LOUDNESS

Loudness, released on 10 June 1992, is the band's tenth album and the only studio record by the line-up usually called their third era. Naming it after the band was itself a statement. Masaki Yamada of Ezo came in on vocals and Taiji Sawada of X on bass, a double change that saw both Mike Vescera and founding bassist Masayoshi Yamashita leave at once. Akira Takasaki produced. The band moved decisively away from the formal melodic style it had perfected in the 1980s, tuning down a semitone for a heavier sound. "Pray For The Dead", "Slaughter House" and "Black Widow" sit at the centre of it. The album entered the Oricon chart at No. 2. It was also the first record made after the American contracts ended, with the band's weight back on its home ground.