VANDENBERG: 2020 (MELODIC HARD ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

It has been 35 years since we heard about the Vandenberg Group. More than three decades after their last vinyl misdeed, the Dutch combo, offspring of guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, comes to pay us a surprise visit with an eponymous album and a new line-up.

For the record, the first opus of the Dutch band was released in 1982. In these blessed times for hard rock, the work managed to seduce the crowds. And that was no mean feat, as Iron Maiden's "Number Of The Beast", Scorpions' "Blackout", Judas Priest's "Screaming For Vengeance", Rush's "Signal" and Magnum's Chase The Dragon were released that year. After that, the band released the very noticed "Heading For A Storm" (1983) and "Alibi" (1985), so much noticed that the blond kid was spotted by a certain David Coverdale who then hired him in Whitesnake, band in which he played until 1997 and the album "Restless Heart". From then on nothing or almost nothing...

But Adrian Vandenberg manages to be where no one expects him anymore. As in 2014 and his unexpected return to the forefront with his new combo Vandenberg's MoonKings, 2020 marks Vandenberg's return with a three-star line-up. The guitarist has pulled off the perfect move by recruiting the Chilean Ronnie Romero, a prominent member of Blackmore's Rainbow in its contemporary version. Associated with him are Koen Herfst, who was named best drummer in the Benelux (he toured with Epica and After Forever), the well-known Brian Tichy (Whitesnake, Foreigner), and Randy Van Der Elsen, the current bassist of Tank, backed up on the four-strings by another distinguished guest, the famous Rudy Sarzo (Whitesnake, Ozzy and Dio). Given this array of talent, it's easy to see why Vandenberg's new album is so much like what Whitesnake offers. Here we are in the presence of a muscular hard rock with soul and blues tones, glorified by a remarkable guitarist and a singer who has Coverdale and Dio in his vocal chords according to the tracks of the opus. Let's say more precisely that Romero has influences from the former and the timbre from the latter, as Adrian Vandenberg sums up.

Ten tracks are on the program here. Ten little wonders of hard rock where, besides the invading shadow of the White Serpent, appears, more diffusely, the one of Rainbow on "Straight Between The Eyes" (on 'Shadow Of The Night') or "Rising" (the grandiloquent end of 'Hell And High Water'). But also the one of Dio hovering over 'Shout'. Adrian's guitar touch, whether lead or solo, is amazing, the artist also has the intelligence not to pile up notes like a mille-feuilles. The rhythm is assured with weight and conviction, notably by a drum set of rare power. From the pair 'Let It Rain'/'Skyfall', which would have been a hit on the airwaves in the glorious days of the MTV clips, to 'Shitstorm', which is a perfect tribute to Coverdale, from the galvanising 'Light Up The Sky' where Romero takes everything in his stride, to the rereading of their own hit, the famous ballad 'Burning Heart', Vandenberg offers us a wonderfull work.

There are some missed returns, especially after several decades but this one is one of the best revivals ever made. You have here one of the albums of the year, for sure... - Official website

VANDENBERG

2020

MASCOT LABEL GROUP

MELODIC HARD ROCK