LOUDNESS frontman Minoru Niihara's other band XYZ-A is gearing up for the release of their new album, Seventh Heaven, which is due to be issued in Japan in April. Niihara contacted BW&BK; with the band's upcoming tour schedule, which can be viewed below.

April

6 - Meguro (Tokyo) - The Live Station
7 - Chiba - Live Spot Look Chiba
9 - Hiroshima - Namiki Junction
10 - Okayama - MO:GLA
12 - Kobe - Wynterland
14 - Shiga - Bari-Hari

May

25 - Shibuya (Tokyo) - Club Asia
31 - Osaka - Ruido

June

1 - Nagoya - Ell Fits All

The Seventh Heaven tracklist is available below along with the cover art.

‘Rising Anthem’

‘Patriot’s Dream’

‘Initiation’

‘Metal Heads’

‘While You’re Still Young’

‘Real Man’

‘Seventh Heaven’

‘Testament’

‘Tenka Muteki’

‘Madamada Saiaku Yanaide’

‘A Song For You’

‘Stay Hungry! Stay Foolish!’

‘Arigato’

A video for the song ‘Patriot’s Dream’ has been released and can be viewed below:

BW&BK; recently confirmed reports that OBSESSION / ex-Loudness vocalist Mike Vescera - who fronted the band in the late '80s for two studio albums - will be performing with Loudness as a guest vocalist on April 14th at the Live N' Louder Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil. As a follow-up, scribe Carl Begai caught up with Niihara to confirm that he has not left the band:

"First of all, I am still Loudness' vocalist and actually I am working on the new album now," says Niihara. "When Loudness was offered the South America rock festival show a few weeks ago, my side project XYZ-A's Japan tour had been booked already on the same week and the same day, so I won't be able to go to South America. Akira (Takasaki/guitars) wanted to play in South America so badly and he asked me, 'You can’t go there because of your schedule; can we have a special guest for that show?' and I said 'It is just my schedule-wise thing happening and I'm sorry about that, so please don’t hesitate having a someone for the show, I understand it.' However, I didn't know until you told me now that Mike would sing for me, though (laughs)."
"Who can sing for me but Mike?" Niihara adds. "I think he's the right choice in such a situation. I believe Loudness and Mike will kick some ass in South America show. I’d love to go to sing in South America some day, in the near future."