Loudness


Concerts and tour dates of Loudness
About Loudness
Loudness (ラウドネス, Raudonesu) 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, releasing twenty-six studio albums (five in America) and nine live albums by 2014 and reaching the Billboard Top 100 in their moment of maximum international popularity, as well as charting on Oricon dozens of times. Despite numerous changes in their roster, with Takasaki the sole constant member, the band continued their activities throughout the 1990s, finally reuniting the original line-up in 2001. 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.
The band has released 31 studio albums:
- The Birthday Eve ~ 誕生前夜 (1981)
- Devil Soldier ~ 戦慄の奇蹟 (1982)
- The Law of Devil's Land ~ 魔界典章 (1983)
- Disillusion ~ 撃剣霊化 (1984)
- Thunder in the East (1985)
- Shadows of War (1986)
- Lightning Strikes (1986)
- Hurricane Eyes (1987)
- Soldier of Fortune (1989)
- On the Prowl (1991)
- Loudness (1992)
- Heavy Metal Hippies (1994)
- Ghetto Machine (1997)
- Dragon (1998)
- Engine (1999)
- Pandemonium ~降臨幻術~ (2001)
- Spiritual Canoe ~輪廻転生~ (2001)
- Biosphere (2002)
- Terror ~剥離~ (2004)
- Racing ~ 音速 (2004)
- Rockshocks (2004)
- Breaking the Taboo (2006)
- Metal Mad (2008)
- The Everlasting -魂宗久遠- (2009)
- King of Pain ~ 因果応保 (2010)
- Eve to Dawn (2011)
- 2・0・1・2 (2012)
- The Sun Will Rise Again 〜 撃魂霊刀 (2014)
- Samsara Flight ~ 輪廻飛翔 (2016)
- Rise to Glory -8118- (2018)
- Sunburst ~ 我武者羅 (2021)