Origin: Japan  
Genres: 80's Metal
Last update/review: May 8, 2023

Anthem

Anthem were one of a handful of Japanese bands with similar histories, that being a brief glimpse of worldwide fame due to the release of a few early albums outside Japan, followed by a lengthy career relegated to their homeland. Their early work (the only material reviewed here) was similar in style to countrymen Loudness or Earthshaker.

Disbanded since 1992, the group reformed in 2000 and released the novel Heavy Metal Anthem album, a reworking of some older Anthem tunes now featuring noted vocalist Graham Bonnet. Since then, original vocalist Eizo Sakamoto (who hadn't sung with the band since 1987) has returned to the group, and the band has prospered since.

Current Members

Yukio Morikawa

vocals

Akio Shimizu

guitars

Naoto Shibata

bass (ex-Loudness)

Isamu Tamaru

drums

Former Members/Guests

Eizo Sakamoto

vocals (Animetal)

Graham Bonnet

vocals (ex-Alcatrazz, ex-Impellitteri, ex-Michael Schenker Group, ex-Rainbow)

Hiroya Fukuda

guitars

Hideaki Nakama

guitars

Yusuke Takahama (guest)

keyboards

Takamasa Ohuchi

drums

Hiro Homma

drums (ex-EZO, ex-Loudness)


Discography



Anthem  
1985 King
  1. Wild Anthem
  2. Red Light Fever
  3. Lay Down
  4. Racin' Rock
  5. Warning Action!
  6. Turn Back To The Night
  7. Rock n' Roll Stars
  8. Star Formation
  9. Steeler
  • Eizo Sakamoto
  • Hiroya Fukuda
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Takamasa Ohuchi


Ready To Ride  EP
1985 King
  1. Ready To Ride
  2. Shed
  3. Steeler
  4. Rock'n'Rollsters
  5. Lay Down
  • Eizo Sakamoto
  • Hiroya Fukuda
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Takamasa Ohuchi


Tightrope  
1986 Nexus/BD
  1. Victim In Your Eyes
  2. Night After Night
  3. Death To Death
  4. Tightrope Dancer
  5. Driving Wire
  6. Finger's On The trigger
  7. Light It Up
  8. Black Eyed Tough
  • Eizo Sakamoto
  • Hiroya Fukuda
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Takamasa Ohuchi


Bound To Break  
1987 Restless
  1. Bound To Break
  2. Empty Eyes
  3. The Show Must Go On!
  4. Rock n' Roll Survivor
  5. Soldiers
  6. Limited Lights
  7. Machine Made Dog
  8. No More Night
  9. Headstrong
  10. Fire n' The Sword
  • Eizo Sakamoto
  • Hiroya Fukuda
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Takamasa Ohuchi


The Show Carries On  LIVE
1987
  • Eizo Sakamoto
  • Hiroya Fukuda
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Takamasa Ohuchi


Gypsy Ways  
1988 Nexus
  1. Gypsy ways (Win, Lose Or Draw)
  2. Love In Vain
  3. Bad Habits Die Hard
  4. Legal Killing
  5. Cryin' Heart
  6. Silent Child
  7. Midnight Sun
  8. Shout It Out!
  9. Final Risk
  10. Night Stalker
  • Yukio Morikawa
  • Hiroya Fukuda
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Takamasa Ohuchi


Hunting Time  
1989 Nexus
  1. Evil Touch
  2. Sleepless Night
  3. Let Your Heart Beat
  4. Hunting Time
  5. Tears For The Lovers
  6. Jailbreak
  7. Bootle Bottom
  • Yukio Morikawa
  • Hiroya Fukuda
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Takamasa Ohuchi


No Smoke Without Fire  
1990 Nexus
  1. Walk
  2. Blinded Pain
  3. Love On The Edge
  4. Power And Blood
  5. Night We Stand
  6. hungry Soul
  7. Do You Understand
  8. Voice Of Thunderstorm
  9. fever eyes
  • Yukio Morikawa
  • Hideaki Nakama
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Takamasa Ohuchi


Best  COMPILATION
1990 Nexus


Domestic Booty  
1992
  1. Venom Strike
  2. Renegade
  3. Gold & Diamonds
  4. Mr. Genius
  5. Heavy Duty
  6. Blood Sky Crying
  7. Cry In The Night
  8. The Dice Of No Mercy
  9. Devil Inside
  10. Willesden High-Road
  11. Silent Cross
  • Yukio Morikawa
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Takamasa Ohuchi


Best II  COMPILATION
1992


Last Anthem  LIVE
1992
  • Yukio Morikawa
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Takamasa Ohuchi


Heavy Metal Anthem  
2000 JVC
  1. Gypsy Ways (Win, Lose or Draw)
  2. Evil Touch
  3. Show must go on
  4. Midnight Sun
  5. The Juggler
  6. Mr. Genius
  7. Cryin' Heart
  8. Hunting Time
  9. Hungry Soul
  10. Blinded Pain
  • Graham Bonnet
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Takamasa Ohuchi


Seven Hills  
2001 JVC
  1. Grieve Of Heart
  2. Racing Twister
  3. XTC
  4. The Man With No Name
  5. March To The Madness
  6. D.IlM. 422
  7. Running Blood
  8. Freedom
  9. Silently And Perfectly
  10. The Innocent Man
  • Eizo Sakamoto
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Hiro Homma


Overload  
2002 JVC
  • Eizo Sakamoto
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Hiro Homma


Live' Melt Down  LIVE
2003 Victor
  1. Demon's Ride
  2. Overload
  3. Machine Made Dog
  4. Venom Strike
  5. Tears for the Lovers
  6. Silent Child
  7. Cryin' Heart
  8. Gotta Go
  9. Grieve of Heart
  10. Running Blood
  11. Revenge
  12. Wild Anthem
  13. Steeler
  • Eizo Sakamoto
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Hiro Homma


Live' Melt Down: The Show Still Carries On  VIDEO LIVE
2003 Victor


Eternal Warrior  
2004 Victor
  1. Onslaught
  2. Eternal Warrior
  3. Soul Cry
  4. Life Goes On
  5. Let the New Day Come
  6. Distress
  7. Bleeding
  8. Omega Man ()
  9. Easy Mother
  10. Mind Slide
  • Eizo Sakamoto
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Hiro Homma


The Show Carries On! (Complete Version)  
2005 Nexus
  1. Limited Lights
  2. Machine Made Dog
  3. Empty Eyes
  4. Tightrope Dancer
  5. Show Must Go On!
  6. Soldiers
  7. Black Eyed Tough
  8. Bound to Break
  9. [guitar solo / drum solo]
  10. Headstrong
  11. Night After Night
  12. Lay Down
  13. Rock 'n' Roll Stars
  14. Steeler
  15. Wild Anthem
  16. Soldiers *
  17. Rock 'n' Roll Survivor *
  18. Warning Action! *
  • Eizo Sakamoto
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Hiro Homma


Prologue Live Boxx  LIVE
2005 Nexus
  1. Bound to Break
  2. Empty Eyes
  3. Show Must Go On!
  4. Rock 'n' Roll Survivor
  5. Soldiers
  6. Limited Lights
  7. Machine Made Dog
  8. No More Night
  9. Headstrong
  10. Fire 'n' the Sword
  11. Victim in Your Eyes
  12. Night After Night
  13. Death to Death
  14. Tightrope Dancer
  15. Driving Wire
  16. Fingers on the Trigger
  17. Light It Up
  18. Black Eyed Tough
  19. Wild Anthem
  20. Red Light Fever
  21. Lay Down
  22. Racin' Rock
  23. Warning Action!
  24. Turn Back to the Night
  25. Rock 'n' Roll Stars
  26. Blind City
  27. Star Formation
  28. Steeler
  • Eizo Sakamoto
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Hiro Homma


Official Bootleg  COMPILATION
2005 Nexus
  1. Death to Death
  2. Tightrope Dancer
  3. Black Eyed Tough
  4. Wild Anthem
  5. Bad Habits Die Hard
  6. Night Stalker
  7. Tears for the Lover
  8. Hungry Soul
  9. Blinded Pain
  10. Venom Strike
  11. Gold & Diamonds
  12. The Dice of No Mercy
  13. Renegade


Immortal  
2006 Replica
  1. Immortal Bind
  2. Soul Motor
  3. Mob Groove
  4. Ignite
  5. The Beginning
  6. Freak Out!
  7. Insomnia
  8. Unknown World
  9. Betrayer
  10. Echoes in the Dark
  11. Road to Nowhere
  • Eizo Sakamoto
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Hiro Homma


Core  COMPILATION
2007 JVC
  1. Grieve Of Heart
  2. XTC
  3. The Man With No Name
  4. Running Blood
  5. The Voices
  6. Demon's Ride
  7. Rescue You
  8. Lady Jane
  9. Onslaught
  10. Eternal Warrior
  11. Life Goes On
  12. Omega Man
  13. Immortal Blind
  14. Soul Motor
  15. The Beginning
  16. Echoes In The Dark
  17. Gypsy Ways (Win, Lose, Or Draw) (English Version)


Black Empire  
2008 Victor
  1. Black Empire
  2. Heat of the night
  3. You
  4. Go insane
  5. Walk through of night
  6. Emptiness world
  7. Telling you
  8. Pilgrim
  9. Awake
  10. Perfect crawler
  • Eizo Sakamoto
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Hiro Homma


Live Immortal  VIDEO
2009 Victor


Prologue Live Boxx 2  
2010 Victor
  1. 01 - Gypsy Ways (Win, Lose Or Draw)
  2. 02 - Love In Vain
  3. 03 - Bad Habits Die Hard
  4. 04 - Legal Killing
  5. 05 - Cryin' Heart
  6. 06 - Silent Child
  7. 07 - Midnight Sun
  8. 08 - Shout It Out!
  9. 09 - Final Risk
  10. 10 - Night Stalker
  • Eizo Sakamoto
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Hiro Homma


Heraldic Device  
2011 JVC
  1. The Sign
  2. Contagious
  3. Go!
  4. Blind Alley
  5. Rockbound
  6. Wayfaring Man
  7. Code Of The Silence
  8. In The Dead Of Night
  9. Remains
  10. Living Proof
  • Eizo Sakamoto
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Hiro Homma


Burning Oath  
2012 Universal
  1. Evil One
  2. Unbroken Sign
  3. Overture
  4. On & On
  5. Get Away
  6. Struggle Action
  7. Ghost in the Flame
  8. Double Helix
  9. Face the Core
  10. Life and Crime
  11. Dance Alone
  • Eizo Sakamoto
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Hiro Homma


Absolute World  
2014
  • Yukio Morikawa
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Isamu Tamaru


Trimetallic  LIVE
2015


Engraved  
2017
  • Yukio Morikawa
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Isamu Tamaru


Nucleus  
2019
  • Yukio Morikawa
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Isamu Tamaru


Explosive -Studio Jam-  
2020
  • Yukio Morikawa
  • Graham Bonnet
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Yusuke Takahama
  • Isamu Tamaru


Crimson & Jet Black  
2023 Ward
  1. Snake Eyes
  2. Wheels of Fire
  3. Howling Days
  4. Roaring Vortex
  5. Blood Brothers
  6. Master of Disaster
  7. Void Ark
  8. Faster
  9. Burn Down the Wall
  10. Mystic Echoes
  11. Danger Flight
  • Yukio Morikawa
  • Akio Shimizu
  • Naoto Shibata
  • Isamu Tamaru



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