Picture-Eternal Dark + Heavy Metal Ears (2014 CD Re-Issue)

Tribunal Records/Divebomb Records
2014


Having just reviewed the other Picture CD re-release on Wednesday of this week I will know turn my attention to "Eternal Dark + Heavy Metal Ears". Up front let's clear up one thing. The cover album is not a  proper reflection of the album artwork for this re-issue. Instead it's the same deal. It's only posted to highlight the fact that these two albums, which were released in 1983 and 1981 ("Eternal Dark" and "Heavy Metal Ears" respectively), appear on this one CD. Now, someone (on the side) asked me about bonus material. No, there is not any bonus material on either of these sets. Instead the "bonus" features that are attached to these two separate sets, which can be picked up at the link below, include: 1) Improved sound 2) A fabulous booklet with bio, (what are most likely to be exclusive) pictures and lyrics and 3) They are being made available on CD for the first time ever in North American! Tack on the fact that they are reasonably priced at $15.00 a set and you could actually stretch that out to 4(!) bonus features folks! For someone like me, for whom the previous CD re-issues are wildly out of reach (price-wise) and, as a result, have (admittedly) only had the (slight) comfort of second-hand burned copies, the previously mentioned items are bonus enough! Especially when hearing "Eternal Dark" (for what seemed like the first time despite having this one in my possession for well over 10 years!!!) is all of it's crystal-clear, heavy metal glory! But, we are getting a little ahead of ourselves so we will get to that aspect in a few as, unlike last time around, I'm going to cover "Heavy Metal Ears" first. On the CD said album is actually on the tail end of "Eternal Dark" which means that these particular numbers run 11-19. Still, giving the huge jump (style-wise and sound-wise) between 1981-era Picture and 1983-era Picture it's probably best to cover "Heavy Metal Ears" and then move forward. In hindsight, having "Diamond Dreamer" to break up the flow and all (what with it's Ronnie James Dio fronting Judas Priest-like vibe), "Eternal Dark" was probably a (somewhat) logical step style-wise. But, "Heavy Metal Ears" (which, although being released back in 1981, still remains a relevant release/modern source of inspiration as bands such as Serpent and Spikes have covered it's title-track!) sees this legendary Dutch heavy metal act not only hearing the battle cry that came from Saxon's 1979 debut, but also acting upon it a if following the same path that lead their British comrades from an album like "Saxon" all the way to "Denim and Leather"! It shouldn't be seen as all that much of a surprise then that Picture actually toured Europe with Saxon in 1981! Opening with the classic title cut, "Heavy Metal Ears" moves effortlessly through numbers like "Spend the Night with You" and "Unemployed" (a surprisingly heavy cut even for an album like this!) before truly hitting it all out of the park with cuts like "Night Tiger" and "No No No"! By the time the album's closer comes calling (the 7+ minute epic "Rock & Roll / Under Your Spell") you've been treated to Saxon-style rockers like "I'm Just A Simple Man" (Motörhead and AC/DC influences anyone?) and even the oddity of a track like "Funky Town" (No, it's not a cover song!)! For classic heavy metal and N.W.O.B.H.M. fanatics Picture's "Heavy Metal Ears" should be a given! So, what of "Eternal Dark" then? By 1983 Picture was leaning on yet another new lead vocalist Pete Lovell. On the plus side this one would stay the course and even appears on 2012's excellent exceptional "Warhorse". The downside though would seem fairly obvious to anyone paying attention to the band dynamics of Picture during those early eighties years. With Pete Lovell the band was on the third lead singer in as many albums. Not only that, but guitarist/keyboardist/backing vocalist Jan Bechtum, whose distinct style of playing had anchored the previous three albums, was suddenly gone as well! In his place came Henry van Manen and Chris van Jaarsveid. Two guitarists to replace the one lone guitarist/keyboardist who had made Picture into the band they were? It could never work right? And yet it did! Maybe it's not as well-loved and worshiped as "Diamond Dreamer", but in it's own right it's a damn fine heavy metal platter especially for when it was released! While the early Saxon-vibe can still be found on album number four with two guitarists in the fold the band went all in! Along with the Saxon (and Judas Priest/Dio experimentation of "Diamond Dreamer"!) the band's latest sound seemed ripped straight from the pages of N.W.O.B.H.M. 101! Listening to "Eternal Dark" now, with more then a few years of musical experience behind me*, I can pick up on the Blitzkrieg elements as well as how bands like Chariot and Chateaux influenced Picture's new direction. Toss in the likes of Dio-lead Black Sabbath, Manowar, solo-Ozzy, Accept, (early) Mötley Crüe, Iron Maiden and some cult bands of the day like Faithful Breath (try on "Hard Breath" and "Gold 'n' Glory" if you are looking for new titles to add to your eighties hard rock/heavy metal collection), Heavy Load and Dark Wizard (who actually came about, or at least released their first, highly-recommended mind you, EP, "Devil's Victim", in 1984!) and you've got a decent idea of what "Eternal Dark" has to offer! Of course it wasn't just the band's style that changed with album number four or even their line-up. With "Eternal Dark" the band dove head first into fantasy/Dungeons and Dragons territory as evident by "Griffins Guard The Gold", "Battle For The Universe" and "Flying In Time"! No doubt there were more then a few of the Picture faithful who were scratching their heads when this album was released! For 1983 though it's fairly typical theme-wise. Music-wise it is also fairly typical as this was the dawning of eighties metal (stylized by all things Priest/Maiden in nature) when bands were suddenly applying dual lead guitar solos and the distinct "galloping" song-structures that made for many a great classic!  Still, "Eternal Dark" seems to be the one early Picture release that people either love or loathe. While the band gets (unfairly in my mind) knocked for the sudden change by a lot of modern day metal fans I've always had a soft spot for this album and, as a stand-alone piece, I find it charming. It's heavy when it needs to be (the soul crushing "The Blade") while it also features great Iron Maiden/Dio-like like rockers in "Flying In Time" and "Into The Underworld" and "Tell No Lies". Meanwhile that (early) Mötley Crüe reference point (as well as the solo-Ozzy bit and Accept mention) shines through in the likes of "Power Of Evil" and "Make You Burn". Listening to the album again (as I type this review) brings up another "interesting" reference point that I never noticed until now (and yes, I'm well aware of how crazy this one sounds!). Could there be a little bit of the punk-vibe of (early, as in first two full-length albums with Paul at the helm) Iron Maiden and even a bit of the sleazy/street-wise attitude of early-Twisted Sister running wild through "Eternal Dark"? Quite possibly yes! All of which means that album number four in Picture's back catalog needs to be heard to be fully appreciated for what it has to offer! Again, I simply cannot express how refreshing it is to hear these early Picture releases presented like this. With improved sound (and the bonus of a killer booklet with bio, pictures and lyrics!) both "Eternal Dark" and "Heavy Metal Ears" come off as fresh and vibrant! For fans of this killer Dutch heavy metal outfit I cannot think of a better way to celebrate these early albums than with this set as well as the "Diamond Dreamer + Picture 1" offering! Samples to both sets can be found by going through the Tribunal link below and it is worth noting that, while supplies last as there were only 100 of these made available, if you buy both sets at the same time you can receive a rather nifty Picture logo magnet! Of course that is only while supplies last and, seeing as there were only 100 of these made and all, I can't imagine they'll last long!      .


http://tribunalrecords.bigcartel.com/product/picture-eternal-dark-heavy-metal-ears

Review of "Diamond Dreamer + Picture 1" Set:
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Picture-Diamond+Dreamer+%2B+Picture+1+%282014+CD+Re-Issue%29+

*When I first heard "Eternal Dark" some 13 years back I was in my late twenties and had not yet rediscovered the joys of the N.W.O.B.H.M. scene. I had a young daughter and a job, working in a (now-closed) screen printing shop, that required long, tiring hours. Many early hour mornings (three or four AM) were spent (working by myself in the screen-prep area) listening to this album and marveling at it's raw, early eighties metal appeal and it's fantasy elements. As I worked with the motto of "Do it for her", with the her being my (then) young daughter Haley, "Eternal Dark" allowed me a measure of escape from a job that I had found broke my spirit as much as my body!

Picture-Diamond Dreamer + Picture 1 (2014 CD Re-Issue)

Tribunal Records/Divebomb Records
2014

With 2013 having been such a banner year for re-releases (can you say Nitro and Mox Nix my friends?) one would have to wonder just how 2014 could possibly hope to stack up. With this recently released double album* (1982's "Diamond Dreamer" and 1980's "Picture 1") from Divebomb Records, which (incidentally) is a division of North Carolina-based Tribunal Records (an independent label which has been going strong since 1999!) the answer would seem to be "Just Fine, Thank You Very Much"! Combining Dutch heavy metal band Picture's first and third full-length albums onto one re-mastered CD, with a nice glossy booklet filled with pictures, a bio and lyrics serving as the icing on the cake, this re-release is nothing less than a thing of beauty for fans and collectors alike! Now, this isn't the first time that Picture's "Diamond Dreamer" has been re-released on CD. In 2001 it was re-released with the band's forth full-length release, 1983's "Eternal Dark". That said, this is the first time that these two classics (along with 1981's "Heavy Metal Ears" and 1983's "Eternal Dark") are seeing a North American release and in such grand fashion to boot! Kudos to Tribunal Records/Divebomb Records for that! Now, seeing as I first discovered Picture some 13 years or so back (thanks in no small part to a former co-worker of mine/long-standing friend Tim) I'll all too familiar with both "Diamond Dreamer" and "Picture 1". For my money though they have never sounded as good, or for that matter as clean and as clear, as they do on this one collection! Of course my copies were not originals as these releases have been out of print now for something like 15 years! As the CD starts off with "Diamond Dreamer" album I think that is where I will start things off. By that point in their career Picture had enlisted a new lead vocalist in Israeli-born Sammy Avigal. In hindsight Sammy, known in Picture at the time as "Shmoulik" Avigal, would go on to have quite the career playing with, amongst others, Dutch bands Horizon and Hammerhead as well as briefly fronting The Rods and being involved with the Jack Starr project/one-off, Guardians of the Flame. On the excellent "Diamond Dreamer" we find that Avigal, who shared a love for the band Rainbow with Picture guitarist/keyboardist Jan Bechtum, ends up sounding a lot like a certain Ronnie James Dio while the band (rounded out on both of these albums by bassist Rinus Vrugdenhil and drummer Laurens "Bakkie" Bakker) channels the spirit of bands like Judas Priest and UFO as well as some of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal scene with a dash or two of Saxon! Speaking of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal scene, "Picture 1", which featured Ronald van Prooijen handling lead vocals, very easily could have been mistaken for a N.W.O.B.H.M. product, but not in the way most people would automatically think! On their first album the very talented Picture play a simple (and yet legitimately effective!) blend of heavy rock and seventies hard rock that is, besides being a bit bluesy in places, down to earth and remarkably charming! On the N.W.O.B.H.M. side of things there are more then a few songs on "Picture 1" that could have easily fit in well (side by side) with the likes of Sledgehammer, Toad the Wet Sprocket, E.F. Band, Nutz and Praying Mantis on the the first "Metal For Muthas" compilation! Additionally fans of  N.W.O.B.H.M. acts like White Spirit, Chevy, Stampede, Trespass and Weapon would probably get a kick out of  a lot of the material on "Picture 1" as would anyone who enjoyed Hammerhead's collection, "Will To Survive"! Of the two release "Diamond Dreamer" has the better production although, seeing as they have both been touched up here for these re-released sets, that's really not much of an issue. As far as which one would I consider to be the better album? That's a real toss up as they both offer different and distinctive sides of Picture while they also showcase a Dutch heavy metal act that had the ability to not only roll with the changes but effectively adapt with whatever curve-ball was thrown their way. It's probably a cop-out, but I enjoy both of these releases equally on their own terms as they both have plenty to offer! And, even if I have had the pleasure of listening to these two releases over the years, time and time again in many states of mind, when they are presented in this format (with the nice booklet and improved sound) it's almost as if we are talking about a brand new version of Picture! These are definitely fitting re-release for this classic Dutch band! Both sets of releases can be purchased at the link below. Hopefully I'll get around to covering the "Eternal Dark"/"Heavy Metal Ears" set by the weekend. At $15.00 a piece** they are quite reasonable especially considering the fact that (as of the last time I checked mind you) previous CD re-releases of Picture's first four full-length albums are going for well over $100 a piece ! While I wouldn't say that these albums are not worth such change (as these are every bit the classic albums we're talking about here friends!) I would say that $15.00 per CD set (plus shipping of course!) is more then reasonable! Whether you are looking to replace your older, worn-out copies of these albums or you are new to the band this two-album set, along with the other (soon-to-be reviewed) one, is a must pick-up!
  
http://tribunalrecords.bigcartel.com/product/picture-diamond-dreamer-picture-1

 * The CD artwork pictured above is simply used to demonstrate that both albums are on the one set. On both CD sets you can use whichever piece of album artwork you prefer (in this case it could be "Picture 1" or "Diamond Dreamer") by simply flipping around the booklet!

**If you buy both sets there is a reduced shipping option for international orders. Also, while supplies last (as there are only 100 99 of these things on hand!), if you buy both sets at the same time you can get a free Picture logo magnet! As this is a limited time offer (or until they are all gone!) it would probably be a wise idea to act fast folks!

Picture-Warhorse

Artist Station Records
2012

My first exposure to Dutch traditional metal band Picture came from a friend at my old workplace. This had to have been a good 10-12 years ago we are talking about because it was certainly before you could even hope to find their music on Amazon or Ebay. I have no idea how he came across the group or what made him decided to take a gamble of downloading their albums. He came in one day with "Heavy Metal Ears" and "Diamond Dreamer" (the band's second and third album) in his hands and thought it would be something I'd enjoy. After all he had helped school me in the ways of NWOBHM and Picture certainly fit that bill. Along with "Eternal Dark" (album number four) I grew to love the sound of Picture. Funny thing is that they were also one of the first bands I sent to Metal Mark when we were in the early stages of our friendship. Now here it is so many years later for both myself and Picture and somehow/someway we are both still trucking along. Granted Picture seems to have more steam in their pipes than I do because this album is hot to the touch. Has it really been 30+ years for these guys? Formed back in 1979, Picture is regarded as the first band to play heavy metal in their country. For a band that was huge in Holland as well as places like South America, Germany, Italy, Mexico and Japan they are largely unknown here in the States. Doubtful that will change after all of these years. For one thing their albums still are not easy to pick up here. "Warhorse" is an import and if not for friends in high places (or rather overseas!) the price tag would have been too much for me to justify given my single father status. Hopefully it will drop in price with time as "Warhorse" is a nice chunk of heavy/power metal. While the band might have started off as more hard rock than metal their new material is pure power metal with crunchy bass, pounding drums and tasty leads. Vocalist Pete Lovell (who was actually the group's third lead singer) sounds great. His voice has matured and might be a shade rough but it adds to the rugged power metal edge. Original members Rinus Vreugdenhil (bass) and Laurens Bakker (drums) really do a good job of holding down the back end. Guitarists Mike Ferguson and Peter Bourbon really work well here and as stated the licks are nice. "Warhorse" is an album Picture should be proud of as it sounds classic while having enough modern touches to appeal to the retro heavy metal crowd. If you can find this one at a good price I'd highly suggest grabbing it.