Biography
If you say Holland and the first Dutch metal band, which image comes to mind then?That’s right! We’re talking about PICTURE!!! And they’re back stronger and more motivated than ever.
Reforming with the three original members Rinus Vreugdenhil (bass), Laurens Bakker (drums) and Jan Bechtum (guitars) at the end of 2007, they added their former lead singer Pete Lovell (albums Eternal Dark and Traitor) and former guitarist Rob van Enkhuizen (final album Marathon) to complete their reunion line-up in January this year.
Picture was active from 1979 through 1988 and they were the first Dutch metal band to sign a record deal. They paved the way for many more great Dutch bands to come, but their influence stretched far beyond Dutch borders as their records were distributed world wide in over 80 countries. Even successful Swedish metalband Hammerfall covered one of Pictures jewels, Eternal Dark.
Picture are renown for their excellent live shows and extensive touring in Europe, also supporting AC/DC, Saxon, Ted Nugent, Rose Tattoo and April Wine.
They released 7 albums and a few singles all over the world and were especially famous in South and Central America and in Japan.
In 1988 they split up.
Now in 2008, with classic immortal metal songs like "Diamond Dreamer" , "Night Hunter", "Bombers", "Griffons Guard The Gold" and "Eternal Dark" in their luggage, they woke up Holland again with some warming up shows and they already showed Scandinavia that they’re back again witness the successful show at the Sweden Rock Festival this year. At the end of July they astonished the Headbangers Open Air audience near Hamburg and a series of Benelux shows are being planned at the moment taking place during fall, beginning with a huge festival at Rotterdam, The Netherlands on September 6th.
The Picture Live 2008 Limited Edition, a live recording of old classic hymns and 2 new songs, will be released officially in September.
A studio album containing all new songs will be recorded at the end of this year/beginning of next year.
The final story about Picture is yet to be told…