8186 Live

Let's start by saying that there's nothing in this world that I love more than double CD live albums. They make up a substantial part of my Rock & Metal collection. You may or may not have heard of Loudness, they are a band famous for the awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping skills of Akira Takasaki on Guitar, but I think that the rest of the band are just as strong. And especially on stage. Minoru Niihara's raw and soulful vocals surprise me every time. It would be a shame that people might want to mock his English accent, as it's not too bad really, especially for a japanese singer. Masayoshi Yamashita on Bass is very solid, playing technical and intelligent basslines all the way through. Best Japanese bassist? Quite possibly. And of course, the incomparable Munetaka Hichi on drums. He showcases a true drumming talent, especially on his solo, which encompasses some interesting techniques. So a truly talented four-piece then? And they pull all those amazing studio moves off on stage? Oh, yes. Read on....

The show starts off with their self-titled theme track, Loudness. This is great stuff, a perfect example of passionate japanese metal. The next track is probably the weakest track, Rock Shock. Some silly lyrics spoil this track, which is still fun. Next up is the down-tempo Dark Desire, which is a really atmospheric number. Streetlife Dreams follows, which is also a good slower song. The next song, one of Loudness' best, named 'Crazy Doctor', has really ludicrous lyrics but a great melody and beat, a great track overall and my favourite ever Loudness song. Geraldine, an early gem, is the next track, and is played to great effect. The bass and drum solo is also good, proving that these players are truly world-class. Then Akira comes in with the clean but technical solo guitar intro to Shadows of War (Ashes in the Sky). This is a really good song, slower but still heavy.

The second disc, and the show just gets hotter. Let It Go is a later-era Van Helen-esque number, probably the poppiest Loudness song ever. Another crowd-pleasing pop song follows in the form of One Thousand Eyes. The crowd (Yoyogi, Tokyo) is just loving it, then we get Face to Face, a good solid metal song. Ares' Lament, a ballad, follows, and this is a good example of Minoru Niihara's emotional vocals. Next up is In The Mirror, one of the Loudness classics, and a really excellent song. Track 6 of CD 2 is the guitar solo, which is really a treat for those of you who like them, like me. For the rest, it may be a little boring. After a brief fade out-fade in, we get Crazy Night, a really catchy number, and a good song with fun lyrics. Last song is Speed, predictably a speed-metal tune. It's considered a Loudness classic, but I don't like it as much as some. It's still great fun, with great guitar, and is usually played at the end of a gig, as in this case. The last track, Farewell, is a nice finale theme, put on the PA but not played live.

Sorry for the long review, maybe the track-by-track was unnecessary, but I assure you, if you like Loudness or 80s-era live heavy metal albums, you can't go wrong with this release. The performance is flawless, and the production is great. All the instruments are heard perfectly. It's technical, emotional and loud! OTT 80s metal just the way it should be. Buy it now.