1999's Engine is the final installment from the Loudness comeback lineup that features band founder and guitarist Akira Takasaki alongside former EZO vocalist Masaki Yamada.
The dark, bombastic release generally sticks with the resurging group's mid-'90s formula, which draws from a variety of diverse influences.
From the revved-up nu-metal of "Junk His Head" and "Bug Killer" to the Zeppelin-esque Middle Eastern wallop of "Ace in the Hole," Engine leans into a pronounced minor-key bombast from start to finish.
Takasaki's compositions still feature the inverted rhythms and jagged guitar riffs fans expect, while Yamada's gravel-throated, Ian Gillan delivery adds a distinct classic metal flavor.
The dyspeptic salute to Alice in Chains, "2008 (Candra)," is a tad excessive, and the anonymous production (a career-long struggle for Loudness) ensures yet another low score on the personality scale for the aging metal outfit.
But despite these predictable faults, Engine has enough muscle to uphold Takasaki and Yamada's high musical standards.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soul Tone | Loudness | Play | 02:37 | 5 MB | 12 MB |
| 2 | Bug Killer | Loudness | Play | 05:04 | 11 MB | 39 MB |
| 3 | Black Biohazard | Loudness | Play | 03:53 | 8 MB | 29 MB |
| 4 | Twist of Chain | Loudness | Play | 03:39 | 8 MB | 26 MB |
| 5 | Apocalypse | Loudness | Play | 04:09 | 9 MB | 30 MB |
| 6 | Ace in the Hole | Loudness | Play | 04:09 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 7 | Sweet Dreams | Loudness | Play | 04:37 | 10 MB | 33 MB |
| 8 | Asylum | Loudness | Play | 06:27 | 14 MB | 51 MB |
| 9 | Burning Eye Balls | Loudness | Play | 04:58 | 11 MB | 32 MB |
| 10 | Junk His Head | Loudness | Play | 05:47 | 13 MB | 40 MB |
| 11 | Coming Home | Loudness | Play | 06:07 | 14 MB | 41 MB |
| 12 | Bad Date-Nothin' I Can Do | LOUDNESS | Play | 02:58 | 6 MB | 22 MB |
| 13 | 2008 (Candra Getten) | LOUDNESS | Play | 02:44 | 6 MB | 21 MB |
| 57 mins | 131 MB | |||||
| 57 mins | 411 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loudness | Primary Artist |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |