It’s not the first thing that springs to mind when we talk about a heavy-metal band’s ambitions. Still, this is what we had in mind to commemorate the fact that Ear Danger was founded no less than 40 years ago.
It was in 1981 when Dick Vijgen (drums, then 18 years old) and Matt Verschoor (bass, then 17 years old) went into the studio with Ear Danger to record their second, more or less iconic demo. At that point in time, it was just a demo to them, made to get live gigs and it would have helped them, if they hadn’t been forced to fire the singer and one of the guitar players just a couple of months later.
That demo, however, rose to fame through massive tape-trading and can still be found back on different locations on the internet. Looking back at the recording process, it was nothing short of a miracle that it turned out so well. The studio they chose had no experience with heavy metal whatsoever, the band had hardly any recording experience and relations within the band were already starting to deteriorate.
From the moment Ear Danger started up again in 2007, we have been approached by quite a few people who would have liked to release this demo, along with the following demo, on CD. The answer has always been no. Why? Simply, because there is no reason. They can be found on the internet, so those who’d like to listen to them can download the tracks.
Having said that, our 40th birthday inspired us to combine past and present in the best possible way. What if the 1981 demo could be recreated with the current line-up and modern-day equipment, but without losing the characteristics of the old-school ‘80s production and sound, like a sort of musical time machine?
Those who have listened to it know the 1981 demo has a reverb-laden, open sound that gives it its charm. It was a challenge to preserve this old-school production style and still come up with recordings that would stand their ground in modern-day heavy metal. On top of that, COVID made it impossible to record it “live in-studio” as we did in 1981. So, Dick had to record drums practically on his own, after which the other tracks were mostly home-recorded. Re-amping was done at Matt’s detached and secluded home.
Just as in 1981 the tracks are “Beelzebub’s Friend”, “Give’em Hell”, “You Need Warmth” and the ballad “Still Going strong”.This track is recorded as “Winterfest Edition”, referring to the day that Ear Danger played the Heavy Metal Maniacs Winterfest. Already during the soundcheck, Sander blew up the vocal speakers with a huge scream, leaving us with no option but doing some songs instrumental, while the audience chanted the choruses and some songs acoustic. Which was the case with the ballad “Still Going Strong”.
The B-side of the album features the 2018 EP “Storming The Gates”, which has not been released on vinyl yet.
Ear Danger is currently preparing recordings for their next album. Although all tracks have been written, there again, COVID forced us to slow down.