The band Loudness came to prominence after forming in 1981 and enjoying global success throughout the forthcoming decade making them one of the biggest draws in Japanese music history. This new album still features three of the four original members, minus the founding member and drummer Mumetaka Higuchi who sadly succumbed to liver cancer in 2008.

The instrumental opener, 'A Light In The Dark', has a psychedelic kinda feel to it, but that's where it stops as second track, 'The Power of Truth', rocks out of its blocks with its bombastic true metal stomp ala Judas Priest and the like. 'Come Alive Again' is full of musical life with its intelligent, heavier-veined songwriting structure and killer riffage, and the riffage maintains the level of full-on six string axe attack - courtesy of the legend that is Akira Takasaki - on 'Survivor'. We also have very brief synth moments on 'Keep You Burning', but it's another out and out old school type of Heavy Metal rocker of a tune featuring the solid rhythm section of newest member and drummer Masayuki Suzuki and thumping bass work of Masayoshi Yamashita, and take a listen to this particular track for its chanty Accept-like outro.

'Gonna Do It My Way', featuring the remarkable venom-fuelled harmonic heavy tones of Minoru Niihara, is a track that could be possibly deemed as the nearest thing to a commercial element on the release, even through its intense heaviness. Once more the levels are turned up to 11 on 'Hang Tough', again, another masterful riff dominates the speed metal song with more guitar work of note.

'Emotions' has inspirations from all genres, including the aforementioned Priest and Accept homages, with a little Pantera thrown in for good measure, and that could sum up this collection with its guitar dominance, especially on this instrumental piece, 'Comes The Dawn', a mellower of sorts track and by no ways in ballad territory as this still rocks out with a slightly strange, if I may utter, arrangement.

'Pandora' is a bass-led, doomy composition, again, using Eastern psychedelic undertones. 'Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!' closes the album with its almost funk influence, although through the ampage of Takasaki remains heavy as hell.

Definitely one for the Metalheads....

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