Anthem

Biography

Anthem (アンセム, Ansemu) is a Japanese heavy metal band that was formed during the early 1980s in Tokyo. They are among the many heavy metal bands founded in Japan during that time and are considered to be one of the most successful and influential, alongside Loudness and Earthshaker.

Early years (1981–1985)

Anthem was founded in Tokyo during 1980 as a quartet, composed of singer Toshihito Maeda, guitarist Akifumi Koyanagi, bass player Naoto Shibata (also known as "Ski") and drummer Takamasa Ohuchi. Koyanagi left in late 1983 to be replaced by Hiroya Fukuda. In December 1984, vocalist Toshihito Maeda also left and Anthem drafted Eizo Sakamoto for their debut eponymous album, issued in July 1985 by Nexus and licensed to Europe via Roadrunner Records.

Success (1985–1992)

Their first studio release featured classic songs like "Wild Anthem" and "Warning Action". Their first EP single in 1986, entitled "Xanadu×XANADU21 December 1986 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAXANADUBXANADU ACT II", was the first known song to be used for promotion of a brand new video game, namely Nihon Falcom's computer RPG Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu. Their second album, Tightrope×Tightrope21 April 1986 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Victim in Your Eyes3:43A2Night After Night5:23A3Death to Death4:14A4Tightrope Dancer4:22B1Driving Wire4:22B2Finger's on the Trigger4:32B3Light It Up5:53B4Black Eyed Tough4:23, released 21 April 1986, showcased a more catchy, melodic sound with an improved vocal performance by Sakamoto. Bound to Break was to be the last album featuring Eizo Sakamoto for nearly two decades. The album was full of classics ("Empty Eyes", "Bound to Break×BOUND TO BREAK5 March 1987 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Bound to Break4:19A2Empty Eyes4:02A3Show Must Go On!3:40A4Rock 'n' Roll Survivor4:03A5Soldiers4:23B1Limited Lights1:23B2Machine Made Dog4:53B3No More Night4:35B4Headstrong5:10B5Fire 'n' the Sword5:14", "Soldiers") and introduced the band's long-time world-famous producer, Chris Tsangarides (perhaps best known for producing Judas Priest's classic 1990 album, Painkiller). With the departure of Sakamoto in 1988, Shibata recruited Yukio Morikawa to the band's vocal position. With Morikawa came the album Gypsy Ways×GYPSY WAYS21 May 1988 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Gypsy Ways (Win, Lose or Draw)5:21A2Love in Vain4:23A3Bad Habits Die Hard4:35A4Legal Killing4:42A5Cryin’ Heart5:02B1Silent Child4:28B2Midnight Sun4:41B3Shout It Out!4:21B4Final Risk4:09B5Night Stalker5:04, considered the band's most popular album. Morikawa's voice made the band a great success at that time and he was similar in style, vocal range and ability to Graham Bonnet. In 1989, the album Hunting Time×Hunting Time21 May 1989 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1The Juggler3:502Hunting Time5:583Evil Touch4:354Tears for the Lovers5:065Sleepless Night3:566Jailbreak (Goin' for Broke)4:207Let Your Heart Beat5:478Bottle Bottom4:03 was released and the song "The Juggler" was used as a PV. In the beginning of 90s, Anthem dealt with another departure: after the album No Smoke Without Fire×No Smoke Without Fire21 March 1990 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Shadow Walk5:002Hungry Soul5:033Blinded Pain6:514Do You Understand?4:525Love on the Edge5:306Voice of Thunderstorm3:307Power & Blood4:338Fever Eyes3:449The Night We Stand5:13 was completed, this time without the band's staple producer / engineer Chris Tsangarides, Hiroya Fukuda (guitar) left and was replaced by Hideaki 'Shadow Walker' Nakama. Hideaki Nakama left the band after the tour was done and the search for a new guitarist began.

Disbandment (1992–2000)

After many auditions, the young Akio Shimizu joined the band to replace Nakama. In 1992, the band released Domestic Booty. However, classic-style heavy metal was out of fashion in the early 90s, and with the explosion of grunge in the U.S. and the visual kei movement in Japanese music, Shibata decided to put an end to the band. The members of Anthem followed the album's release with a tour covering many cities of Japan and released the VHS/CD Last Anthem: Live recorded at Nissin Power Station, which was the band's last show for nearly eight years.

Reform (2000–2011)

After the long hiatus, Anthem returned in 2000, with the album Heavy Metal Anthem×Heavy Metal Anthem21 April 2000 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Gypsy Ways (Win, Lose or Draw)5:472Evil Touch4:483Show Must Go On!3:524Midnight Sun4:445The Juggler3:496Mr. Genius4:337Cryin' Heart4:478Hunting Time6:029Hungry Soul5:2310Blinded Pain7:16 which featured the vocalist Graham Bonnet (former lead singer of Rainbow and Alcatrazz). The album is entirely composed by classic songs of the band rearranged with English lyrics. The lineup on Heavy Metal Anthem was: Graham Bonnet (vocals), Naoto Shibata (bass), Akio Shimizu (guitar) and Takamasa Oouchi (drums).
Later, Hirotsugu Homma (who had played together with Shibata in Loudness) replaced Takamasa Oouchi on drums and Eizo Sakamoto returned to the vocals. In 2001, they released Seven Hills. In 2002 came Overload, which is considered by most critics to be much more aggressive than Seven Hills. In 2003, the band recorded Live' Melt Down at Citta Club Kawasaki. In 2004 the band released the single "Onslaught×Onslaught9 June 2004 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Onslaught5:122Eternal Warrior5:063Soul Cry4:09" followed by the album Eternal Warrior×ETERNAL WARRIOR21 July 2004 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Onslaught5:132Eternal Warrior5:063Soul Cry4:084Life Goes On6:015Let the New Day Come4:506Distress5:577Bleeding4:058Omega Man4:069Easy Mother4:4110Mind Slide7:03, which continued in the same sound direction as Overload×OVERLOAD9 October 2002 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Revenge4:212The Voices3:473Demon's Ride4:264Rough and Wild4:085Rescue You4:066Ground Zero3:217Overload4:298Desert of the Sea5:149Gotta Go4:1410Eternal Mind4:18. In 2005, Anthem celebrated their twentieth anniversary with a special tour, where all members of the band since 1985 played the band songs in their respective formations. The Kawasaki show of this tour was filmed and released on DVD as "20th Anniversary Tour".
In 2006 Anthem released Immortal, followed by the single and PV of "Immortal Bind×Immortal Bind12 July 2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Immortal Bind4:312Mob Groove4:29". The most recent output has seen Anthem push even further into the Power Metal-tinged style showcased on Domestic Booty and Eternal Warrior with 2008's Black Empire. A PV of "Heat of the Night×Heat of the Night29 October 2008 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Heat of the Night4:042Awake4:553I Don't Care4:22" was released shortly after the album hit in November 2008 and has thus far garnered even more positive critical reviews than Immortal.
Their much anticipated album Heraldic Device×HERALDIC DEVICE6 July 2011 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1THE SIGN4:012CONTAGIOUS5:013GO!3:414BLIND ALLEY3:565ROCKBOUND4:226WAYFARING MAN5:477CODE OF THE SILENCE3:458IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT5:199REMAINS4:3910LIVING PROOF4:37 was released in 2011. This was their last album with record label company JVC.

2012–present

As of 2012, Anthem has signed with record label Universal Music and has released a new single "Evil One×Evil One26 September 2012 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Evil One4:162Empty Eyes (Studio Live Recordings Ver. 1.1)4:063Shadow Walk (Studio Live Recordings Ver. 1.1)5:13" in September 2012 and following with an album, Burning Oath×BURNING OATH24 October 2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Evil One4:152Unbroken Sign4:143Overture0:564On and On3:585Get Away5:016Struggle Action3:477Ghost in the Flame7:558Double Helix3:499Face the Core3:3510Life and Crime4:4111Dance Alone4:46, that was released in October 2012.
On 10 January 2013, the band announced it was on hiatus after Shibata was diagnosed with stomach cancer. The bassist declared that he was cancer-free and healthy as of 2021. After the recovery of Shibata the band played a couple of return shows in July 2013 with the Live Circus Tour following these again in September and October 2013.
In February 2014 singer Eizo Sakamoto left the band for a second time and was replaced by former singer Yukio Morikawa. The group also announced that drummer Isamu Tamaru, who had been filling in as a guest drummer for the band since 2012, would replace Homma as the permanent member. Production of a new album will start in the spring. A kick off tour with the new line-up was also undertaken: 7/19 Nagoya, 7/26 Osaka, 8/2 Kawasaki.
Absolute World, Yukio Morikawa's first album as the band's vocalist since Domestic Booty×Domestic Booty16 March 1992 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Venom Strike4:492Renegade4:453Gold & Diamonds4Mr. Genius4:425Heavy Duty5:326Blood Sky Crying0:467Cry In The Night4:198The Dice Of No Mercy6:159Devil Inside5:2610Willesden High-Road2:0311Silent Cross6:21 in 1992, was released on 22 October 2014. The band toured throughout November in support of the album.
On 17 April, the band announced through its website, the title of their next album, Engraved×Engraved21 June 2017 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1THE ARTERY SONG2FAR AWAY3KEEP YOUR SPIRIT ALIVE4LINKAGE5MIDNIGHT GROWL6REACTIVE DESIRE7SACRED TRACE8PAINT MYSELF9FROZEN FATE10DON’T BREAK AWAY11ENGRAVED, which was released 21 June 2017. A video was released for the single, "The Artery Song×The Artery Song31 May 2017 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1The Artery Song3:492Eternal Warrior (From Live Circus 2016)5:283Awake (From Live Circus 2016)5:12."
The band announced that their greatest hits album, Nucleus×Nucleus29 March 2019 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Immortal Bind4:322Black Empire4:513Overload4:254Stranger4:175Linkage4:516Eternal Warrior5:067Ghost in the Flame7:598Venom Strike4:489Awake4:5410Omega Man4:0711Pain4:1712Echoes in the Dark5:0913Unbroken Sign4:19, which will feature English-language versions of their songs, will be released on 29 March 2019 by Nuclear Blast Records. On 17 December 2018, the band released "Black Empire×BLACK EMPIRE29 October 2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Black Empire4:342Heat of the Night4:053You3:554Go Insane4:435Walk Through the Night4:486Emptiness World5:127Telling You4:138Pilgrim4:229Awake4:5610Perfect Crawler4:51", originally sung by Eizo Sakamoto and now by Yukio Morikawa, as the first single off the album. Anthem announced an Anthem 2001 vs. Anthem 2021 tour for 2021 in which old and current members appeared on stage.

Current members

Yukio Morikawa: lead vocals (1988–1992, 2014–present)
Akio Shimizu: guitars, backing vocals (1991–1992, 2000–present)
Naoto Shibata: bass, backing vocals (1981–1992, 2000–present)
Isamu Tamaru: drums (2012–present)

Former members

Toshihito Maeda: lead vocals (1981–1984)
Eizo Sakamoto: lead vocals (1984–1988, 2000–2014)
Akifumi Koyanagi: guitars (1981–1983)
Hiroya Fukuda: guitars (1983–1990)
Hideaki Nakama: guitars (1990–1991)
Takamasa Ohuchi: drums (1981–1992)
Hirotsugu Homma: drums (2000–2012)

Compilations

1990: Best 1981–1990
1992: Best II 1981–1992
1998: The Very Best of Anthem
2001: Anthem Ways
2005: Official Bootleg (CD version)
2005: Official Bootleg (boxed set)
2007: Core: Best of Anthem 2000–2007
2015: Anthems 2000–2011 (2CDs + DVD)
2019: Nucleus

Video/DVD

1987: The Show Carries On
2001: Back Then
2003: Live' Melt Down: The Show Still Carries On
2005: Anthem 20th Anniversary Tour 2005
2009: Live Immortal
2013: Live Unbroken
2016: 30+