LOUDNESS frontman Minoru Niihara recently commented on working with new drummer Masayuki "Ampan" Suzuki (pictured) in a new interview. Suzuki replaced original drummer Munetaka Higuchi following his passing in November 2008 due to liver cancer, making his recording debut with Loudness on the band's new album, King Of Pain:

Niihara: “Masayuki was discovered by Akira (Takasaki / guitars). I didn’t know anything about him until we met at the rehearsal studio. There was a festival a month after Munetaka’s passing, the gig had been booked one year prior. We had an option to cancel the gig but we decided we’ll play because we knew Munetaka would be disappointed if we cancelled. So, we urgently needed a drummer to fill in and that’s when Akira brought Masayuki to the band. He’s very different from Munetaka in terms of his style of drumming but superb in both technique and power. On top of that, we love his sincere and passionate attitude towards rock music.”

“He’s a dedicated drummer who practices with enthusiasm, a world-class drummer who has brass balls. We toured with him several times and came to the conclusion that he’s the guy. After Munetaka’s passing, we feel blessed to have met such an amazing drummer. His drum sound injected new life into Loudness. There wasn’t much difficulty in recording or in live shows. Seemingly, our fans like him as well. It sure does make me feel weird without Munetaka, though.”

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Loudness' new album, King Of Pain, was released in Japan on May 19th. A video for the title track can be seen below. The album features the recording debut of new drummer Masayuki Suzuki. He replaces original drummer Munetaka Higuchi, who passed away on November 30th, 2008 following a long battle with liver cancer.

The album tracklist is as follows:

'Requiem'

'The King Of Pain'

'Power Of Death'

'Death Machine'

'Doodlebug'

'Rule The World'

'Straight Out Of Our Soul'

'Where Am I Going?'

'Emma'

'Naraka'

'Doctor From Hell'

'Hell Fire'

'#666'

'Never Comes'

A review of King Of Pain is available here. The album includes a 32-page booklet, Loundness original pick, and application card (valid only in Japan). Go to this location for purchase details.