Disillusion ~ 撃剣霊化

Japan’s Loudness were the first serious metal band from their continent to attract serious international consideration. Sure, Bow Wow came before ‘em, but that band’s mercurial quality and low dedication to real heaviness made them a dubious proposition. But Loudness, with superior guitarist Arkira Takasaki and singer Minoru Niihara as well as the desire to make serious metal were the real deal. Now the band’s first few records (The Birthday Eve, Devil’s Soldiers, Law Of Devil’s Land) are a slightly rough deal, not only for the fact that they are sung in Japanese, but also in the way they court a Kiss-like casual attitude about themes and arrangements.

But with Disillusion the whole Loudness machine is sharpened considerably, and the more commercial concerns of early work is mostly swept away. And this cannot be more obvious than with the super tight riffing and urgent delivery of “Crazy Doctor” and “Milky Way,” both of which sound like a slightly smoother version of Accept’s similar rough stuff. I also love the storming feel of “Satisfaction Guaranteed,” which is all slamming riffs despite it’s wimpy title. And Takasaki’s guitar work is amazing, a soloist of remarkable dexterity and taste.

This is the serious Loudness record, and while future albums would dip back towards the radio fluff of their early work, they would at least retain their rough sound in the bargain. There really isn’t a truly poor album by this band to be had, but serious metal students should make grabbing this platter their priority purchase.