With Japanese road warriors Boris in town this Sunday, I thought that now would be a good time to look at some of the outstanding acts from the land of the rising sun. Thus begins my countdown of the Top 10 Bands from the Land of Japan. Here we go…
6. Loudness
The longest-running Japanese heavy metal band–and also the first to sign stateside–Loudness has been going strong since 1981. In fact, they just put out a new album, their 25th!
The band, formed by guitarist Akira Takasaki, currently boasts three of its four original members, with the notable exception of drummer Munetaka Higuchi, who passed away in ’08. They’re probably best remembered for ’85′s Thunder in the East and ’86′s Lightning Strikes, both of which came out on ATCO. Look at this crazy 80′s video for their hit single, “Crazy Nights”:
