Lightning Strikes is the sixth studio album by the Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese heavy metal

Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 band Loudness

Loudness (band)

is a Japan-based heavy metal band formed in 1981 by guitarist Akira Takasaki and drummer Munetaka Higuchi. They were the first Japanese heavy metal act signed to a major label in the United States, releasing twenty-three studio albums...

. The album, which was released on July 25, 1986, remained 15 weeks in the U.S. charts, peaking at #64 (Billboard 200

Billboard 200

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

). The album was produced by Max Norman

Max Norman

Max Norman is a retired record producer and recording engineer in the 1980s and 1990s. He produced many acclaimed heavy metal releases, and was renowned for his top notch production. Max got his "big break" while he was the resident engineer at Ridge Farm Studios in London, England...

. Lyrics for the album are credited to Loudness, even if producer Max Norman did a lot of uncredited work on them.

The album begins with the most commercial sounding song on the album, "Let It Go." However, the rest of the album is in a heavier mold, and is in a relatively similar style to the previous album, Thunder in the East.

The album is known as Shadows of War in Japan, where it was released on March 24, 1986. The tracks are in a different order, and the song "Ashes in the Sky" is known as "Shadows of War." There is also a slight difference in some vocal melodies and arrangements.

Track listing (Japanese Version)

1. "Shadows of War" - 6:02
2. "Let It Go" - 4:13
3. "Streetlife Dreams" - 4:28
4. "Black Star Oblivion" - 3:55
5. "1000 Eyes" - 4:35
6. "Complication" - 4:00
7. "Dark Desire" - 4:19
8. "Face to Face" - 3:49
9. "Who Knows (Time to Make a Stand)" - 4:02

Track listing (U.S. Version)

1. "Let It Go" - 4:13
2. "Dark Desire" - 4:19
3. "1000 Eyes" - 4:35
4. "Face to Face" - 3:49
5. "Who Knows" - 4:02
6. "Ashes in the Sky" - 6:02
7. "Black Star Oblivion" - 3:55
8. "Street Life Dream" - 4:28
9. "Complication" - 4:00

All music by Akira Takasaki

Akira Takasaki

is the lead guitarist and founding member of the Japanese heavy metal band, Loudness.-Career:He started his career as a guitarist, winning a TV contest for young music talents at the age of 14. He was rapidly put under contract to be part of the pop-rock band Lazy, of which drummer Munetaka Higuchi...

, except "Face to Face" by Masayoshi Yamashita

Masayoshi Yamashita

is the original and current bass guitarist of the Japanese heavy metal band, Loudness.He first started playing bass in a band called Black Rose...

. Lyrics by Loudness

Band members

• Minoru Niihara
  Minoru Niihara
  is the original and current lead singer of the Japanese heavy metal band, Loudness.His first band was Earthshaker, in which he played bass and sang. His vocal style was influenced by blues singers, but he adapted quickly his voice to the high pitch tones requested in a heavy metal act...
  
   - vocals
• Akira Takasaki
  Akira Takasaki
  is the lead guitarist and founding member of the Japanese heavy metal band, Loudness.-Career:He started his career as a guitarist, winning a TV contest for young music talents at the age of 14. He was rapidly put under contract to be part of the pop-rock band Lazy, of which drummer Munetaka Higuchi...
  
   - guitars
• Masayoshi Yamashita
  Masayoshi Yamashita
  is the original and current bass guitarist of the Japanese heavy metal band, Loudness.He first started playing bass in a band called Black Rose...
  
   - bass
• Munetaka Higuchi
  Munetaka Higuchi
  was the original drummer of the Japanese heavy metal band, Loudness.Since very young, he was considered a talented drummer. During his high school years, Higuchi played in seven bands. But he was not happy with this situation, wanting to focus his time on only one band...
  
   - drums

Production

• Max Norman
  Max Norman
  Max Norman is a retired record producer and recording engineer in the 1980s and 1990s. He produced many acclaimed heavy metal releases, and was renowned for his top notch production. Max got his "big break" while he was the resident engineer at Ridge Farm Studios in London, England...
  
   - producer
• Bill Freesh - engineer
• Masachi Goto - assistant engineer
• Bob Ludwig
  Bob Ludwig
  Bob Ludwig is an American mastering engineer.He is a well known and respected figure within the music industry. His name is credited on the covers of albums released across the world, and he has won numerous awards....
  
  - mastering
• George Azuma - supervisor