VULTURE - ROTTERDAM (ZUID HOLLAND) 1983

BIOGRAPHY: In April ’83 5 guys decided to start a new band, coming from bands like Aggressor (Jan and Rene), Headbanger (Edwin and Marcel) and Exterminator (Richard). Soon the word that there was a new band in town that would play heavier than hell was spread through Rotterdam. In February ’84 the band released it’s 1st 3-track demo, ‘Save your Neck’. A very good title, because it’s hard not to move your neck while listening to it. Fantastic speed/heavy metal! ‘Deathwish’ (an old HEADBANGER song), ‘Heavy Metal Violence’ and ‘Vulture’ are fast Heavy Metal songs with lots of tempo breaks and changing melody lines. Elements which marks the typical Vulture sound. The 2nd demo, recorded in September ’84, ‘Breathtaking’ delivers the same HM power! Songs like ‘T.F.J.’, ‘Slough of Despond’ and ‘The Circle’ are real killers.
In the meantime the band appears with 2 songs, ‘Vulture’ and ‘Slough of Despond’, on the Heavy Touch compilation LP. As support for the LP the band joins the Heavy Touch tour with several bands from the LP. At one gig during the tour a TV crew attends the show and interviews the band. The interview with the band was done by Boudewijn de Groot (Hollands most famous 60s hippie singer). Result was that Vulture was on national TV! Later on the band also makes a video which got played on several TV stations like RTL and MTV. Live the band is doing support gigs for bands like Manowar, Laaz Rockit and Overkill.
Then a 3rd demo ‘Chained ‘n’ Shackled’, recorded in February ’85, was released with another version of ‘The Circle’ on it, ‘Seduction’ and the speedy neck breaker ‘Samurai’. What a great demo this is! It marks the end of the 1st Vulture period because soon after it's release frontman Rene Debets and guitarist Jan Zwager leave the band and are replaced by singer Robert Soeterbroek and Andre Tolhuizen. The band moves into another musical direction. The Wings of Fortune demo shows a Vulture which uses more technical skills and even more tempo breaks. The band develops its style more and more towards Thrash with still good melody lines. In ’88 Robert Soeterbroek and Richard leave the band because they got tired of waiting for a record deal. Richard moves on to Tempter, but Robert returns not long after his departure. Drummer Dirk Bruinenberg takes the seat of Richard. In ’89 their 3-track demo is even more Thrashier than before. But finally, a record deal for a full length album is made. Overdrive Records (owned by people from the 70s glamrock band Catapult) signs the band. In ’90 the release of ‘Fatal Games’ is a fact. A straight forward thrash/speed metal album of good quality. The album is received pretty well, according to the good reviews. Soon after the release Andre Tolhuizen got kicked out of the band and joins Sinister. Robert Soeterbroek wants to do some more melodic stuff again and leaves the band as well. With Rick Ritman (ex-ABBYS) and Pieter Oosterman as replacements the band enters the studio again for a 2nd album, ‘Easier to Lie’, which got released in ’92. The album is quite technical which especially appeals to people who like Techno Thrash. Soon after the band splits up after more than 10 years of making great Heavy/Speed/Thrash Metal. The guys moved on to other bands. Bass man Ed was the owner the famous Hard Rock club ‘De Blokhut’ in Rotterdam. At the end of the 90s the club was closed.
But looking back we have to say that Vulture is a monument in the Dutch metal scene of the 80s and 90s!!

(Stefan)

MEMBERS:

Rene Debets – vocals (other bands: Aggressor)
Robert Soeterbroek – vocals (other bands: Tempter, Highway Chile)
Rick Ritman – vocals (other bands: Abyss)
Jan Zwager – guitars (other bands: Aggressor, Tempter)
Marcel ‘Mac’ van der Heyden – guitars (other band: Headbanger)
Andre Tolhuizen – guitars (other band: Sinister)
Pieter Oosterman - guitars
Edwin van Savooijen – bass (other band: Headbanger)
Richard van Leeuwen – drums (other bands: Exterminator, Tempter, Flyer)
Dirk Bruinenberg – drums (other band: Elegy)

DISCOGRAPHY:

1984 Save Your Neck (demo)
1984 Breathtaking (demo)
1985 The Heavy Touch compilation (LP) with tracks: ‘Vulture’ and ‘Slough of Despond’
1985 Chained & Shackled (demo)
1986 Wings of Fortune (demo)
1989 Demo
1990 Fatal Games (LP/CD)
1992 Easier To Lie (CD)

MEMORABILIA:




Vulture demo covers




Collection of old (killer) Vulture live pictures


Vulture line-up pics