Japan Metal & Hard Rock Albums of the 2000s

Church of Misery's fourth album, issued by Rise Above Records in 2009. Every title carries the name of a murderer with it.

The Everlasting is the twenty-second Loudness album, released on 27 May 2009. It was completed using drum tracks Munetaka Higuchi had recorded before his death the previous year, with his successor Masayuki Suzuki playing on some songs.

Outrage's tenth album, out on 25 November 2009. It is the first after Naoki Hashimoto's official return, and it was recorded at Studio Fredman.

Black Empire is Anthem's twelfth studio album, released on 29 October 2008. The title track became one of the band's signatures: it was re-recorded in English for Nucleus in 2019 and Nuclear Blast released an official video of it.

Subconscious In Xperience combines Blindman’s detailed guitar phrases, clear keyboards and emotionally forward vocals.

Dir En Grey's seventh album, from November 2008. It takes its name from the Ouroboros symbol and its subject from reincarnation.

Reincarnation unites Galneryus’s sharp guitar, ornate keyboards and high-reaching vocal into a single driving sound.

Metal Mad is the twenty-first Loudness album, released by Tokuma Japan Communications on 20 February 2008. It was the last studio record with Munetaka Higuchi, who died on 30 November that year at the age of 49.

Dir En Grey's sixth album, released on 7 February 2007 and recorded across various locations between December 2005 and January 2007.

One for All - All for One combines Syu’s fluid guitar, bright keyboard color, and YAMA-B’s strong voice at high density.

Immortal is Anthem's eleventh studio album, released on 30 August 2006, with a European edition following in the autumn of 2007 - the point at which the reformed band began looking beyond Japan.

Pain for the Pleasure joins Blindman’s expansive vocal lines, melodic guitar, and full keyboards into dramatic melodic hard rock.

Beyond the End of Despair... combines Galneryus’s fast rhythm section, Syu’s fluid guitar, and YAMA-B’s high-reaching vocal.

Breaking the Taboo is the twentieth Loudness album, released by Tokuma Japan Communications on 27 December 2006, and the seventh made since the original line-up reunited.

The Gazette's second album, issued by King Records on 8 February 2006. It reached number ten on the Oricon chart and was their first record released in Europe.

Dir En Grey's fifth album, out on 9 March 2005. It was the first of their records given an official release in Europe, North America and South Korea.

Advance to the Fall stacks fast twin guitar, bright keyboard work and soaring high vocals into a vivid power-metal record.

Eternal Warrior is Anthem's tenth studio album, released on 21 July 2004. The title track is among the signatures of the band's second era and was re-recorded in English for Nucleus in 2019.

Racing is the nineteenth Loudness album, released by Tokuma Japan Communications on 25 November 2004. It brought back the band's classic logo, and an all-English version followed in 2005.

Rock Shocks is a self-cover album released by Tokuma Japan Communications on 27 October 2004, on which the reunited original line-up re-recorded the band's best-known songs of the 1980s.

Terror is the eighteenth Loudness album, released by Tokuma Japan Communications on 7 January 2004. Built around a theme of horror and dread, it is among the heaviest records the band has made, and the artwork carries the same theme.

Outrage's ninth album, out on 21 April 2004, from the years when they worked as a trio with Yoshihiro Yasui singing. Deadbeat was also issued as a single.

The first album by Tak Matsumoto's international hard-rock group with Eric Martin and Jack Blades — fourteen songs where Japanese and American rock instincts meet head-on.

Soul Talks, Melodies Walk layers smooth vocals, full keyboards and poised guitar into hard rock that values melody.

Dir En Grey's fourth album, released on 10 September 2003 and co-produced by the band with Tatsuya Sakamoto.

The Flag of Punishment combines neoclassical guitar, fast rhythm and soaring high vocals into vivid power metal.

Overload is Anthem's ninth studio album, released on 9 October 2002. It is the second record made after the band reformed, and its title track was re-recorded in English for Nucleus in 2019.

Turning Back layers soaring vocals, bright keyboards and lyrical guitar with great order and polish.

Dir En Grey's third album, released on 30 January 2002, sixteen tracks running 69:57 and produced by the band.

Biosphere is the seventeenth Loudness album, released by Tokuma Japan Communications on 4 September 2002 — the third record by the reunited original line-up.

Outrage's eighth album, out on 25 July 2002. It is the first full-length made as a trio and holds fourteen songs.

Seven Hills is Anthem's eighth studio album, released on 22 August 2001. It is the first record of the band's second era, restarted by Naoto Shibata nine years after the 1992 split on the condition that it be a band living in the present rather than a nostalgia act.

BLINDMAN combines intricate guitar phrasing with lyrical melody in a polished Japanese melodic-hard-rock record.

Pandemonium is the sixteenth Loudness album, released on 21 November 2001, just eight months after the reunited line-up's first record. All the music is credited to Loudness and all the lyrics to Minoru Niihara.

Spiritual Canoe is the first album by the reunited original line-up, released on 7 March 2001. It was the first time Takasaki, Niihara, Yamashita and Higuchi had recorded together since Jealousy in 1988.

Sigh's fifth album, from 2001. It was their first for Century Media, taking the experiments of the previous record further and adding a psychedelic streak.

Heavy Metal Anthem, released on 21 April 2000, is the project album on which Graham Bonnet sings Anthem songs in English over backing tracks newly recorded by Naoto Shibata, Akio Shimizu and others. It led directly to the band reforming.

…in the dark presents Blindman’s melancholy-rich melodic hard rock in a compact form.

Dir En Grey's second album, released on 20 September 2000, thirteen tracks running 72:57.

Ningen Isu's ninth album, from 2000. It is a concept album built on Edogawa Ranpo, whose novels lie under nearly every title and lyric.