Many have laid claim to the title of Japan's premier rock act but in truth only one band has a serious stake on that claim and that band is LOUDNESS. Released on July 21st 1982, the second Loudness album Devil Soldier' benefited greatly from the creative input of one Daniel McClendon, brother of one time UFO guitarist Tommy McClendon, who was drafted in to help with the sound of the album due to the lack of experienced studio engineers in Japan at the time. As per its predecessor, the album proved a great success in Japan and was awarded the acolade of best metal album of the year by the Japanese record industry.
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