๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ - ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ย ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ & ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐โฆ
July 21, 1982 โ Loudness released their second full-length studio album, โDevil Soldierโ (ๆฆๆ ใฎๅฅ่น, Senritsu no kiseki) via B&M (a division of Nippon Columbia) in the bands homeland of Japan.
Background:
The band was formed by guitarist Akira Takasaki, bassist Hiroyuki Tanaka and drummer Munetaka Higuchi, coming off the split-up of the rock band Lazy in Tokyo in February 1980. The three musicians, Takasaki in particular, were dissatisfied 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, who was a university student at the time.
With this line-up, Loudness signed to B&M, a subsidiary of the major label Nippon Columbia and recorded their Japanese-language debut album, โThe Birthday Eveโ. Despite the reduced presence of the Heavy Metal genre in the Japanese media at the time and the lack of a single to launch the album, โThe Birthday Eveโ and the concerts to support it were quite successful. The flashy shred guitar work of Takasaki and the solid musicianship of the other band members soon became a trademark of their performances in the studio and on stage.
The band, excited by the great sales response for the release in Japan, went back into the studio to record โDevil Soldierโ. The album benefited greatly from the creative input of Daniel McClendon, brother of one time UFO guitarist Tommy McClendon, who was drafted in to help with the sound of the album due to the lack of experienced studio engineers (in the genre of Heavy Metal) in Japan at the time. As per it's predecessor, the album proved a great success in Japan and was awarded the accolade of best Metal album of the year by the Japanese record industry. The album was indeed a well crafted affair, with strong songs, punchy production and the ever spectacular Akira Takasaki in effervescent form.
The reissue CD in 2005 contains two bonus tracks, "Geraldine", coming from the second single of the band, and a live version of "Lonely Player".
Critical Reception:
Writing for AllMusic, Eduardo Rivadavia stated;
โDevil Soldier", from 1982, represented a quantum leap forward for Loudness. While it proved that the band still needed a little more time to develop their songwriting, it displayed a marked improvement in terms of arrangements, dynamics, and especially production values in the studio. Save for each song's chorus and the occasional verse, the band continued to deliver all lyrics in their native Japanese, but this in no way detracts from competent singles like "Angel Dust," "Girl," and energetic opener "Lonely Player." The album does feature the occasional misfire -- most notably the flinch-inducing chorus of "Hard Workin'." But as they move into side two, one can literally hear the band's confidence growing by leaps and bounds, as they barrel through a solid set of tunes, culminating in the ambitious seven-minute title track. Another firm step in the right direction, "Devil Soldier" set the stage for the best phase of Loudness' career.โ
Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:
โถ Listen to โDevil Soldierโ via Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/devil-soldier/453837222
โถ Listen to โDevil Soldierโ via Spotify: DEVIL SOLDIER ใๆฆๆ ใฎๅฅ่นใ
โถ Follow Loudness on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100044278066838&mibextid=LQQJ4d
Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. โ E.N. Wells
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