LOUDNESS "Dragon" /CD/

Re-release of the twenty-fifth full-length studio album by the legendary Japanese Heavy Metal band.
More than 30 years in, these Japanese Metal veterans are still finding new ways to deliver on their name. Their new 11-track outing goes beyond the KISS-meets-Accept vibe of Pop-Metal faves like “Crazy Nights” and “Heavy Chains” from 1985’s "Thunder In The East".
Injecting furious bursts of Thrash and Power Metal, the quartet thrives off founding guitarist Akira Takasaki’s worship at the altar of Van Halen and Randy Rhoads, even if this isn’t his most precise, clean playing ever.
This album is the second without their original and beloved drummer, Munetaka Higuchi, that died of cancer almost three years ago.
Akira Takasaki, the mastermind behind the zealous Loudness and its achievements, has been tagging additional influences that were shaped into the band's sound and music. The guitars reminded a bit of past glories but also maintained the present raw modern touch. Judging by the list of eleven songs, Takasaki hasn't lost his amazing lead guitar skills. His solos have always taken to classic Rock, Hard Rock and shredding Heavy Metal blisters. 
When the entire lineup was playing Loudness came up with good songs filled with 80s Metal takeovers. "Come Alive Again" is something that can be recognized as a classic. "Survivor" and "The Power Of The Truth" were good examples of how Loudness made good use of modern Metal while mixing it with older Metal roots. Still, on hard-charging cuts like “Keep You Burning”, Loudness conveys an unrestrained attitude of fierce self-determination remarkable for a band in its third decade.
Tokuma Japan Communications/FrostByte Media Inc. (FRB-CD-0030). Made in Canada.


Tracklist:
1. A Light In The Dark 1:46
2. The Power Of Truth 5:28
3. Come Alive Again 4:27
4. Survivor 5:45
5. Keep You Burning 5:17
6. Gonna Do It My Way 4:13
7. Hang Tough 5:55
8. 喜怒哀楽 6:24
9. Comes The Dawn 7:07
10. Pandora 4:19
11. Crazy! Crazy! Crazy! 3:24
Total playing time: 54:05

The sixth full-length studio album by legendary Japanese Heavy Metal band.
Loudness were the first Japanese Metal act signing a record deal outside their native country in the early eighties. The band was started by guitarist Akira Takasaki, bassist Hiroyuki Tanaka and drummer Munetaka Higuchi. They were technical wizards with guitars and drums, way ahead of their time and very underrated. "Lightning Strikes" is their second album sung in the English language.
The album is known as "Shadows Of War" in Japan, where it was released on March 24, 1986. The tracks are in a different order, and the song "Ashes in the Sky" is known as "Shadows of War". There is also a slight difference in some vocal melodies and arrangements, most notably an extended musical outro to "One Thousand Eyes".
The 1985 album "Thunder In The East" may have introduced Japanese Metalheads Loudness to America, but "Lightning Strikes" was the album that introduced America to Loudness. Their first album conceived specifically for the U.S. market, "Lightning Strikes" was overseen by veteran Metal producer Max Norman (Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth), who helped the band incorporate more commercial elements into their classic Metal sound for the first time.
The album begins with the most commercial sounding song on the album, "Let It Go." However, the rest of the album is in a heavier mould, and is in a relatively similar style to the previous album, "Thunder In The East". Lyrics for the album are credited to Loudness, even though producer Max Norman did a lot of uncredited work on them.
The band's transformation is a resounding success. And thanks to the phenomenal guitar acrobatics of the ever-reliable Akira Takasaki, "Lightning Strikes" rates as Loudness' best American-made album, and one of the best albums of the band. After it's release on July 25, 1986, the album remained 15 weeks in the U.S. charts, peaking at #64 at Billboard 200.
Atlantic Recording Corporation/WEA Musik GmbH, 1986 (790 512-1). Made in Germany. First press. Used (cover/disc): EX+/NM.


Tracklist:

Side 1
1. Let It Go 4:13
2. Dark Desire 4:19
3. 1000 Eyes 4:35
4. Face To Face 3:49
5. Who Knows 4:02

Side 2
1. Ashes In The Sky 6:02
2. Black Star Oblivion 3:55
3. Street Life Dream 4:28
4. Complication 4:00

Total playing time: 39:23 min.