ELISE - BALKBRUG (OVERIJSSEL) 1985 - 1991

BIOGRAPHY: First time we hear from Elise is in ’85 when the band release their ‘Fighters’ demo.
An impressive 6-track demo which puts the band directly on the HM map. Straight forward Heavy Metal, mostly in mid tempo played. So great headbang stuff! Next to that the production is quite good for a recording in a 8-track studio(!!)
Highlights of the demo are ‘At Night’ and ‘Never say Never’.
A year later the band adds a 2nd  guitarist, Jannes Bloemert who came from VAULT.
With him in the ranks the band enters at the end of ’86 again this amazing 8-track studio.
Again the band records a 6-track demo. This time the guitars sound much heavier. Probably thanks to the influence of Jannes. Again the band delivers good solid Heavy Metal which should be appealing to every Heavy Metal fan out there. But the band stays a local band which is hardly to be seen live in the rest of the country (not to even mention foreign countries).
Then in ’88 their 3rd and last demo is released, called ‘Elise’. A 4-track demo this time. The metal turned a little bit more melodic, but still very typical Elise. Although the riff in ‘Come Back’ sounds a lot like ‘Hard Life’ from Helloise. But still, a good quality demo.
In 1990 finally an album is released on CD, ‘No Time for Masquerade’.  A 10 track album with, like the 3 demo’s, good solid straight forward Heavy Metal/Hard Rock songs with several songs from the previous demo’s on it.
But its doesn’t deliver what band hoped for and in ’91 the band call it a day and stops.
Some years later the song ‘Seven Witches’, from the 2nd demo, suddenly appears on a compilation Cd from a German company called Laser Light. It smells like a bootleg of someone who tries to make some easy money. And one can wonder if the band gave permission for it.

(Stefan)

MEMBERS:

Gert Hento – Vocals
Thomas Duiveman – Guitars
Jannes Bloemert – Guitars (Other bands: Vault, Warwick)
Henk van Mierlo – Bass
Rieks Vogelzang – Drums

DISCOGRAPHY:

1985 Fighters (DEMO)
1986 Seven Witches  (DEMO)
1988 Elise (DEMO)
1990 No Time for Masquerade (CD)

MEMORABILIA


Covers of the Elise demo's


Official Elise picture of the line-up


And an older Elise bandpic