by Rob Theakston
Designed to commemorate the band's five-year anniversary, this double disc isn't as ferocious as Live-Loud-Alive, but it definitely serves as a thorough overview of the group's history up to that point in time. On this 15-song, three-solo showcase, Loudness are tenacious in their delivery of some of the group's finest hits as well as a few fan favorites, all to a very vocal and appreciative crowd. Of course, the real gem of the entire set is Akira Takasaki, whose guitar acrobatics deliver one blazing guitar scale after another, combined with guitar techniques that would make even the most proficient axe-grinder swoon with envy. Worth checking out for this very reason alone.