On June 24th, Japanese metallers LOUDNESS released a new live DVD, Munetaka Higuchi: Forever Our Hero, filmed at a tribute show for late Loudness drummer Munetaka Higuchi on February 14th at C.C. Lemon Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

The DVD tracklisting: 'Fire Of Spirit' (instrumental), 'Hellrider', 'Soldier Of Fortune', 'Metal Mad', 'Can't Find My Way', 'Exultation', 'Crazy Samurai', 'Breaking The Taboo', 'The Battleship Musashi', 'Never Change Your Mind', 'Crazy Doctor', 'In The Mirror', 'Crazy Night', 'So Lonely', 'The End Of Earth' (Medley) / 'Stay Wild', 'S.D.I.'.

Order the DVD at this location.

Loudness released their new album, The Everlasting, on May 27th in Japan through Tokuma Communications. A video for the first track on the record, 'Hit The Rails', is available below.

The complete tracklist is as follows: 'Hit The Rails', 'Flame Of Rock', 'I Wonder', 'The Everlasting'. 'Life Goes On', 'Let It Rock', 'Crystal Moon', 'Change', 'Rock Into The Night', 'I'm In Pain', 'Thunder Burn', 'Desperate Religion'.

Audio clips from the album are available here: 'Hit The Rails', 'Flame Of Rock'

Go to this location to purchase the album.

According to BW&BK;'s Japanese source Takashi Kanazawa, as part of ongoing Loudness' Classic Live series tour the band will do four dates in Japan reproducing the classic Thunder In The East tour held in 1985. Specific details have yet to be revealed, but guitarist Akira Takasaki said in the July '09 issue of Player Magazine that it will be more than just playing songs from that era. The tour will be a reproduction of the original stage set and atmosphere.

Masayuki "Ampan" Suzuki will be filling in for drummer Munetaka Higuchi, who passed away in November 2008 from liver cancer.

Tour dates are as follows:

August

26 - Osaka - Namba Hatch
29 - Sapporo - Zepp Sapporo

September

3 - Nagoya - Zepp Nagoya
5 - Tokyo - Nakano Sun Plaza

More details will be revealed as we get them.