The Netherlands' Picture has released several albums over a 40-year career and 2019 sees them hit double digits with their 10th full-length, Wings. Their history stretches back to the late '70s so it should come as no surprise Picture incorporates hard rock into their straightforward traditional metal songwriting. The vocals are a booming, gritty shout somewhere between Biff Byford and Ape DiMartini that, along with the NWOBHM vibe, brings comparisons to Saxon and OZ to mind. Riff-heavy rockers with catchy choruses such as "Blown Away" and "Still Standing" wouldn't have been out of place on a mid-80s Saxon album. The '70s come through when the band slows it down on "Wings" with a "Kashmir"-inspired rhythm or ramps up the radio-friendly factor on "Never Enough". The riff on this one inspired my wife to ask if I was listening to Grand Funk Railroad because it sounds a little like the riff in "We're an American Band", admittedly a good tune. All those things make Wings an enjoyable album that should appeal to all the early '80s heavy metal/hard rock fans out there.
