The 1981 Listening Post - Loudness - The Birthday Eve

 Loudness - The Birthday Eve

#582

By John Tommassino

November 21 1981

Loudness

The Birthday Eve. 

Genre: Metal  

Allen’s Rating: 3 out of 5

John’s Rating: 3 out of 5

Highlights : 

To be Demon

Sexy Woman

I'm on Fire.    

First off, I'm a fan of metal and I like Japanese metal. I know other fans who dislike metal from Japan because of the vocals. But that doesn't bother me. 

In the 80s, I would search record stores for unique metal from Japan including Loudness, Earthshaker and my favorite Japanese metal act, EZO.

 Loudness just had it going on back then...a bonafide guitar hero in Akira Takasaki and solid musicians backing him up. You can tell these guys were hungry on this record.. it's a good album to rock out to...but their other, later releases namely the albums Devil Soldier and Disillusion built on the sound on display here. It's funny, when I went to college I had a Japanese roommate and I dated a girl from Japan. They were of the opinion that Loudness wasn't for real, that they were just imitating American and European metal acts. 

Maybe, but  I disagreed then as I do now. 

I like Loudness. Three stars is my rating.

https://open.spotify.com/album/5IeyWpUf4DNPhC3qloOpB3?si=KQo5z5hsQvO5CC5J_yTveQ

The 1986 Listening Post - Loudness - Lightning Strikes

Loudness - Lightning Strikes

#296/1421

July 25 1986

Loudness

Lightning Strikes

Genre: 80s Metal

4.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Let It Go

Dark Desire

Black Star Oblivion

I almost pulled Loudness from this project, after all, it’s a different language and I thought it too regional. I’m really glad I didn’t. I hadn’t heard of them but this was a big record for them stateside and, you know what? It hits all those Ozzy/Priest notes pretty damned hard. 

The timing of this record is good, as classic metal bands seem to be losing their fire and energy and become bloated versions of themselves, Loudness seems to not just be paying homage but picking pop that mantle. 

I’m in the minority on this one. I loved it. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/lightning-strikes/336668278

The 1985 Listening Post - Loudness - Thunder in the East

Loudness - Thunder in the East

#246/897

June 9 1985

Loudness

Thunder in the East

Genre: Metal

3.5 out of 5

Highlights:

No Way Out

Never Change Your Mind

Who knew that if you took Japan’s preeminent screaming metal band and had them sing in english that they would become…Scorpions?

But with less song structure and a whole lot more wild, super fast lead guitar noodling. 

This, I think, was an attempt at cashing in on the metal scene and an opening Japanese market. What they could have used were…um…what’re they called…songs. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/thunder-in-the-east/340105849

The 1983 Listening Post - Loudness - The Law of the Devil's Land

The 1983 Listening Post.
Loudness
The Law of the Devil's Land

In 2008 I started a blog called "The Listening Post". In it I would sit with the entire catalog of one band and review each album in chronological order.
Each album would be given a grade, A-F. The best tracks would be rated as "A Sides". The surprising songs would be "BlindSides". The worst would be "DownSides".
From 2015-2017 I decided to forgo the blog and just listen....
to every rock album released from 1978-1982. Just to, you know, see if I missed anything.
Since my Facebook feed has become nothing more than Trump, Trump and more politics, I thought it might be fun to continue the project.
This group is dedicated to 1983.
I'll put up the albums in order of release. Hopefully I won't miss anything.
I will be listening to each album and entering my own ratings and song preferences in my ongoing spreadsheet (which I will share with you, if you like).
But, I will also link the album here in case anyone wants to talk about them.
Let's rock! 
This is a Facebook group that is being cross posted here for short term posterity.

I don't know what any of these songs are about. And I didn't even know they existed. This is right in that Randy Rhodes wheelhouse and I loved every second of it.

1/21/1983
Loudness
The Law of Devil's Land 
4 Stars

https://open.spotify.com/album/4jbhp6Nsb0ny2FuGiRTibW…