Loudness- Metal Mad
(Tokuma Communications TKCA-73302)
Loudness- Metal Mad
(Tokuma Communications TKCA-73302)
From Aural Innovations #39 (May 2008)
I have no idea what studio album number this is for Loudness but the band
just keeps on going on and playing quite cool music. I am not sure if this is
released in the west or not but I got mine from Japan. The CD has a really beautiful
booklet and artwork. Very high quality. The CD begins with a killer instrumental
track that is quite spacey at the beginning and the end. The title track, Metal
Mad, is next and has a really cool guitar riff. This track is a lot like the
80’s material in some ways and Akira plays a killer solo and some cool
guitar but the melodic parts are a lot like the 80’s Loudness. The lyrics
are like something Saxon or Manowar would write. A true metal anthem about Metal
never dying. High Flyer is a slower heavy track with a riff similar to some
we have heard on records like Terror. It gets a bit thrashy as well. Spellbound
#9 begins with some psychedelic guitar before the track slowly builds up. Crimson
Buildup is one of the heaviest tracks on the CD. Nasty guitar… Black and
White speeds things up again and is a real headbanger. Whatsoever is a weird
ballad of sorts but has a really cool mid section with strange guitar and bass
lines going back and forth. Cool stuff. Call of the Reaper has a really nice
bass line and groove and a totally different sounding guitar line and some cool
psychedelic things going on (must be Akira). It changes though and the what
I would call signature Akira guitar riff kicks in. Great song. Can’t find
my Way is a quite long track for Loudness at 7 minutes. It starts quite spacey
with some backwards guitar effects and birds. Akira is a very creative guy.
The song is a ballad at times but then crushingly heavy at other times. Gravity
is next and has a really catchy and killer guitar riff that you really get hooked
into. Transformation ends the CD. Loudness still goes strong. They toured the
USA in 2006... how about Europe in 2008, please?
Check out the band web site at: http://www.loudness.jp
Reviewed by Scott Heller