Vandenberg-"2020"

Vandenberg-"2020"

Adrian Vandenberg was an accomplished musician before WHITESNAKE and proved it afterwards with MANIC EDEN and MOONKINGS. Now he got himself Romero of (RAINBOW MK....000) fame and he released a new album. I was more than sceptical when I learned the singer's name and heard the first single. Well now, i ll have to eat my hat. I admit I was preoccupied with my prejudice about Romero and his RAINBOW career. On the contrary Vandenberg gets his best here in an album full of the energy, the vitality and the melody that made heavy metal music popular in the 80s. Echoes of RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE are all around but what really differentiates the album is that Vandenberg is not a Blackmores clone.He is an accomplished guitar player himself with influences from blues,  classical music etc. The metal edge is everywhere as it is also the striking melodies in songs like 'Hell or high water". What the album needs is a few listenings. As in the 80s we were giving times to the albums. In our days with the new releases struggling to find time to reach the listener, you have to be relaxed and open minded. I mean here the listener will find elements form the DEEP PURPLE "Burn"era and some interesting references to Coverdale but also the melodic riffing that was always Vandenberg's blueprint. One of the best melodic heavy rock releases, so far.

7,5