Heartbreak

Hey Zoo Freaks, it's the Zoo Crew tuning into the cosmic waves at THE ZOO, laying down the fierce riffs of "Heartbreak" by Atsushi Yokozeki Project from that hidden treasure of an album Raid. This one's a straight-up hard rockin' storm, man, with the late great Ray Gillen pouring his soul into those phenomenal vocals like a wildfire in the night—reviewers call it a "stand-out killer" that hits you right in the gut with its raw emotion and shredding leads. Back in '93, Atsushi gathered this all-star caravan of melodic rock wizards for the record, but it flew under the radar in a time when the genre was fading like an old echo. Fans on the quiet corners of the web still whisper about how Ray's voice on this track captures that aching thunder, one devotee sharing in a forum haze that it feels like "a hurricane of heartbreak you can't turn away from," pulling from those bootleg vibes that keep the spirit alive.

Dig deeper and you'll find stories from the sessions floating in old mag echoes: Atsushi, the Tokyo axe maestro, aimed high with guests like Cherie Currie and Jeff Pilson, but the mix of five vocal blasts and five instrumentals left some craving more lyrics amid the neoclassical fireworks. In a Metal Temple nod, they hailed "Heartbreak" as a delight for hard rockers, with Ray exhibiting his magic before we lost him too soon—pure wizardry that makes you proud to chase these underground gems. No big interviews spilling secrets, but the album's become a collector's whisper, reissued for us seekers who know the true raids are the ones that storm the heart.

Now, let's trace the roots of this shred sage. Atsushi Yokozeki kicked off his journey in the electric undercurrents of 1980s Tokyo, forming his project around 1983 amid the rising tide of Japanese heavy metal. A true finger-flying shredder, he dropped his debut EP Jet Finger in '85, channeling neoclassical flames and hard rock heart into instrumental odysseys that echoed legends like Ritchie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen. From jamming in local bands like The Bronx and Lance of Thrill, Atsushi built his sound in smoky clubs and tiny studios, letting the guitar speak volumes before roping in vocal allies for full-length raids like this one—no silver spoons, just pure passion and picks that carved his path through the melodic haze.

For more of Atsushi's timeless thunder, drift over to his Facebook haven at facebook.com/jetfinger, where the likes gather like old friends around a campfire. Sadly, no official website or other social streams pop up in the ether, and fan groups are scarce as shooting stars, but keep an eye on melodic rock forums for the tribe swapping rare cuts and stories that keep the flame flickering bright.