Back in the '70's, drummer Munetaka Higuchi and guitarist Akira Takasaki played together in a pop-rock band called Lazy. In an effort to pursue their musical aspiration even farther, they split from the successful group and launched Loudness in May 1981. The duo was joined by former Earthshaker vocalist Minoru Niihara, who was devoted to soul music at the time, and Takasaki's childhood friend Masayoshi Yamashita as the bassist.
The band went into the studio in August and three months later, the band's debut album, The Birthday Eve, hit the stores. It was as if the relentlessly wild arming by Takasaki in the intro of the opening track was an omen of things to come, as this album ended up making a historical impact on the Japanese rock scene.
Exceeding industry experts' expectations, a debut concert held at Asakusa International Theater attracted a sold-out show with an audience of 2,700. Watching the legendary concert which lasted more than 100 minutes, they were forced to realize that they could no longer say "hard rock is not marketable".
Their second album, Devil Soldier, was released in July 1982 and their third, The Law Of Devil's Land, followed in January 1983. Since there were no acclaimed Heavy Metal engineers in Japan at the time, an American, Daniel McClendon was tapped for these albums. Due to his contribution, the albums surpassed the quality of what was normally expected from an ordinary Japanese rock band. The style and technique had been established.
In July 1983, the band conducted their first American tour, followed by a European tour a month later. Enjoying the great response, the band felt confident on launching fully into a worldwide market.
In September, the 4th album, Disillusion, was recorded in Britain. It was a dream come true for the band to make an album abroad. Julian Mendelsohn, known for his work with Yes' "90125", was tapped as an engineer.
An A&R from Atlantic Records was impressed by the band's show held in the US between July 1983 and May 1984 which led to the band being signed with the label for an international record deal. Such an achievement was the first in Japanese music history. From August '84, they went into a studio in Los Angeles with renowned producer Max Norman, known for his work with Ozzy Osbourne among others, to record their first worldwide release, what was to later become Thunder In The East.
The record came out in January '85 and it went all the way up to No.4 on Japan's domestic chart. The band embarked on a US tour in April and a month later the album ranked its highest at No.74 on the US Billboard album chart. The record was on the chart for 19 consecutive weeks since its first entry on March 2. Those chart records hold an exceptional record which is still yet to be broken.
In August , they joined Mötley Crüe on their US tour as an opening act. On August 14, they became the first Japanese band in history to play at the prestigious Madison Square Garden in New York. In December, the band went into the studio to record its second release from Atlantic again with Max Norman.
Shadows of War was released in March '86. An American version of the record, Lightning Strikes, topped the band's previous effort on the charts and ranked No.64 on the Billboard chart. As the band kept touring all over the US, they earned a reputation as a great live band. In those days, when a heavy metal fan in Los Angeles would run into Japanese tourists, they would brag about how much they loved Loudness. Back then, LOUDNESS was a comparable figure to today's two biggest exports from Japan, MLB's Ichiro and Hideki Matsui.
The album Hurricane Eyes, released in August 1987, was produced by Eddie Kramer, one of the most renowned and respected producers in rock history. Everything released after "Thunder In The East" contained English lyrics but this time they decided to make a Japanese version for their fans back home. In May 1988, the mini-album, Jealousy, was released exclusively for the domestic market. At that point, Loudness was already an international act but their Japanese fans remained special to them.
Despite their continuing success, Niihara left the band in December 1988. The news came as a shock not only to the Japanese rock community but worldwide as well.
After countless auditions, the remaining band members came to the conclusion that they would never be able find a Japanese singer that could match Niihara's ability. Consequently, they hired former Obsession vocalist, Mike Vescera, in September 1989. The result was the album Soldier of Fortune, followed by On The Prowl in February 1991, which was a compilation of self-covers from the band's earlier works and additional new songs.
Vescera left soon after the release of Slap In The Face in October 1991. Yamashita also left and the second era of Loudness came to an end in 1992.
With Masaki Yamada of EZO coming on board, the band kicked off its third era. Bassist Taiji Sawada from X Japan also joined. X Japan was one of the major forces in the domestic rock scene since the early 90's and with him on board, Loudness was able to acquire a whole new fan base. June 1992's album, Loudness, debuted at No.2 on the domestic chart. The third-era lineup of Loudness toured extensively until January '93. However, Sawada and Higuchi decided to leave shortly after the tour. Loudness, for the first time in its history, was on the verge of falling apart.
Yamada, who once decided to leave, returned and the 4th era of Loudness began in 1994. With a former bandmate of Yamada, EZO's Hirotsugu Homma joining the band, they made Heavy Metal Hippies which Takasaki played bass on. During December's concert at Club Citta, the band formally announced that Naoto Shibata (Anthem) was brought on board. Finally, the lineup of the 4th era Loudness was complete.
With a new lineup, the band embarked on a domestic tour starting April 1995. A live album that captured the aggressive feel of the tour, Loud 'n' Raw, was released. Every member of the audience was credited on the cover sleeve, showing appreciation to their loyal fans. A show in Hong Kong was a great success.
In February 1997, the band flew to San Francisco to record Ghetto Machine, released in July. In response to the great demand from their Asian fans, the band flew back to Hong Kong in December and performed once again.
In August 1998, the band flew back to San Francisco to record Dragon. One month later, band embarked on a domestic tour entitled "LOUDNESS CLUB GIG'98 DRAGON" which kicked off in PENNYLANE 24 in Sapporo.
In May 1999, they held the "RISING DRAGON EURO TOUR'99" which included stops at Great Britain, Holland, Belgium, and Germany. In Holland, the band performed on the main stage of "DYNAMO OPEN AIR '99", the biggest outdoor heavy music festival in Europe which attracts more than 50,000 people every year.
In July 1999, their album Engine was released which became the last of the 4th era Loudness.
In 2000, Takasaki considered a reformation of Loudness to its original members and the news was formally announced in May. The band went into preproduction soon after. An album with the original lineup, Spiritual Canoe, hit the stores in March 2001. As the band embarked on a domestic tour, fans went crazy to see the four guys getting back together again and perform.
The band went on to record the albums Pandemonium soon after 'Spiritual Canoe' in 2001, Biosphere in 2002, Terror, Rock Shocks and Racing in 2004, Heavy Metal Hippies and The Battleship Musashi in 2005, and Breaking The Taboo in 2006. In 2008, Loudness drummer Minetaka Higuchi was diagnosed with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in April of that year while recording the album Metal Mad and couldn't tour with them as a result.
On November 30 2008, Munetaka passed away. In 2009, Loudness planned to release the album The Everlasting using the unique style of Munetaka in their drums for it. From a translated blog of guitarist Akira Takasaki: "From the vast amount of data (of drums recorded by Munetaka in the past), we will extract Munetaka's great groove and sound. On top of that, we're putting a new riff and rhythm. The new album will be based on Munetaka's groove at its maximum. I'm writing guitar riffs that would sound like nothing but Loudness. I'm trying to make it a gigantic rock album that would satisfy Munetaka, as he was always complaining 'This isn't loud enough' or 'This needs to be more heavier.'
Upon the album's release, they introduced a new drummer, Masayuki Suzuki. The band went on tour in 2009, presenting only material from their first four albums and announced a new album titled King of Pain, which was released in May 2010. Also in 2010, Loudness featured at the Bang Your Head!!! festival in Germany and did a brief European tour.
In 2011 Loudness celebrated their 30th Anniversary with a return to the US for a series of tour dates.
Chaos
Loudness Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where hell's bells ring aloud
The dark red moon rising high
Bloodshed everywhere
You gotta wake up to hear the call
To feel the power flow through your blood
Time to choose a path to stride
You swear to God that you'll be true
To yourself and what you do
Time to swallow all the pain
Kill your pride and let it flow
The story of a thousand dreams
Shown like on the TV screen
The knowledge from a thousand years gone by
Even the atrocities, the lies and instabilities
All the lessons from the past help you survive
Chaos! I'm so confused
Chaos! Everlasting
Chaos! My spirit will not die
I'm fighting for life
Chaos! I'm so confused
Chaos! Never ending
Chaos! Our spirits will not die
I'm fighting for love
Eyes are shut to the world
Situation unimproved
The cancer of darkness grows
People tired and so confused
So many fallen souls lie about
Helpless as the time flows by
Find a light and cling to it
Hold on tight or fall behind
The story of a thousand tears sung upon a melody
Feeling beauty touch your heart and soul
Even pain and cruelties, the tests and the difficulties
Have a meaning in the end
Yes, you will survive
The story of a thousand dreams
Shown like on the TV screen
The knowledge from a thousand years gone by
Even the atrocities, the lies and instabilities
All the lessons from the past help you survive
Chaos! I'm so confused
Chaos! Everlasting
Chaos! My spirit will not die
I'm fighting for life
Chaos! I'm so confused
Chaos! Never ending
Chaos! Our spirits will not die
I'm fighting for love
I'm so confused - Everlasting
My spirit won't die - I'm fighting for life
I'm so confused - Everlasting
Our spirits won't die - I'm fighting for love
I'm so confused - Everlasting
My spirit won't die - I'm fighting for life
I'm so confused - Everlasting
Our spirits won't die - I'm fighting for love
The song "Chaos" by Loudness depicts a scenario where fear and darkness reign supreme, where there is bloodshed everywhere and the sound of hell's bells ringing aloud. The opening lines create a sense of danger and helplessness. The red moon rising high is a sign of danger and destruction. The singer urges the listener to wake up and feel the power flowing through their blood. They ask the listener to choose their path wisely because there is more than one way to go. The singer emphasizes the importance of being true to oneself and to what one does, and to embrace the pain and kill one's pride. The lyric "The story of a thousand dreams shown like on the TV screen" implies that what is happening is like a nightmare that one cannot escape.
The song speaks about the knowledge that one gains from past experiences and how one can use this knowledge to survive. The lyrics "Even the atrocities, the lies, and instabilities" serves as a reminder that mistakes were made in the past, but one can learn from them. The song implies that sometimes one's life may be chaotic and confusing, but they cannot give up. They have to fight for their lives, their spirits, and their love.
In summary, the lyrics depict the chaos and turmoil that humans may face during their lifetime. The song acknowledges that life can be confusing and tough, but it is essential to fight for one's survival, spirit, and love.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, in the dark where fear's the rule
The singer is describing a place where people are afraid and things are dark.
Where hell's bells ring aloud
The situation is so dire that even the bells of hell are ringing.
The dark red moon rising high
The singer paints a picture of a moon that appears red - this could symbolize danger.
Bloodshed everywhere
There is violence happening all around.
You gotta wake up to hear the call
The artist is urging the listener to wake up and pay attention to what's happening around them.
To feel the power flow through your blood
The singer wants the listener to harness their own power and feel invigorated.
Time to choose a path to stride
The listener must make a decision about which path to take forward.
Knowing that there is more than one
There are multiple options for the listener to choose from.
You swear to God that you'll be true
The listener makes a promise to remain honest and true to themselves.
To yourself and what you do
The promise is to remain true to one's beliefs and actions.
Time to swallow all the pain
The listener must confront their pain and move forward through it.
Kill your pride and let it flow
The listener must abandon their ego and let their emotions guide them.
The story of a thousand dreams
The singer refers to the collective experiences of many people's dreams.
Shown like on the TV screen
These stories are displayed like images on a television screen.
The knowledge from a thousand years gone by
Lessons from past experiences have been accumulated over centuries.
Even the atrocities, the lies and instabilities
The negative experiences of the past are still valuable lessons.
All the lessons from the past help you survive
By learning from the past, people can better navigate the present and future.
Chaos! I'm so confused
The singer feels overwhelmed and disoriented.
Chaos! Everlasting
The state of chaos appears to be ongoing and without end.
Chaos! My spirit will not die
The artist's strength and spirit will endure despite the chaos around them.
I'm fighting for life
The artist is determined to stay alive and survive.
Chaos! Never ending
The chaos does not appear to have any clear resolution in sight.
Chaos! Our spirits will not die
The spirits of the listener and others will not be defeated by the chaos.
I'm fighting for love
The artist is motivated by love and compassion for others.
Eyes are shut to the world
People are not paying attention to what's happening around them.
Situation unimproved
The situation is not getting better or improving.
The cancer of darkness grows
A metaphor for a destructive force that is growing.
People tired and so confused
People are exhausted and bewildered.
So many fallen souls lie about
Many people have already been affected by the negative situation.
Helpless as the time flows by
The people affected by the situation feel helpless as time moves forward.
Find a light and cling to it
In the darkness, it's important to find something to hold onto and keep moving forward.
Hold on tight or fall behind
The listener must not let go or they will be left behind.
The story of a thousand tears sung upon a melody
This is a reference to the emotional experiences of many people.
Feeling beauty touch your heart and soul
Despite the pain, there are still moments of beauty and joy.
Even pain and cruelties, the tests and the difficulties
Even the most challenging experiences have some meaning or lesson to be learned.
Have a meaning in the end
There will be an ultimate purpose or resolution to the difficult experiences.
Yes, you will survive
The listener will make it through tough times and come out stronger on the other side.
I'm so confused - Everlasting
The singer's confusion seems like it will never go away.
My spirit won't die - I'm fighting for life
Despite the confusion and chaos, the singer is determined to stay alive and continue fighting.
Our spirits won't die - I'm fighting for love
Together, people will not be defeated by the negative forces in the world - they are motivated by love.
I'm so confused - Everlasting
The artist reiterates their ongoing confusion.
My spirit won't die - I'm fighting for life
The singer repeats their determination to keep fighting for life and survival.
I'm so confused - Everlasting
The singer's confusion is mentioned once again.
Our spirits won't die - I'm fighting for love
The final line emphasizes the collective strength and determination of people fighting for love and survival in a chaotic world.
Contributed by Ella S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Henrik Harbin
Borrows some from Pantera, but still has the Thunder in the East vibe to me. Very cool :)