VANDENBERG’S MOONKINGS – MK II (2017)
Four years after former Whitesnake guitarist Adrian Vandenberg made a spectacular comeback with his new band VANDENBERG’S MOONKINGS, the group returns with a sophomore album, simply titled “MK II“.
The disc has all the qualities of the debut: once again the four-piece band manages to create a perfect mix of vintage traditional hard rock and current styles and sound.
The flying dutchman is supported by Jan Hoving on vocals, Sem Christoffel on bass and Mart Nijen on drums all of whom contribute to make this an LP you will return to time and time again.
Opening with the out and out rocker ‘Tightrope’, this riff heavy tune gives a glance into the bluesy hard rock-based album ahead. Hoving’s vocals have just enough edge to deliver the lyrics with power and venom and the guitar solo is classic Vandenberg, technically perfect and melodic too.
Moonkings nods back to the past while staying grounded in the present as proven by track 2, the downright ballsy rocker ‘Reputation’. The calamitous bass riff laid down by Sem Christoffel is punishing and ravishing, holding up the framework for some of Vandenberg’s blunt riff-shreds and impressive short solo. His fingers flying over the fretboard fluently, picking some finger licking gorgeous notes before taking a steep dive into the nasty groove of his A-game riff again.
Occasionally Vandenberg is hearkening back in the Whitesnake era with traces of Coverdale’s grandeur delivered by the blues rock moans and screams of Hoving, draped around the blunt blues grooves laid down by the master. The wonderful ‘Angel In Black’ is a perfect example. The song has all the makings of a classic.
One of the highlights of the album is the blues oozing ‘The Fire’ with it’s moaning intro, bursting into foot-stomping rocker with Zeppelin appeal and Bad Company magic. Infectious riffs, crunchy and loud, lining up perfectly with the slow churning menace, delivered by the impressive rhythm section. Towards the end is lit with rowdy bursts of riff aggression and an overall funky menace.
‘Walk Away’ is a pristine rock ballad with radio friendly appeal but packing enough gut feeling to radiate sincerity. ‘All Or Nothing’ fuses together the guitar-bass again, unloading a deeply guitar-driven attack; raw & wild, but packing severe power.
There’s some fine strings for the opening of another gem; ‘What Doesn’t Kill You’, another midtempo rocker with clever combination of hit-savvy chorus and authentic blues resignation. Lyrically it is an uplifting tune that rolls onwards in sheer melodic delight, easily matching the larger than life arrangements of the best Whitesnake tunes at hand, even though it is not fair to treat it as such.
This track simply packs too much unique ingredients of Vandenberg’s skills as a songwriter and musician.
Then ‘Ready For The Taking’ explodes into a bone crushing fist-pumping hymn with killer guitar solo and blistering drum execution, much like the rocking delight presented on follower ‘New Day’.
‘Love Runs Out’ is a more melodic rocker with ear mingling melody and nesting hook, and the bew CD end with ‘If You Can’t Handle The Heat’, another super-sonic hard rocker with tremendous bluesy foundation and excruciating power chords and hooks.
“MK II” a great album, classic hard rock at its finest with the one and only Vandenberg touch that makes it stand out from the crowd. Adrian and his troop have sculpted a collection of songs containing a pumping loud foundation, and sturdy melodies dressed in the handsomest threads of the blues rocking ’80s.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
01 – Tightrope
02 – Reputation
03 – Angel In Black
04 – The Fire
05 – Walk Away
06 – All Or Nothing
07 – What Doesn’t Kill You
08 – Ready For The Taking
09 – New Day
10 – Hard Way
11 – Love Runs Out
12 – If You Can’t Handle The Heat
Adrian Vandenberg – Guitar
Jan Hoving – Vocals
Sem Christoffel – Bass
Mart Nijen Es – Drums
PRE ORDER
www.amazon.de/Mk-II-VandenbergS-Moonkings/dp/B0758C4LT8
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