Loudness
Thunder In The East

I am about to review possibly the most beautiful heavy metal album ever produced in the Land of the Rising Sun, the legendary and much-acclaimed "Thunder In The East" by Loudness.

Band introduction: The band itself was formed right at the end of the 70s, although guitarist Akira Takasaki and drummer Munetaka Higuchi were already together in Lazy. Later, bass player Masayoshi Yamashita and charismatic singer Minoru Niihara joined, and it is with this lineup that Loudness recorded 7 studio albums and 1 live album (three of these: "The Birthday Eve", "Devil Soldier", "Law Of Devils Land" were released only in Japan).

But let's talk about "Thunder In The East", the quartet's biggest commercial success, excellently produced by the legendary (for the '80s) Max Norman. It is a treasure trove of 10 pearls of Japanese heavy metal, highlighted by Akira's dazzling riffs and Minoru's powerful vocals. The album starts with perhaps the most famous Loudness song, "Crazy Nights" (for which a video clip was also made); the song's strength lies in the chorus ("Rock and roll crazy night You are the heroes tonight, Rock and roll crazy night You are the hero") that gives the song the status of a symbol of American nights for these 4 heavy metal samurai.

We continue with the very powerful "Like Hell", Akira Takasaki's opening riff is something imposing, and the accompanying solo is worthy of his "contemporary colleagues" Jake E Lee, Vivian Campbell, and Doug Aldrich. This makes the song flow beautifully, leaving us with thunder and infernal flames in our hearts. The intricate guitar arpeggio opening "Heavy Chains" is something unique, incomparable, and worthy of this heavy metal masterpiece; after the sweet arpeggio, it's Minoru Niihara who takes the reins of the song, and thanks to his proud and truly heavy metal singing, he turns this song into a killer track.

"Get Away" starts with a big riff from Akira and carries on at a brisk pace. I want to focus on the solo and describe this wonder: it opens with a burst of scales fired at full speed, then comes the surprise: Akira delights us with a neoclassical solo; a mix between the most inspired Malmsteen and the early Marty Friedman. "We Could Be Together" could easily have come out of the sessions for Bark at the Moon due to its wide-open and American riffing. 

The following "Run For Your Life" is another gem of the album: a vaguely progressive rhythm opens this song, then Akira's arpeggios accompany an Akira in a state of grace, but after a few seconds, the magnificent chorus is ready to explode ("Run for your life Run from the fire Want to survive Run for your life") which leads us to Akira's usual, well-thought-out, and harmonious solo. With "Clockwork Toy" and "The Lines are Down" we are still dealing with sustained rhythms, winning choruses, and superb technique (this is the Loudness formula!!). The following "No Way Out", very hypnotic in its progression, could easily be a piece by Whitesnake, who would produce 1987 and Slip of the Tongue due to its staccato and very melodic riffs. 

The final track, "Never Change your Mind" , is a ballad of the kind that no band produces anymore: dreamy arpeggios, powerful but sweet vocals, and so much feeling; once again, Akira delights us with acrobatics on his E.S.P., delivering a beautiful solo reminiscent of the more rock-oriented Brian May or Wolf Hoffman's "Metal Heart" (remember "Bound to Fail"??). 

Here concludes one of the albums that has given me the most emotions and, in my opinion, the most beautiful Loudness album.