Asian Typhoon - Wings (2008)

Cost: 99¢

Ok, so this is actually the US re-release of X.Y.Z.→A's Wings album under the less cryptic Asian Typhoon bandname (which was also the name of their first album).  I found it odd the spines read "Asian Typhoon / X.Y.Z.→A" to stress the name change while neglecting the actual album title.

I knew Minoru Niihara was the vocalist beforehand, but didn't realize until reading the liner notes just before listening that Fumihiko Kitsutaka was the guitarist.  That got my hopes up, since Minoru did some guest vocals on Fumihiko's Never Ending Story album, which were the best tracks there.  His guitar playing is the highlight of the CD, and his largely neoclassical style gives the album an extremely strong power metal edge at times, although there's a lot of more rocking material here, and a hard rock undercurrent in general.  I suppose in a general sense, like current Loudness, you could classify it as some kind of contemporary heavy metal, although it doesn't get either as groovy or thrashy/extreme as newer Loudness, and the guitar playing is very different from Akira Takasaki's.  In some ways I'd say this is musically closer to Sly or Niihara's solo stuff than any era of Loudness.

My first impression wasn't that great as the first track is a ballad, and the second has off-putting barked gang backing vocals which are used in a couple songs.  It did grow on me, although the album is a bit uneven at times, and I definitely preferred the speedier/heavier material as a whole.  There is some token Japanese weirdness with "Optimism-Self Therapy"--the verses are essentially spoken word motivational speech/pep talk stuff in Japanese, with a chorus of "Wo wo wo, let's get happy."  Yeah...