ArtistInfo

Loudness

Band, *1981 JP
Rock
A.k.a. Lazy (18) Neverland (21)

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 heavy 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.

Members

	Michael Vescera voc US
	Masayoshi Yamashita b *1961 JP
	Munetaka Higuchi dr *1958 JP
	Akira Takasaki g JP
	Taiji b
	Naoto Shibata b JP
	Hiro Homma dr JP
	Masaki Yamada voc JP
	Hirotsugu Homma dr
	Minoru Niihara voc *1960 JP
	Hiroyuki Tanaka b, voc JP
	Masayuki Suzuki dr JP