Eeee, this takes me back. I'm returned to the world of hard/heavy rock. It's like I'm sixteen again (apart from the bald patch and the beer gut, alas...). Vanderbuyst are, as you might guess, from the Netherlands and have about as traditional a sound as you could wish for and in some respects stand apart from the usual sounds around here. But are they worthy of your attention?
First track 'Black And Blue' rattles the cage with a song about domestic violence. Dry vocals and a solid, stripped back three piece sound that dances in the early 80s before hair metal obscured the dirty roots of heavy rock. It's bright and good stuff, un-self-conscious and natural in its retro feel, utterly irony-free.
Unfortunately things take a turn for the worst with ' Into The Fire'. Far more candy floss, with a chorus that would grace any 80s straight to video thriller and lyrics that genuinely seem to be constructed from every single cliché that the FM rock genre can muster it is one to pass.
Thankfully it proves to be a blip as 'Anarchistic Storm' rediscovers a lower gear and a midpaced rock stomp about riots and the quite wonderful 'String Of Beads' bounces in like Tigger, catchy as herpes, and runs off with the album with some great guitar and infectious riffing over a song about.... well a girl and a rosary. And before your mind sinks into the gutter, no she's praying not doing anything Marduk like..
It's around this time you realise how varied the lyrics are compared to much modern metal. And how straight forward they are too. String Of Beads is about a string of beads, ' Leaving The Living' is about dying. KGB is about spies. Done with such openness and lack of bombast it retains a real and honest charm that honestly wins me over.
Vanderbuyst write in an unassuming way, a tinge of metal mixed in with their hard rock and a way of decorating some great bouncing, galloping rock with lovely guitar leads and vocals which, whilst not classic, carry the tunes well enough to justify not expanding the lineup.
The closing song ' Where's That Devil' is one that stands alone here. It's a slow, melancholy crawl with rumbling vocals that is the absolute spit of something The Black League might come up with around the Doomsday ep. It wanders slow and road weary through a dusty landscape of life's misfortunes and languid blues leads. It works, too, once you accept the sudden step into the downbeat, almost like someone closing up after the show has finished but in such a way as you think 'Oh, go on then, just one more spin'.
And there you have it. I doubt you'll hear a more open and honest album all year: From the disarmingly simple lyrics to the classic riff and lead sound, Vanderbuyst seem to have have gone back to basics and built their songs on the principle of less is more than enough if the tune is good enough. And they are. Yes it will be way too light for many of you but if you have a small space in your heart for pre-NWOBHM and almost-NWOBHM sounds then pay them a visit. They may well charm you too.
And I just cannot get 'String Of Beads' out of my head.
http://www.myspace.com/vanderbuyst
Gizmo
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