If you had told me a year ago legendary guitarist Adrian Vandenberg would resurrect his namesake band in 2020, I’d probably laugh in your face and go back to spinning their classic 1982 self titled debut for the zillionth time. But with the world in the midst of a pandemic and my country (America) on the verge of a full blown boogaloo, if there’s anything I’ve learned about this year, it’s to expect the unexpected. The difference is 2020 is a much more pleasant surprise than the year it was released in and shares a title with.
The new Vandenberg is fronted by rising star Ronnie Romero. He boasts quite the resume as the frontman for Lords of Black, supergroup The Ferrymen, and most notably, Rainbow. With Romero as heir to a throne which was held by Joe Lynn Turner, Graham Bonnet, and arguably the greatest singer who ever lived, Ronnie James Dio, it makes sense he was the choice pick to revive Vandenberg for the 21st century. Backing them is the rhythm section of Vandenberg’s ex Whitesnake bandmate Rudy Sarzo on bass and drummer Brian Tichy who also happened to play in Whitesnake, though not during Sarzo and Vandenberg’s stints (see the Wikipedia article List of Whitesnake members for further reference).
2020 opens all guns blazing with the Deep Purple inspired “Shadows of the Night”. Vandenberg leads the charge with a “Burn” inspired riff set to a backdrop of hard driving rhythms, the Coverdale meets Dio delivery of Romero, and that classic old school Hammond organ. From there, we’re treated to the gutsy grooves of “Freight Train” and sultry blues of “Hell and High Water”. The latter sounds like a lost song from Vandenberg’s Whitesnake days.
Vandenberg played straightforward hard rock in the 80s, but every album featured an AOR song as the proverbial “single”. This model doesn’t exist anymore because quite frankly, major label execs don’t give a shit about selling albums or rock music in 2020. However, that doesn’t stop Vandenberg from paying tribute to this ancient practice on “Let it Rain”. Being a sucker for catchy melodies and anthemic choruses, this may be my favorite track on the album.
Another difference between “then and now” is Vandenberg’s full embracing of metal. Just as every 80s album featured “the single”, there were always the heavy album tracks to appease the headbangers. How can we forget the early 80s metallic mayhem of “Out in the Streets”, “Ready for You”, and “This is War”? Even on the hard rockers, 2020 is chock full of modern metal riffs which add to its overall intensity, but without ruining the old school ethos. Few classic bands have been able to find such balance without completely going off the generic radio metal deep end. Songs like “Ride Like the Wind”, “Shitstorm”, and “Light Up the Sky” will grab the old guard as well as the new.
Aside from a completely unnecessary rerecording of “Burning Heart” (you can’t top perfection), 2020 is the comeback that Vandenberg and their fans deserve. They’re back on their feet again and taking the lead again!
7 out of 10
Label: Mascot Records
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
For fans of: Deep Purple, Rainbow, Whitesnake