Vandenberg - The Arcada, St. Charles, Illinois, 2/17/24

 

Adrian Vandenberg makes his first visit to United States since his time in Whitesnake.  It was an evening filled with Whitesnake classics, and Vandenberg originals.  Adrian put together a very proficient band, and they were able to carry out any song they wished to play.  The audience consisted of seasoned crowd who grew up with Vandenberg, and witnessed Whitesnake’s domination in the late 80s and the early 90s.  The audience was clearly pleased with the song selection, and the effective delivery.

Adrian Vandenberg, now 70 years old, but still playing with a heart of twenty-something rocker.  He was just as energetic on stage as he was when he played with Whitesnake back in 1990.  It’s inspiring to see that type of energy!  Vandenberg’s delivery was flawless, his leads still possess a lot of feel and color.  He’s still the world class player he always was.  David Coverdale knew what he was doing when he pursued Adrian to be in his band.

Vocalist, Mats Leven, was the undisputed star of the show.  Due to the nature of the songs performed, Leven, was the focal point.  He quickly won the audience over with his easy-going manner, and great delivery.  Trying to sing Whitesnake was never an easy task, David Coverdale is certainly one of the greatest vocalists of all time.  Leven was able to contain Coverdale’s mannerisms, while applying his own voice to the process.  This made his singing very authentic and original.  Whitesnake songs came across very believable, and well received by the audience.

The show stopper was definitely Sailing Ships, a Whitesnake song later also covered live by MoonKings, Vandenberg’s other project.  It was delivered acoustically, only by Vandenberg and Leven, and certainly took the audience by surprise.  It was followed by Hit the Ground Running, a hard rocker from his latest album Sin.  The band encored with Burning Heart, perhaps the most known Vandenberg track from the early 80s, only to climax with Still of the Night, and Here I Go Again.  Just as the band said their final goodbyes, they were brought back for another encore.  This time they ended for good with Love Ain’t No Stranger.

It truly was a great show, entertaining, and well put together.  There were some complaints that too many Whitesnake songs were being played, but the show was billed as such.  When looking around, everyone was having a great time.  The few purists who only wanted Vandenberg’s solo material were in the minority.  Adrian gave the audience exactly what they came for.  And if it was Whitesnake heavy, so be it.  Those songs are timeless, and it’s very unlikely they will be performed by anyone else live at this point.  Enjoy the moment, and performers like Adrian Vandenberg because their time is slowly running out.

Mark Kadzielawa

Lillian Axe – The Box: Volume One – Resurrection (Global Rock Records)

 

Lilian Axe had been rocking the masses for 40 years now.  The band formed back in 1983, but did not put out a record until 1988.  Over the last four decades, Lilian Axe built up a very impressive catalog.  This particular box covers the band’s adventures from 1992 to 2004.  Some could call them the grunge times, where being a band like Lillian Axe was not easy.  This group persevered, they never took their eyes off the prize, and are still with us to this day.

The 7CD instalment, covers a lot of ground, and there are plenty of gems to be experienced here.  First of all, many of these records are hard to find these days, some are of the out of print, and some only available on limited basis, which also drives their prices up to the sky.  This box has it all for you in one place.

The albums highlighted here are:  Poetic Justice, Psychoschizophrenia, Live 2002, Waters Rising, and Sad Day on Planet Earth.  As a special treat, Steve Blaze’s solo album, Random Acts of Blindness is also included.  All of it very nicely packaged, and neatly stored in a CD-sized box.  Since this is only a volume one, there’s definitely another box in the works.

Lilian Axe was always a band that never made it to the first leagues, although their first albums for MCA, showed a lot of potential.  They were always a very solid band, who wrote catchy songs, and entertained audiences on stage.  They were definitely visible, and often on the road when many other hair bands would take a break from being active.  Their brand of hard rock always had a certain style, and even with some personnel changes here and there, they were able to maintain that style.  This box is certainly a great testament to Lillian Axe’s commitment to rock.  So glad to see these albums properly resurrected, and there’s certainly more to come.

Mark Kadzielawa

Baker Gurvitz Army – Live 1975 (Esoteric Recordings)

 

Baker Gurvitz Army was an amazing power rock band from the 1970s.  Consisting of Cream’s, Ginger Baker, and the Gurvitz brothers who already made their name in Gun, plus Peter Lemer on keyboards, and Mr. Snips on lead vocals.  This was an explosive combination of talent, as it can be heard on this very record.  The recordings come from Reading University, and some supplemental tracks from London’s Victoria Theatre.  Nearly 80 minutes in all, this will rock you hard!

Baker Gurvitz Army was a very dangerous band!  On stage, they appear unpredictable, and are not afraid to jam and improvise.  There is a lot of potential here, and the players feel each other well.  At times, they get funky, and stretch it here and there.  You feel the atmosphere, and the very loose approach the band takes.  Yes, there is some crazy soloing, and drumming, and the bass gets wild too when it needs to. 

Live 1975 is now a living document as to how the rock music was presented nearly 50 years ago.  It was a very special time that will never be repeated.  A lot of lessons were learned since, but the newer bands still struggle trying to top or even get close to that level.  This simple fact makes releases like this amazing.  Live 1975 is a timeless capture of a band firing up on all cylinders!

Mark Kadzielawa

Classix Nouveaux – Battle Cry (Cherry Red Records)

This release comes as a real surprise.  Classix Nouveaux was a new wave/new romantic British band that released some very cool records back in the 1980s, and broke up in 1985.  They were never a big group, but they managed to have a healthy following especially in Europe.  Their frontman, Sal Solo, was very charismatic, and after the band’s demise concentrated more on the spiritual side of music.

Battle Cry picks up where the band left off back in 1985, which means it’s 1986 already, right?  Yeah, wish it was, but they still managed to do it in 2023.  It’s a very solid album with plenty of catchy songs.  There are several potential hits here, but what guarantees a hit in 2023?  The band plays around with the sounds you’re very familiar with, but they never lost their experimental touch either.  The group also revisited two of their older tracks, and sort of gave them a new lease on life.  But it all makes sense in the great scheme of things.  It’s great to get a Classix Nouveaux album in 2023.

Classic Nouveaux fans will certainly be very happy with this album.  It has a very gentle nature, but it also kicks left and right in the most unexpected ways.  Before you know it, you’ve listened to this album 20 times, and you simply can’t stop.  For the old fans the album feels like you’re reuniting with a friend you haven’t seen in ages.  If you’re a new fan, a great adventure awaits you!

Mark Kadzielawa

Wastelander – Endless Survival (Dystopian Dogs Records)

 

Endless Survival is a like a battle between good and evil!  You feel the two opposing camps struggling for absolute domination.  Add the apocalyptic setting, and this could equal to a movie!  This is a really heavy record, and the band clearly follows the path they established on their Wardrive album.

Wastelander mixes a combination of sounds, but they do it so effectively, it actually defines their musical style.  This album has a pounding heart, and delivers crushing blows.  Its musicality is well hidden, and balanced with a delicate proportion.  The focus here is heaviness, and Wastelander achieves this at ease.

There are a lot of cool visuals in the CD booklet, every song is illustrated and connected with the music.  From that perspective, the artistic connection between the music and the visuals is very impressive, and shows that a lot of thinking and effort went into making this album.  All of those factors make Endless Survival a record with a vision that goes way beyond the musical spectrum.

Mark Kadzielawa

Edgar Broughton – Break the Dark (Esoteric Antenna)

Edgar Broughton is a music icon from the 1970s and beyond.  His records with Edgar Broughton Band were filled with rock and groove.  This new album displays a different type of energy.  It has a very toned-down approach, and quite dark in nature, as the title suggests.  It’s a very good album with an interesting angle.

Broughton doesn’t necessarily want to rock you this time, but he wants to tell you things.  This aging rocker gathered a lot of life truths over the years, and now he wants to share.  This album is full of calmness and melancholy.  It is very touching at the same time.  It seems like with each listen you pick on different aspect of the music, and the lyrics. 

Break the Dark is like a new path for Edgar Broughton.  He’s using his musical proficiency in ways no one really expected him to, and it works, it works beautifully in fact.  The charm of this album is certainly undeniable, and it’s reflective nature will find many like hearted listeners.

Mark Kadzielawa

The Church – Eros Zeta and the Perfumed Guitars (Comm Vess)

 

The Church created a real magic with The Hypnogogue album.  One of the more essential releases of 2023!  Eros Zeta and the Perfumed Guitars picks up where the previous opus left off.  While both albums are somewhat connected, this one certainly has its own tone and personality.  As it is with The Church, you may think you are swimming along in the familiar waters, but you can't never predict the deepness.

The whole album feels like a one big suite with various movements.  It’s that melancholic feel that unites those songs into one solid wall of sound.  As for this listener, different tracks stand out on different days.  At the time of writing this review the love goes to 1954, Korea, and Manifesto, but that changes with each spin.  Even after multiple listens, the album still appears very mysterious.  There is a lot to explore for months to come.

The music on this record has a very delicate touch.  It gets into your system, and before you know it, you flow with it.  It has a clarity of someone who lost their sight, regained it, only to see things in more beautiful colors than ever before.  What a great feeling that is, and can only be experienced by someone who understands the gift of music.  In many ways The Church is the gift of music!

Mark Kadzielawa