Album of the Day

Formed in Osaka, Loudness became the first Japanese heavy metal band to issue an album on a U.S. major label with 1985's THUNDER IN THE EAST. The Atco release was the quartet's fifth studio set, but their first in English and their first produced by Max Norman, who would helm two later releases by the group. Cut in Los Angeles' Sound City Studios, the ten originals are among the band's most accessible, with such highlights as “Heavy Chains,” power ballad “Never Change Your Mind” and MTV favorite “Crazy Nights” mixing strong melodies and epic riffs from guitar hero Akira Takasaki. THUNDER IN THE EAST was the first album by a Japanese group to reach the Top 100 in the U.S., and it remains a great one for headbangers whatever their national origin.