Loudness followed their popular "Thunder In The East" album with the chops-heavy hard rock of Lightning Strikes, further evidence of guitarist Akira Takasaki's representing kind of an Eastern George Lynch. Powerful tracks such as "Ashes In The Sky" and "Street Life Dream" (a showcase of amazing Takasaki guitar work) drive the album, while "100 Eyes" is a mid-'80s primer of riffs. Lightning Strikes was the band's first album conceived specifically for the U.S. market, and was directed by veteran metal producer Max Norman (Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth), who assisted the band by adding commercial elements into their classic metal sound for the first time. These guys have been pumping out beautiful, heart pounding musical pieces since 1981, and are still rocking on today. Hard Rock, total running time, 39:23