Engine

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.