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.
Esper
Loudness Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She struck me down, made me feel the power
Crazy guys, you'd better fear the reaper
Belive it now... It's mystic power!
After the storm, I see there's nothing standing
Death and destruction, corpses fill the city
I am reborn from those who died before me
* Oh yeah, neverending fire, energy
Oh yeah, secret mystery, energy
You are Esper!
Esper! Esper! Esper!
You'll never know the feelings I have tasted
You'll never see sensations I have wasted
The universe is open now before me
Sing me away... it's mystic power
* Repeat 3 times
These lyrics describe a powerful force, likened to a hurricane, that has struck the singer, leaving them feeling overwhelmed and in awe of its power. The force is referred to as "mystic power," and it seems to be all-encompassing, bringing death and destruction, but also leading to rebirth and a sense of being part of something greater. The singer challenges anyone who doubts its existence to believe in it now, as it is too real and too powerful to ignore.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the aftermath of the hurricane, with corpses filling the city and everything standing before it destroyed. However, the singer is able to find a sense of renewal in the midst of the chaos, feeling reborn from those who died before them. The power in question is described as a "neverending fire" and a "secret mystery," and the singer addresses it directly as "Esper," as if it were a deity or an entity they are seeking to communicate with. The final line, "Sing me away," suggests that they are ready to surrender themselves to the power completely.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of awe and reverence for a force that is beyond human comprehension or control. The hurricane is used as a symbol for this force, representing both its destructive power and its ability to bring about transformation and rebirth. The singer is presented as someone who has been humbled by this force, recognizing their own insignificance in the face of something so all-encompassing and powerful.
Line by Line Meaning
A hurricane, alive with death and danger
The power of nature can be deadly and dangerous, just like a hurricane.
She struck me down, made me feel the power
The hurricane hit the singer hard and made them feel its immense power.
Crazy guys, you'd better fear the reaper
People should be afraid of death and its consequences.
Belive it now... It's mystic power!
There is a mysterious power at work here that people should believe in.
After the storm, I see there's nothing standing
The destruction caused by the hurricane is evident in everything that was destroyed or lost.
Death and destruction, corpses fill the city
The aftermath of the hurricane is marked by death, ruins and corpses scattered throughout the city.
I am reborn from those who died before me
The singer feels like they have been given a second chance at life, thanks to the sacrifice of those who died before them.
Believe it now... It's mystic power!
The mysterious power at work here is deserving of belief.
Oh yeah, neverending fire, energy
The energy at play here seems to be endless and unending.
Oh yeah, secret mystery, energy
The power at work here is a secret mystery that maybe nobody fully understands.
You are Esper!
The singer identifies themselves as an Esper or someone who has been transformed by this mystical power.
Esper! Esper! Esper!
The singer emphasizes their new identity as an Esper, rallying others to join them.
You'll never know the feelings I have tasted
Others will never fully understand the experiences that the singer has lived through and now embodies as an Esper.
You'll never see sensations I have wasted
Others will never be able to experience the same sensations and emotions that the singer has already felt.
The universe is open now before me
The singer feels like they have entered a new dimension, where the universe is open before them and full of possibility.
Sing me away... it's mystic power
The power at work here can be transformative and even uplifting, inspiring the singer to 'sing away' their old self and embrace the new life they have been given.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AKIRA TAKASAKI, MINORU NIIHARA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
johnny zell
A hurricane, alive with death and danger
She struck me down, made me feel the power
Crazy guys, you'd better fear the reaper
Belive it now... It's mystic power!
After the storm, I see there's nothing standing
Death and destruction, corpses fill the city
I am reborn from those who died before me
Believe it now... It's mystic power!
* Oh yeah, neverending fire, energy
Oh yeah, secret mystery, energy
You are Esper!
Esper! Esper! Esper!
You'll never know the feelings I have tasted
You'll never see sensations I have wasted
The universe is open now before me
Sing me away... it's mystic power
* Repeat 3 times
johnny zell
A hurricane, alive with death and danger
She struck me down, made me feel the power
Crazy guys, you'd better fear the reaper
Belive it now... It's mystic power!
After the storm, I see there's nothing standing
Death and destruction, corpses fill the city
I am reborn from those who died before me
Believe it now... It's mystic power!
* Oh yeah, neverending fire, energy
Oh yeah, secret mystery, energy
You are Esper!
Esper! Esper! Esper!
You'll never know the feelings I have tasted
You'll never see sensations I have wasted
The universe is open now before me
Sing me away... it's mystic power
* Repeat 3 times
Deaf2Demands
thx
Deaf2Demands
Killer song! Very first song I ever heard from Loudness 1984.
kaoru.plus1
“撃剣霊化”最高です‼️今も毎日聴いてます‼️樋口さんのドラムいいね✨今のLOUDNESも大好き🤩
六弦武蔵
四人の漢の情熱と魂がぶつかり合った最高の瞬間である。
Zepper Fox
@六弦武蔵 sure no peoblem man ✌
六弦武蔵
The best moments when the passion and soul of the four men collided.
Thank you \m/
Zepper Fox
Hey i can't understand what you typed in your japanese but i hope it's a praise to loudness one hell of a band akira can sure shred with that guitar and the rest of the band as well
zaziee999
初めて聴いた時の衝撃は忘れない
Roman
Brutal 🤩