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Band : Picture Wrrrooph…this one takes me back a while! This Dutch Heavy Metal act is noted foremost for being the first band in their country to play that style (having been formed in 1979) and get a record deal (preceeding Vortex by mere months). Regrettably, the major music industry in Holland wasn’t really ready for Heavy Metal yet, and feeling Warner Bros was trying to push the band in a Pop direction, the guys signed onto the much smaller imprint Backdoor Records (a subsidiairy of major llabel Phonogram) for the release of their debut 1981 album Picture 1. In spite of a really lousy sound quality, the album fills a hiatus in the market, and thanks to a good rotation on Dutch radio stations, it even gets the band known in Belgium. That same year follows Heavy Metal Ears, but the sound is again crappy. The rest of the story? Read it at the band’s Wikipedia page (google “picture (band) wikipedia” to find the page!). In short, the band went through several line-up changes, making bassist Rinus Vreugdenhil the only stay-on member of the band. Picture rooted on to make a total of 7 studio albums, splitting a first time in 1987. The original band reunited a first time in 1988, but were sabotaged when their management destroyed the band’s gigging posibilities by asking too huge a concert fee behind the band’s back…and the guys quit. Only, they got back together again in Summer 2007 for rehearsals. The spark was apparently still there, so plans were made to cut a new album in 2008 and get onto the live circuit again. On vocals, the band invited both the original singer, Ronald van Prooijen (singer on first 2 albums), Shmoulik Avigal (singer on 3rd album Diamond Dreamer, considered by many the band’s best album), and PeteLovell (singer on 4th album Eternal Dreamer). When the smoke cleared in early, the line-up would include founding members Jan Bechtum on guitar, Rinus on bass, Laurens Bakker on drums, plus Lovell as singer and Rob van Enkhuizen (had been in the band from 1986 untill the first split) as second guitarist. After a try-out at their hometown Zeist’s De Peppel venue, the guys started live activity to include the gig at Uden’s De Pul (whence recordings are made for the Live 2008 album) and the 2008 Sweden Rock festival in June. In December the band finally enters Utrecht’s Starsound Studios to record their album. Question : is that new studio album all it’s prepped up to be? Well, having all above mentioned albums in my posession (and nót the 1984 Traitor, nor the 1987 Marathon or the recent live album), I can honestly say the guys probably got the best vocalist for the job. Somehow, I would’ve liked to hear the original singer…you know, with the technology of today, etc…but Lovell actually makes a good job of giving the 12 tracks on the album his best. Both in the heavier tracks as in the ballads (well, only “Now It’s Too Late” is a real ballad, and “A Better Soul” is actually a Heavy ballad, see?). Stylistically, nothing’s much changed with Picture, as they still play the same type of music.So people who were into the band in the old days should very well like the band now too! But why believe me on face value? Check out the three tracks (including said ballad, plus the title track and album closer “Never In A Million Years” – nay, not a cover of the Asia hit) off the new album posted at myspace;com/pictureholland. Latest news : in early December guitarist Jan Bechtum again left the band. He’s since been replaced by Peter Bourbon (formerly of Vengeance). Look out for the first gigs of the band in that constellation starting mid May…if not sooner (check the MySpace page, which equals their official website). 86/100 Tony. |
