With the explosion of interest in Japanese Metal bands in Europe during the mid 80's a crop of acts broke into international recognition including EARTHSHAKER. Despite losing early singer MINORU NIIHARA to LOUDNESS in 1981, throughout their recording career, EARTHSHAKER are almost unique in maintaining a stable line-up, although they have added keyboard player Toshio Egawa from famed Progressive Rock trio GERARD. The band was formed by guitarist Shinchiro Isihara and named after the famous Y&T album, relocated to San Francisco to have their debut album produced by IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith. The band's 1983 album 'Earthshaker' received excellent reviews and received a European release through the British Music For Nations label.

'Fugitive', again licensed to Music For Nations and with a guesting Mitchell Froom of GAMMA on keyboards, also scored well upon release in March 1984. 'Midnight Fright', issued in October 1986, would be the band's last European release as EARTHSHAKER, being joined by GERARD keyboard player Toshio Egawa, retired to Japan in the late 1980's, going from strength to strength in their homeland.

In 1990, Toshio Egawa, retaining ties to EARTHSHAKER, and Yukihuro Fujimura reconstituted GERARD with Toshimi Nagai on bass and Kota Igarashi on drums to record the album 'Irony Of Fate'. The next product, 'Save Knight By The Night', was released under the banner TOSHIO EGAWA'S GERARD in 1994 and involved Toshimi Nagai, Kota Igarashi plus Taku Sawamura on guitar.

In 1994 EARTHSHAKER folded. Egawa ref-prioritised GERARD whilst Shinichiro Ishihara forged SLY, a high profile union with ousted LOUDNESS singer Minoru Niihara, BLIZZARD bassist Koichi Terasawa and LOUDNESS drummer Munetaka Higuchi, this unit releasing four albums. Vocalist 'Marcy' Masafumi Nishida released a solo album and toured Japan in 2000. EARTHSHAKER's 'Birthday' album arrived in November 2001. Drummer Yoshihirio Kudo would team up with the erstwhile DEEP PURPLE pairing of GLENN HUGHES and JOE LYNN TURNER for their HUGHES TURNER PROJECT tour of Japan in May 2002.

During 2004 guitarist Shinichiro Ishihara united with former MARINO man Reibun Ohtani to perform an acoustic live set, captured on the April release 'Rock Ballads: Secret Live At Tokyo'. For this outing the pair gave their take on such tracks as AEROSMITH's 'Dream On', GARY MOORE's 'Parisienne Walkways', JOURNEY's 'Open Arms' and WHITESNAKE's 'Is This Love'.