Welcome to Throwback Thursday! This is the place where we get to indulge in nostalgia and wax poetic about excellent metal of years past. This 74th edition of TBT features Vanden Plas. These natives of Kaiserslautern released a career-spanning compilation box-set earlier this year entitled "Vanden Plas: The Epic Works 1991-2015". The set will feature 11 total albums, some of them reissued on vinyl, others remastered entirely. What better time than now to fondly remember some of Vanden Plas best works – specifically the 2002 album Beyond Daylight.
VANDEN PLAS BEYOND DAYLIGHT
Release Date: January 2002
Record Label: InsideOut Music
Vanden Plas tows a weird line between die-hard, noodly, purist progressive music and audience accessibility. Beyond Daylight, Vanden Plas's 4th studio album, toys with ethereal keyboard and chugging riffs but combines these elements with an easy-listening aura. The German 5-piece pulls Beyond Daylight together with odd time signatures and soaring vocals that immediately remind me of the hallmarks of heavyweights Dream Theater and Queensryche. However, there is a major difference in feeling that has become Vanden Plas's own callling card. Beyond Daylight is altogether more grounded and less experimental – but certainly not less interesting. Vanden Plas are clever, talented songwriters and chose to weave together their technical artistry with the flow of pop music. To say it in another way, Dream Theater is raw honey still in the comb and not entirely palatable for some; while Vanden Plas is more refined honey, easier to eat, and easier to pour and serve.
Beyond Daylight is heavy with emotion and the conviction found within the the lyrics is intentional and thoughtful. Beyond Daylight makes use of keyboard and organ/synth as an ever-present but non-genre defining element, and the flexibility of these parts can vacillate between dramatic mood-bolstering and psychedelic whimsy. Check out the song "Nightwalker":
"Nightwalker", like many of their songs, are lengthy; yet I find them refreshingly well balanced. Unafraid to delve into solos or intense changes, songs like "Nightwalker" use the aforementioned the organ as an unexpected psychedelic layering piece. Much like their frequent use of odd time signatures, Vanden Plas write songs with parts which are are not meant to distract, but are meant to carry the emotion of the songs where the vocals cannot follow. In tracks like "Cold Wind", the bass line is deceptively intricate and surreptitiously carries the melodic structure of the song. This is a great example of how Vanden Plas give their songs a dynamic interest.
Lead singer Andy Kuntz's showcases a beyond-impressive vocal range with these two songs. Expressing the namesake of the song, the feelings of 'cold' and 'loneliness' are ever-present throughout and made manifest with the control of the vocals. They're rich in any pitch and contrast well as against with the busyness of the other melodic layers. Now if you have an extra eleven minutes to spare, I highly recommend this absolute banger of a title track "Beyond Daylight":
The beginning builds up a energy that effortlessly crescendos in a catchy breakdown. The journey through this track is reflective of the entire album's personality: soaring, powerful, skillful, and varied.
Vanden Plas, like many of the artists featured here on TBT, is yet another band deserving of more exposure. The band's discography stretches back into the early nineties and have released planned for this year and into 2020. A group as talented and versatile as this shouldn't be forgotten and are more than worthy of this week's TBT spotlight. What do you think of them? Are their any bands you like that you feel deserve more attention? As always, please sound off down below. Thanks for stopping by and we will see you next week!
