LOUDNESS drummer diagnosed with cancer

Heavy metal band LOUDNESS announced on its website on Monday that 49-year-old drummer Munetaka Higuchi has been diagnosed with liver cancer. The growth was first noticed during a regular medical exam last month, and a follow-up exam last week identified it as cancer.

Higuchi is undergoing immediate treatment and will be unable to participate in the band’s upcoming tour that starts on the 22nd, though he assured his fans that he will eventually return to playing. His replacement for the tour has not yet been decided.

LOUDNESS became the first Japanese heavy metal band to release an album in the U.S. during the latter half of the 1980s, and they even appeared in the Billboard Top 100.

Source:
Sankei Sports