Rare track "Xanadu" by Anthem is now available to buy on Amazon Music

This is really something special if you're a fan of the old Japanese metal band ANTHEM like I am.

It's a promotional song that they made for the Falcom video game Xanadu back in 1986.

I've been looking for this track for years, thinking it was only ever going to be available on rare import 1980s vinyl, and I thought I'd never be able to buy a copy.

But here we are:



I just "bought" this track for myself with the free MP3 store credit Amazon give you when you buy something on Amazon Prime and tell them not to hurry about it. :)

The sound quality is as good as you'd expect from any of their CD releases of their 1980s albums. Absolutely 100% crystal clear!

I tried looking further, and... alas, still no sign of Xanadu Act 2! And if only they had the Falcom Special Box '90 up there for Holy Fighter and Protecters.

But still, wow! Getting a copy of this track, especially for free in a promotion... it's like receiving a surprise gold bar!

EIZO JAPAN - upcoming album

This is one to look forward to! Anyone who is a fan of Sakamoto Eizo (lead singer of Anthem, Animetal and an ex member of JAM Project) should look into this!

He's got a new album of covers of anime songs coming out at the end of August 2009 in Japan - it's available to preorder on CD Japan.

Tracklisting from his official website

Engine Sentai Go-onger
Pegasus Fantasy (Saint Seiya)
Butter-Fly (Digimon)
Unbalance na Kiss o Shite (Yu Yu Hakusho)
Turn A Turn (Turn A Gundam)
Geki! Teikoku Kagekidan (Sakura Wars)
Kimi o Nosete (Laputa: Castle in the Sky)
DELUGE(Instrumental)
Dengeki Sentai Changeman
Aiai Mikochan (Norakuro)
Kioku no Umi (School Days)
Hana - Shinomori Aoshi no Theme (Rurouni Kenshin)
Towa no Mirai (Rurouni Kenshin)
Pegasus Fantasy Acoustic Ver (Saint Seiya)

It'll be good to hear the self-cover of Animetal's Towa no Mirai (presuming it is a cover). I saw a video on youtube of him singing Butter-Fly live at an anime song event, it seems to be a song with a resurgence in popularity, which is great because it's always been a fun song. ^_^ I have wanted to hear him sing the Sakura Taisen theme for ages too. ^_^

It mentions on his English MySpace page that "We are also promoting overseas. Working hard to bring the album to your countries!!", I think that means concerts rather than the CD being released internationally, but I can't be sure. I think I'll put an order in for the Japanese version anyway.

EDIT: 2009-07-15

Keep an eye on his official myspace page! It now contains clips from the album to listen to, and he'd revealed that he will start recording EIZO JAPAN 2 next month! :D