Vandenberg’s Moonkings – ‘Moonkings’

Breaking a musical silence that – apart from a few live appearances and a song written for his local football team – has lasted 20 long years, Dutch axemeister Adrian Vandenberg has emerged from his self-enforced exile with a renewed fire in his belly and this new project with a new, young band. 'Moonkings' is veryBreaking a musical silence that – apart from a few live appearances and a song written for his local football team – has lasted 20 long years, Dutch axemeister Adrian Vandenberg has emerged from his self-enforced exile with a renewed fire in his belly and this new project with a new, young band. 'Moonkings' is very much steeped in the classic British blues tradition in which Vandenberg grew up – and, indeed, on more than one occasion gives more than a passing nod to the earlier incarnations of Whitesnake – but also has a very modern twist.  What this most definitely is not is a vanity project by a recluse rock star seeking to relive old glories:  far from it.  This is very much a band project, with Vandenberg happy to let both the songs and his fellow musicians breathe and stretch themselves – witness the contributions of bassist Sem Christoffel, for example – which in turn helps the guitarist deliver a series of performances which are exuberant and enthusiastic. Vocalist Jan Hoving has a rich and luscious voice:  yes, there is a very Coverdale feel to some of his performances, such as 'Steal Away' and the vitriol-fuelled 'Leeches', but [...]

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