Moving On. Litzberg

With Moving On Litzberg releases its second album, after In_The_Head (2019). Four years have gone by, in part in the strangest of ways possible, leaving, in a way, complete memory holes, but also memories of events that would never have happened, in a life filled with alternative ways of spending time: walking and walking some more.

Moving On in a way surprised me. Having heard the first two singles, I expected a hard-rocking alternative rock album in the best U.S. 1990s, even 80s tradition. The third single proves to be a bellwether and not the exception. Litzberg presents two very different sides to itself. The alternative rocker and the alternative balladeer. Don't expect soft acoustic guitars and violins here, there are alternative ballads also and Litzberg excels in them.

Mathijs Peeters has a long history in the Dutch music scene. I even think I saw him perform in the past, without knowing his name. This changed in the 10s with his band Reiger (Heron), that morphed into Litzberg, including some of the songs re-recorded for Litzberg's debut album. The rock and noise both bands produced fell on welcome ground, so to say. This is no different with Moving On.

Litzberg is named after a "mountain" in the Leudal in Dutch Limburg called Litsberg and is close to Peeters' home turf before moving to the big city decades ago. The undoubtedly rustic environment of the small hill has little to do with the urgency of his latest album. Despite having two faces, Moving On rocks, solid. Let's start with the six minutes long 'What Is It You Want Me To Say'. Bass and drums open the song, a driving rhythm over which, after a while, a snarling guitar starts wailing in anguish. A more modest one is yapping at its feet, stinging, biting inducing more pain, fear and anguish. The guitar tells it all, before the song settles into the verse, after a change that would not have sounded strange on a Yes album like 'Close To The Edge', stripping away all the huge symphonic elements that is. Next the song changes into a driving rock rhythm, changing its texture totally. As if another song has started. 'What Is It You Want Me To Say', has two faces as well and works like a miracle. As such it can be presented as the centre piece of the album and as the blueprint.

Promo photo: Saskia Lelyveld

If we have to make some comparisons. I saw Strand of Oaks live in 2017 and it is no surprise that Reiger played the support slot. The bands have something in common. Not beating about the bush, imho Litzberg has the better and more varied songs. A comparison the band makes itself is with The War On Drugs. I know that band fills the biggest venues, bar stadiums, in this country but I just don't hear the progression after there second song. Compare that to the song I just set apart, let alone the short and fast rockers or the alternative rock ballad and title song to this album. Then tell me what is the better band. Litzberg for starters deserves a support slot in these huge venues with a perfect sound and see who wins, in as far music is a competition of course, as it isn't. This is about what is fair where fans are concerned.

With Moving On Litzberg has produced an even better album than its already good debut album. Yes, four years is a long time, but this music was recorded in two sessions in 2020 and 2021, so who knows, we may not have to wait that long next time around. Moving On is another great album released in this still very young year.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Moving On here:

https://litzbergmusic.bandcamp.com/