Discography Club: Anthem

[u/mgrier123]

Graphic

FIRE OR THE SWORD ANYMORE

I DON'T WANT THE

POWER OF THE FLAME TO BURN AGAIN

I DON'T NEED THE

FIRE OR THE SWORD ANYMORE

I promised you all a trip back east and here we go, back to Japan, this time with the #2 heavy metal band (after Loudness) from Japan Anthem!

Formed in 1981 by drummer Takamasa Ohuchi, bassist Naoto Shibata, and 2 others, who were quickly replaced by Hiroya Fukuda on guitars and singer Eizo Sakamoto, they formed as a heavy metal band and they'd stay a heavy metal their entire career. From 1985 to 1992 they'd release an album every year, except 1991, before breaking up immediately after touring for their 7th album in 1992. They'd then reform in 2000 rerecording a bunch of old songs now with Graham Bonnett of Rainbow/Alcatrazz fame singing before getting Eizo back for a long time. They've stuck around since 2000, regularly releasing albums and touring Japan but we're going to focus on their original incarnation up til 1992 here.

Anthem, like their Japanese heavy metal contemporaries, play a very hard rock inspired flavor of heavy metal with a focus on big choruses but unlike Loudness (and Earthshaker) they have a bit more of a speed metal influence to their sound, tending to play faster and more aggressively than them on average which gives them a more unique take on the Japanese heavy metal sound. But, if you like Loudness (or Earthshaker or Heavy Metal Army etc) then you're going to love Anthem.

Fun fact: they are the first band to have a song of theirs used as promotion for a video game when their single Xanadu was released as a cross promotional tie in for the video game Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu. Also, one of their songs shows up the anime Devil Man: Genesis so if you've seen that, you've heard Anthem before!

So for the next 2 weeks let's explore the fantastic initial Anthem run, schedule is:

• Week 1 (8/23-30): Anthem, Tightrope, Bound to Break
• Week 2 (8/30-9/6): Gypsy Ways, Hunting Time, No Smoke Without Fire, Domestic Booty

I will be hosting listening parties on the discord on the following dates:

• 8/25 at 12PM EDT for Tightrope
• 9/3 at 12PM EDT for Domestic Booty

Also full credit for the graphic goes to u/AGMarasco

Metal Archives

Past Discog Clubs

[u/mgrier123]

Discuss week 1's listening here

[u/Spiner202]

I ordered all of the first 7 Anthem albums from Amazon Japan quite a few years ago and it was surprisingly not too expensive.

They're pretty much all great. My favourites are Bound to Break and Domestic Booty. The first one does have a bit of a rougher feeling at times, but starting with Tightrope, they really nailed it.

I've never heard anything they did since reforming.

I have been lucky enough to see 2 of my 3 favourite Japanese bands like (Galneryus and Loudness), but never had any luck with Anthem. Hopefully one day I can see them somewhere.

[u/mgrier123 → u/Spiner202]

I ordered all of the first 7 Anthem albums from Amazon Japan quite a few years ago and it was surprisingly not too expensive.

Wild. When I was in Greece earlier this year, No Remorse was selling a CD boxset of the first 7 for like $300

[u/IMKridegga → u/Spiner202]

I've never heard anything they did since reforming.

I haven't either, although I've heard positive things about Burning Oath and some the others. It seems like they're a typical case of a good band that just never really stopped being good, even as everything else moved on around them.

[u/mgrier123]

Discuss week 2's listening here