Premier Heavy Metal act ANTHEM was founded in Tokyo during 1981 as a quartet of singer Toshihito Maeda, guitarist Akifumi Koyanagi, bass player Naoto 'Ski' Shibata and drummer Takamasa Ohuchi. Koyanagi left in November 1983 to be replaced by Hiroya Fukada. In December 1984 vocalist Toshihito Maeda also left and ANTHEM drafted Eizo Sakamoto for their debut eponymous album issued in July 1985 by Nexus and licensed to Europe via Roadrunner Records. This set would capitalised on with the 'Ready To Ride' EP that December.

'Tightrope' followed in 1986, gaining the band a good degree of international acclaim by way of European issue through French label Black Dragon Records, then 'Bound To Break' during 1987. Again Anthem scored overseas distribution as Restless picked up the album for US territories. ANTHEM switched their vocalist to Yukio Morikawa following the live album and accompanying video 'The Show Carries On' in September 1987. This collection of tracks, captured in Los Angeles and Tokyo that summer, was spruced up in the studio by noted English producer Chris Tsangarides.

ANTHEM maintained a stable line-up for May 1988's 'Gypsy Ways' and the May 1989 set 'Hunting Time', the latter seeing Yoshitaka Mikuni credited in the keyboard role. Both of these records were put out in the UK on the Music For Nations imprint. The 1990 album 'No Smoke Without Fire' featured former HURRY SCUARY guitarist HIDEAKI NAKAMA. King Records also compiled the first Anthem compilation, 'Best 1981-1990'. However, the March 1992 studio record 'Domestic Booty' saw Akio Shimizu assuming guitar duties. A live album, 'Last Anthem', was recorded at the Nissan Power Station in July that year. Bassist Naoto Shibata joined LOUDNESS that same year.

ANTHEM returned in 2000 with the 'Heavy Metal Anthem' album. Quite a unique concept ANTHEM reworked older numbers with vocals from former RAINBOW, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP and ALCATRAZZ vocalist GRAHAM BONNET. The record also included three RAINBOW tracks. Essentially put together by Shibata the record featured Akio Shimizu and Kazumasa Saitoh on guitar, Hirotsugu Homma (of LOUDNESS) and Takamasa Ohuchi on drums and keyboard player Yoshitaka Mikuni.

The band, now a quartet of Sakamoto, Shimizu, Shibata and Homma, would issue their 'Seven Hills' album in August 2001. EIZO SAKAMOTO would issue a solo album, the oddly titled 'Shout Drunker', in February of 2002, this triggering a succession of further solo outpourings. ANTHEM released the Overload album in 2002 with Sakamoto on vocals.

Chris Tsangarides was employed by King Records to remaster the ANTHEM back catalogue, these CDs all seeing issue in 2004 with the extra benefit of additional tracks. A new album, 'Eternal Warrior', was also issued in 2004. ANTHEM issued the highly collectable Prologue Live Boxx in 2005, a three CD box set restricted to 5000 copies. ANTHEM's latest offering, Immortal, was released in August 2006.

ANTHEM returned in October 2008 with the album 'Black Empire' through JVC Victor.