Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Loudness Eve To Dawn Company: Tokuma Communications Release: 2011 Genre: Traditional, power Reviewer: EC

The whole thing just screams

The long history of Loudness just keeps on growing. Man, what a remarkable ride for this Japanese band! The strength lies in the fact that these guys accomplish so much so quickly. The band rarely goes more than two years without a new slice of material and the whole discography is littered with EPs and singles between albums. Since 1981 the group have entertained audiences worldwide and made a faithful following of metal fans that stick to their guns no matter which method of madness the band embraces. From pure classic steel like "Devil Soldier" to downright weird on "Engine" the band moves on and on with a persona that is hard to fit into any sort of sub-genre. What the Hell is Loudness?

"Eve To Dawn" should answer that question. The band's newest album demonstrates pure heavy metal in its most traditional form. The band has been rock solid since the reunion in 2001 and the band may be better than ever. Of course we lost skinsman Munetaka Higuchi in 2008 but his replacement in Masayuki Suzuki is a fitting addition to the band. This newest studio effort comes off the group's rare run in America last year and the second album to feature ideas and drums from Suzuki ("The Everlasting" was mostly Higuchi).

The first five cuts here are probably the best "first five" of any Loudness record to date. Man does "The Power Of Truth" just nail it right out of the gate, thundering grooves that are well placed with the triumvirate of double bass. The whole thing just screams and reminds me a bit of Priest and their tinkering of down-tuned power on "Jugulator". "Come Alive Again" is one massive riff, just a dominance that is well thought out behind Nihara's intense wails. Listen to "Survivor" and "Keep You Burning" and it sounds like "Thunder In The East" is indeed in the forecast...that classic metal sense just thriving and beating with electricity. I love the instrumental "Emotions" and I'll be damned if "Pandora" and "Comes The Dawn" don't have the loudest bass lines of any record to date. Check out "Crazy Crazy Crazy" for a trip down "Ghetto Machine" with its alternative styled fat bass whammy that recalls "San Francisco".

Nihara sounds perfect and clearly audible in between Japanese verses and the English-based chorus bits (typical Loudness). Takasaki is absolutely steam rolling the competition as always and even Yamashita's bass lines seem fresh and new again. The record would have been a perfect 5 for me but I don't care for "Gonna Do It My Way" and its hybrid of Rolling Stones and Guns N Roses (sigh...Velvet Revolver).