Ezo

The first Japanese metal band to make an impression on the United States was Loudness (albeit a slight one, during the mid-'80s), which led to a few other Far East metal outfits being signed to U.S. recording contracts, such as EZO. The group formed in the early '80s with a lineup that consisted of members Masaki Yamada on vocals, Shoyo Iida on guitar, Taro Takahashi on bass, and Hiro Homma on drums, and issued a pair of recordings under the name of Flatbacker in Japan. Shortly after relocating to the U.S., the band caught the attention of Kiss bassist/business mogul Gene Simm...