Loudness is Japan’s most famous heavy metal export. Formed in 1981, the band were the first Japanese band to be signed to an international, major label record deal. They have released 26 studio albums and nine live collections, making them one of the most prolific acts in metal. The band has endured numerous lineup changes, but remain active to this day. Their biggest American hit was the song “Crazy Nights” from their fifth album Thunder In The East, released in 1985.

Watch the official video for “Crazy Nights” here below.

When I was growing up in rural Indiana in the early ’80s, there was very limited access to heavy music. These were the days before MTV blew up with the whole hair metal, Headbangers Ball phenomenon. But on Sunday nights, there was a two-hour radio show that came from WOXY, the radio station of Miami University of Ohio, just across the state line in Oxford, Ohio. It was called Massive Metal for the Masses and I would wait all week for it to air. It was through this show that I was introduced to bands like Venom, Bathory, WASP, Michael Schenker Group, Slayer, and countless others. This Monday weekly column is my tip of the hat to that show. I call it Massive Metal Monday. Every week, I will pay tribute to defining moments by the artists that laid the groundwork for heavy metal to become the worldwide cultural bond for all of us metal heads.

Video