"Akira Takasaki-Lightning Personified"Oct 15 '00 Write an essay on this topic.Underrated? This guy is virtually unheard of...and one of the best kept secrets in music. Akira Takasaki is a founding member of the Japanese metal band..."LOUDNESS" and has recorded three solo projects that are diverse and dynamic in style and content. "LOUDNESS" was officially formed in 1981 and are presently touring behind their new release..."Engine". Akira Takasaki is definitely one of my favorite musicians. His overt knowledge and skills as a guitarist seem to be limitless. The supreme driving force behind "LOUDNESS", Akira has explored and mastered the many facets of the six string and has pushed it beyond its capabilities. Akira Takasaki is a musician that displays depth, feeling and emotion through his highly technical and complex playing. His incredible mastery of his instrument is flawless...melodic, fierce, flashy and fast as lightning. Akira shreds and burns with a passion that is very unique and diverse in attack and style. Intelligent and intricate, Akira Takasaki's approach to music takes on many forms...from blistering flashy solo's to delicate, melodic mood phrasings that captivate and hypnotize the listener. His harmonic deliveries and fast fingered hammering's are electrifying and filled with a vibrant intensity that will leave you in awe. His sense of rhythm and his incorporation of different fingering techniques within one solo are amazing to say the least. This man is one of heavy metal's greatest talents...a well versed musician that takes music's complex theories and rearranges them, creating his own sound and style. This man will and can give Steve Vai and Eddie Van Halen a run for their money. Akira's equipment has varied throughout the years...in the 80's, he solely relied on "ESP" guitars...his new weapon of choice is "Killer" guitars, combined with two huge effects racks and various pedals. His explosive sound is blasted out of Marshall Stacks and Mesa Boogie amps. This musical beast has shown aggressive chops, crunching riffs, screaming note bending solo's and has displayed classical style runs that are incredible to behold...a genius in my book, Akira is the unsung guitar master of heavy metal. Some of his most noted work is with "LOUDNESS". You can hear his extensive talents on such releases as "Disillusion", "Law Of Devil's Land", "Live-Loud-Alive", "Hurricane Eyes" and "Thunder In The East"...just to name a few. Perfectionist, brutal axe slinger, musical diety...Akira Takasaki is all these things and more. His skill far surpasses many American guitar players in approach, dedication and style. Underrated? You bet he is...and he deserves to be recognized for his brilliant talents. Required Listening: 1.SPEED-taken from (Live-Loud-Alive) studio release(Disillusion) His true talents are revealed in all their glory...Live! Lightning fast rhythm style with blistering solo work...incredible stuff. 2.DREAM FANTASY-taken from (Disillusion) Crunching riffs at their best...stinging guitar work that screams with energy and vibrance. 3.NIGHT BEAST-taken from (Loud N' Rare) Harmonic riffing with a fierce attitude...flashy and high powered note infested solo...screaming wails that cut like razors...simply superb. 4.WE COULD BE TOGETHER-taken from (Thunder In The East) Akira displays his more Americanized metal style... repetitive biting riffs accompanied by finger fluttering fills...he definitely is restrained on this release. They wanted to make a big noise in the States...but were unsuccessful. His solo's are not that amazing...many American guitarist's could be just as capable. 5.NO WAY OUT-taken from (Thunder In The East) Nice guitar work on this one...flurried rhythms and harmonic power chords...fancy strumming...his style is still restrained though. 6.HEAVY CHAINS-taken from (Thunder In The East) The intro is slow, melodic and moody...sounds a lot like Michael Schenker when he was in UFO. A really good song, but nothing too impressive here. 7.SLAUGHTERHOUSE-taken from (Once And For All)-Live Mad frenetic power riffing...Akira's sound is brutal...his shredding solo work is absolutely devastating. This song kills! A thrash fest with incredible power and strength. 8.EXPLODER/HEAVENWARD-taken from (Live-Loud-Alive) Akira takes center stage to display the many talents he possesses...a super fast display of some blistering fret work. Wailing feedback and screaming note asphyxiation's that are beyond description...wow! 9.LONG DISTANCE LOVE(Super Mix)-taken from (Loud N' Rare) A pop oriented tune that shows another aspect of his diversity...some of the bridge riffing sounds like Eddie Van Halen...melodic chord progressions that give this song full emotional depth. 10.BLACK WALL-taken from (Law Of Devil's Land) Nice melodic intro filled with intricate finger skills...a flashy solo that isn't overstated. 11.TUSK OF JAGUAR-taken from (Live-Loud-Alive)-studio release(Tusk Of Jaguar) Full blown instrumental that is filled with high speed guitar theatrics...Akira is all over the fret board...an excursion into Akira's blistering virtuoso workings. Akira Takasaki must be heard and seen, to fully appreciate his talents...I had the privileged of witnessing his brilliance live and he blew me right out of my shoes. Most of "LOUDNESS'" material is only obtainable as import titles and are quite expensive...try $50 bucks for one cd. If you are a true music lover, the money is well worth the effort...Akira Takasaki...a guitar god that will exceed all your expectation and surprise you with his limitless talents. DOMO ARIGATO FOLKS!!!!!  |
| Read all comments (9)|Write your own comment |
