Loudness (band)

Loudness
Loudness in Germany in 2010
Background information
Origin	Osaka, Japan
Genres	Heavy metal, glam metal, speed metal, hard rock
Years active	1981–present
Labels	Nippon Columbia, Atco, Warner Music Group, Rooms, Tokuma Japan, Wounded Bird
Associated acts	Lazy, Anthem, Sly, Ezo, X Japan
Website	loudness.com
Members	Akira Takasaki Masayoshi Yamashita Minoru Niihara Masayuki Suzuki
Past members	Hiroyuki Tanaka Mike Vescera Masaki Yamada Taiji Sawada Hirotsugu Homma Naoto Shibata Munetaka Higuchi

Loudness (ラウドネス, Raudonesu^?) is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in 1981 by guitarist Akira Takasaki and drummer Munetaka Higuchi. They were the first Japanese metal act signed to a major label in the United States, releasing twenty-six studio albums (five in America) and nine live albums by 2014 and reaching the Billboard Top 100 in their moment of maximum international popularity, as well as charting on Oricon dozens of times. Despite numerous changes in their roster, the band continued their activities throughout the 1990s, finally reuniting the original line-up in 2001. This line-up released a further seven albums until November 30, 2008, when original drummer Munetaka Higuchi died from liver cancer at a hospital in Osaka at age 49. He was replaced with Masayuki Suzuki.

The band was started by guitarist Akira Takasaki, bassist Hiroyuki Tanaka and drummer Munetaka Higuchi, coming off the split-up of the rock band Lazy in February 1980. The three musicians, Takasaki in particular, were unsatisfied with the musical direction of their previous band and wanted to test their abilities in new areas. The rising movement of new Japanese heavy metal acts (Bow Wow, Anthem, etc.) fit the aspirations and musical tendencies of the young musicians. Nevertheless, bassist Tanaka soon renounced to be part of the new metal group, searching success in the anime soundtrack business with the band Neverland. Takasaki recruited his childhood friend Masayoshi Yamashita as bass player and, after a few auditions, the band found a singer in former Earthshaker member Minoru Niihara.