German guitar virtuoso and songwriter, Marc Vanderberg strikes with his debut album, "Devil May Care" following the success of his EP, "The Four Elements". Both his EP and the anticipated debut consist of collaborative offerings from his friends and fellow like minded musicians to assemble an impressive collection of metal songs...
Opening song 'Godfather' is a sorrowful and beautiful atmospheric instrumental to set the tone for the rest of the album...
The title track has a menacing, melodic and progressive sound, reminiscent of Dream Theater and old school metal with exceptional lead guitar and licks throughout as you would expect from Vanderberg. However impressively the guitar solo featured here is actually the work of eleven year old, Dustin Tomsen who Marc spotted on TV and asked to play. No regrets here I'm sure!
'Key To Your Heart' was Marc's first ever song he wrote, and one that he should be proud of, as it has a brilliant anthemic massive and classic sounding chorus, wrapped in sweet complex guitar-work.
The somewhat controversial 'Pray' focuses on the pressing mater of the presidential run this year, which is fairly evident with lyrics such as, "Love trumps hate, feel the Bern and make America great again" and "between the devil and the deep blue sea, your candidates suck, don't blame me'. This may just be the most prominent lyrical content he has written to date.
'Infinite Love' is more of a slower ballad number with an all consuming ambience, drawing influence yet again from his many musical influences, this time from guitar expert Yngwie Malmsteen.
The next song picks up the pace again with 'Storm, Thunder and Lightning' and has an 80's power rock sound with an extremely catchy chorus and memorable dynamic guitars. This is about his favourite sport boxing, which is obvious, with lyrics like: "I hear the bell, first round of boxing and I can tell you, my adrenaline is rising high".
'Smoking Kills - But Only Love Can Break Your Heart' was a nice surprise as I have reviewed Luna Rise before, so it was nice to see this collaboration with front-man Chris Divine. This is a love glam rock number, and Chris brings a sensual charm with his deep toned voice which is complimented well by Tave Wanning of Adrenaline Rush. This is a great ending, as this displays yet again a different sound.
This debut offers a lot of variety in terms of mood, lyrical content, skilled musicians and of course and most importantly diverse sounds. Each track highlights Marc's composition and guitar capabilities brilliantly and makes for a solid enjoyable debut that any metal fan can appreciate and respect. Marc should be very proud of what he has accomplished, especially by letting his personality and influences shine throughout, and having a great time with friends along the way.
Track listing:
Godfather
Devil may Care (feat. Göran Edman ex Malmsteen/ex John Norum)
Key To Your Heart (feat. Paulo Cuevas)
Pray (feat. Boban Vasileski + Marc Vanderberg)
Infinite Love (feat. Göran Edman)
Storm, Thunder And Lightning (feat. Paulo Cuevas)
Crash ’n‘ Burn (feat. Boban Vasileski)
Spirit Of The Dragon (feat. Boban Vasileski)
Corrosion Of Society (feat. Paulo Cuevas)
Smoking Kills (feat. Chris Divine + Tave Wanning(Adrenaline Rush)
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| The man behind it all - Marc Vanderberg |
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