PICTURE – Diamond Dreamer + Picture (first album) [Digitally Remastered]

After posting here some days ago some PICTURE remastered albums, some of you asked for the band’s early material, remastered as well. Here’s the third and first Picture albums contained on one long playing CD: “Diamond Dreamer + Picture 1“.

Pioneers of the Dutch metal / hard rock scene, PICTURE’s storied career dates all the way back to 1979. We already featured here the albums from the ‘second era’ of the band, when at the mid-Eighties morphed into a commercial Hard Rock / AOR act.
But at the beginning they released 4 metallic albums with the classic Euro sound for the genre.
This set features Picture’s official debut “Picture 1” and their third, 1982’s “Diamond Dreamer”. Both albums have been long time out of print, now freshly digitally remastered, both seeing their first-ever North American release.

After some singles, Picture debuted on LP with their self-titled “Picture”. At its origins – the early ’80s – the band blended the Seventies Hard Rock stylings with the glitters of the at the time rising Heavy Metal, some kind as part of the NWOBHM but done in The Netherlands. Picture were pioneers at their homeland.
“Picture 1” is energetic melodic classic metal, now often called classic rock, or classic metal. The music is charged up with British-style vigor, recapping the sound of Judas Priest, Saxon and alike contemporaries.
However, Picture style is not based on the twin guitar attack of the era. The riffs are spiced with hard rock groove, straight, simple and effective, but no less memorable.

“Dirty Street Fighter” comes as a chopping Rock N’ Roll / Metal hymn, mid-tempo thumper sending that cool late ’70s vibe, with a tight drum and bass work. “No More” beckoned of classic Deep Purple, creating a funky vibe but on a heavier note, spiced with a great lead fretwork and smooth guitar driven atmosphere.
“Bombers” runs on a tenacious and jumpy rhythm, producing a semi-speedster with a slow tempo passage screaming drama, capturing another great guitar work.
The album was very well recorded, with multi-channeled vocal lines and clear rhythm section, all benefited by this crisp remaster.

For “Diamond Dreamer”, Picture changed vocalist, and by the time the band was musically closer to the classic hard rock of UFO, Scorpions, Michael Schenker Group, etc. with heavier moments akin Saxon. Not strange, as the album was produced by British Pete Hinton, who also worked with Byford & Co on ‘Strong arm of the law’ and ‘Wheels of Steel’.

While my favorite Picture album from the ‘first era’ is follower ‘Eternal Dark’, this “Diamond Dreamer” is a killer record as well. This is ‘Hard n’ Heavy’ music with a classy Euro feeling. You still find here metallic numbers in “Message From Hell” and “You’re All Alone”, but for the most part Picture rocks here with a bluesy-based hard rock stamp.

“Get Me Rock N’ Roll” is an ’80s anthem, a call to arms, straightforward and catchy. “Lousy Lady”, couldn’t ask for a better Deep Purple / Whitesnake appetizer. Title track “Diamond Dreamer” is inspired with its fluency, tasty riffs and vocal delivery, while “You’re Touching Me” lefts its mark as the emotive balladry.
New vocalist Shmoulik Avigal does a very good work with his spiraling and powerful tone of voice, like crossroads of Coverdale meets Dio, a shimmering classic rock frontman, Furthermore, Picture’s rhythm section mustered its rigidity further offering well-tuned drum and bass.

“Diamond Dreamer + Picture 1” delivers solid classic hard n’ heavy stuff, from a talented band that deserved more exposure. Riff-driven rockers, with big vocals and pounding beats; all old-school classy stuff, well done and entertaining.
Highly Recommended

You’ve seen it first here, at 0dayrox

Diamond Dreamer [Digitally Remastered]:
01 – Lady Lightning
02 – Night Hunter
03 – Hot Lovin’
04 – Diamond Dreamer
05 – Message from Hell
06 – You’re All Alone
07 – Lousy Lady
08 – The Hangman
09 – Get Me Rock and Roll
10 – You’re Touching Me

Picture 1 [Digitally Remastered]:
11 – Dirty Street Fighter
12 – You Can Go
13 – Bombers
14 – No More
15 – One Way Street
16 – You’re a Fool
17 – Get Back or You Fall
18 – Rockin’ in Your Brains
19 – He’s a Player
20 – Fear

Ronald van Prooijen – Vocals
Jan Bechtum – Guitars
Rinus Vreugdenhill – Bass
Laurens “Bakkie” Bakker – Drums

BUY IT !
www.amazon.com/Diamond-Dreamer-Picture-1/dp/B00HEVRO98
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