, followed in April / May 1984, a long European tour that took the group to Germany. This tour was held in the live video euro Bounds. In addition, in April 1982 had already released their first solo albums Akira Takasaki ( Tusk of Jaguar) and in May 1983 Munetaka Higuchi ( Destruction ). Higuchi 1983 also produced the first two albums of the singer Mari Hamada and the band make up.
Equipped with a global major record deal with Atco, the band met in August 1984 at Sound City studio in Los Angeles, with producer Max Norman, who was known for his work with Ozzy Osbourne, their fifth album, Thunder in the East take. Was sung throughout in English. When the album was released in January 1985, it reached number 4 in the Japanese and number 74 in the U.S. charts, where it could hold about 19 weeks at a time.
In 1985, the band toured for months by America, first as a headliner in smaller halls, then as the opening act of the band Mötley Crüe. As part of this tour they played the first Japanese band on August 14, 1985 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The 1986 album Lightning Strikes peaked at number 64 on the U.S. charts. This was followed by tours ( in Europe ) with bands like AC / DC, Poison and Stryper. In addition, the band performed in the years 1985/86 and around 100 concerts in the Japanese homeland. Only in Japan, the second live album, Live 8186 was published in November 1986 (recorded on 3 and 4 April 1986 at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo each over 12,000 fans ).
Their relative success in the U.S., the band moved to to move more in the direction of mass-compatible " pop-metal ". However, the album Hurricane Eyes ( 1987) flopped in the U.S. and could not reach the top 100. Then the band concentrated initially again more on the domestic market. The following albums Hurricane Eyes - Japanese Version and Jealousy were released with Japanese texts only in Japan. To succeed in the U.S. market, greater success, finally singer Minoru Niihara was fired in December 1988 and replaced by the ex- obsession - singer Mike Vescera. Niihara published in 1989 first solo album ( One) and then founded the band Ded Chaplin, the recorded three albums in the early 1990 's. Could one in Japan quite the old successes build ( On the Prowl For example, reached # 7 on the Japanese charts ), became the career of loudness in spite of the American singer in the West, however, completely stalled, both Soldier of Fortune (1989 ) and On the Prowl (1991 ) flopped. During a U.S. tour Vescera left the band in controversy and has been for the remaining concerts of Masaki Yamada ( MASAKI ) replaced (Ex - EZO ). Also bassist Masayoshi Yamashita soon left on the tape. For him, Taiji Sawada got in, former bassist of the extremely popular band X Japan in Japan. After his departure at loudness Mike Vescera among others sang with Yngwie Malmsteen. Today he is active again with his old band obsession.
The quartet Takasaki, Higuchi, MASAKI and Sawada took a radical change of style from glam rock, to harden sounds and in June 1992 published a simple loudness -titled new album. It was the biggest sales success in the career of Loudness in Japan and reached number 2 in the charts. After a highly successful tour also Sawada left ( suicide July 2011) In early 1993, the band followed Higuchi in November 1993. MASAKI also temporarily left the band. Higuchi founded after his ex-colleagues Niihara, the Earthshaker guitarist Shara and bassist Koichi Terasawa the band Sly, which has published four albums between 1994 and 1998. Worked for the 1996 - Sly album Key Niihara Higuchi and after around ten years back with producer Max Norman together. After the dissolution of Sly presented Niihara 1999 his new band XYZ → A together, in the even today, in addition to his work at Loundess, sings.
In 1994 a new album Loudness Heavy Metal Hippies, the trio Takasaki (who also played BSSs ), MASAKI and drummer Hirotsugu Homma ( also ex- EZO ). As a new bassist Naoto Shibata then was joined by ( Anthem). This occupation played three more albums with moderate artistic and commercial success. Live, the band played only " club gigs ." Takasaki it was then finally, of all the founding members reunited and it prompted for the 20th anniversary of the band in 2001 to carry on. The comeback album Spiritual Canoe reached the Japanese Top 20 and the comeback tour in March and the " 20th Anniversary Tour" in November / December 2001, in each case in larger halls, were sold out. Naoto Shibata regruppierte after the separation of loudness Hirotsugu Homma his old band Anthem. Masaki Yamada lives in New York, where it plays bass in the group Firesign.
2006 marked the band's 25th anniversary, and toured for the first time since 1987 in the original cast of the U.S. and Canada. On November 30, 2008, she drummer Munetaka Higuchi died at the age of 49 from liver cancer which had been diagnosed in early 2008. The 2008 concerts the band played first with the replacement drummer Kozo Suganuma. After the death of Higuchi was Masayuki Suzuki (铃木 政 行), born 26 September 1972 a permanent member. Even with the new drummer, the band released new albums and touring regularly, in addition to the Japanese homeland, including through North America, Asia and Europe.
Occupation
Song:
- Minoru Niihara 1981-1988; 2000 to today
- Mike Vescera 1989-1991
- Masaki Yamada 1992/1993; 1994-2000
Guitar:
- Akira Takasaki 1981 to today
Bass:
- Masayoshi Yamashita 1981-1992; 2000 to today
- Taiji Sawada 1992/1993
- Naoto Shibata 1995-2000
Drums:
- Munetaka Higuchi 1981-1993; 2000-2008
- Hirotsugu Homma 1994-2000
- Kozo Suganuma 2008 ( guest for the sick Higuchi )
- Masayuki Suzuki 2009 until today