VANDEN PLAS – Live & Immortal

A very cool live album by the prog metal outfit Vanden Plas is what we have here, and this particular recording, which dates back to late December 2016, sees the band in full flight on home turf in Germany. Live & Immortal captures the epic riffage, shifting moods, memorable moments, and sheer power of some of their finest compositions, and with a great performance and an interesting setlist, it is hard to argue with the fact that this is a quality output with a solid production. Perhaps a little more low-end would have made it even heavier and punchier, but the raw guitars are wicked and the whole thing is soaked in atmosphere, so what is there to complain about in the overall perspective? Highlights include ‘Into the Sun’, ‘Scarlet Flower Fields’, and ‘Postcard to God’. The latter is a beautiful piece and a fitting finale to this classy offering. The two CDs are all you need as the DVD is standard fare and therefore superfluous unless you were actually there that night. Simply put, Live & Immortal is testament to just how frigging good this act is on stage, and the packaging is quite appealing too.