Apparently, Vanderbuyst recorded this album live in studios between gigs whilst on tour. Very commendable I'm sure and, to be fair, 'In Dutch' has a fantastic raw edge to it that only playing live gives. Unfortunately, to carry it off successfully, you need to have really good songs - which Vanderbuyst don't - and the services of a decent producer which, it seems, they didn't.


The result here is a collection of songs that are not that much better than the sort of turgid stuff NWOBHM bands, albeit the better ones, peddled round the clubs in the North East of England at the fag end of the seventies.

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It is by no means a bad album. The playing is okay, the songs are not that bad and there are some good ideas, but the warts 'n' all approach to recording has left 'In Dutch' with a desperate need for a bang-up production job with a producer who's prepared to crack the whip and drive the band to get the best out of them. As it is, this album is nothing more than a good quality demo, a lazy belt 'n' braces release that could have been so much better had Vanderbuyst spent a bit more time and effort on it.

Fans of NWOBHM stuff will probably love this, but I suspect anyone else will wonder if there is not a certain lack of respect being shown the average punter.

23.11.11