The Trial

Tri-fold (6-panel) Digipak with transparent tray and an A4 folded insert with bio/photos, no booklet. Some copies came without a number. Pre Existence (or PXE) was a rock band from The Hague / The Netherlands that was founded back in 1980. The bands’ first ever line-up consisted of double axe attack Coen Petri and Ben Bijl, Rieko Tuin (bass guitar), Gerard Thalen (drums) and singer Aad Vermeulen. Initially the Dutch group was highly inspired by the likes of Status Quo and David Bowie, which was reflected in their music and lively performances. In the end of 1982, the line-up severely changed when ex-Trauma members René Vletter (drums) and Jan Horjus (vocals) joined the ranks, replacing Thalen and Vermeulen. Vletter and Horjus made the most of this opportunity and definitely played key roles in the group’s evolvement: the band name was changed to Proud Existence in 1983 and the band’s musical direction developed to hard rock / heavy metal. This showed on their first ever and only 1984 self-titled demo tape. The demo consisted of four tracks: ‘Right Time To Die’, ‘Deliver Or Kill’, ‘Thou Wilt Be Avenged’ and ‘Blindfolded’. The demo was simply great and one of its songs was released on vinyl back in 1985, when the Dutch Iceman label released the ‘Metal Power V’ compilation EP that holds Scarlet Angel with ‘Living Wild’, Villain’s ‘White Snow’, Axel’s ‘Sweet Burning Angel’ as well as Proud Existence’s ‘Blind Folded’. The ‘Metal Power’ EP series nowadays are true metal gems and are really hard to lay your hands on. On basis of the demo tape the Dutch Metalloid label offered the band a one record deal in May 1985. The record company however went bankrupt and therefore couldn’t fulfil their promises to the band so it was decided to sign a deal with the Paladyn label in 1986. The label was more or less the home label for the Silvox Studio from Silvolde (Holland) where the full-length recordings for ‘The Trial’ were made with producer Caspar Falke (whom also produced vinyls by Martyr, Emerald, Defender, Second Hell, Skull Crusher and Allied Forces) behind the helm. After the recordings of the aforementioned demo bass player Ron van Dijk had already joined the band, replacing Tuin in 1985 and during the recordings of their first full-length, Proud Existence’s line-up once more changed with Alex Roest trading places with Jan Horjus in the Summer of 1987. Roest originally sang in a Dutch punk band called 3rd Generation and therefore his transfer to a genuine hard rock / heavy metal band raised a lot of questions from fans but his wild stage act and vocal capacities brought the audience to silence. Actually, the vocal tracks Horjus already had laid down for the ‘The Trial’ recordings were erased and replaced by Roest’s. Some people state that 1988’s ‘The Trial’ has become a mini-album, but with a playing time of 36 minutes approximately, this release can easily be filed in the “full-length bin”. The four demo songs were re-recorded for the ‘The Trial’ album. One song, ‘Blind Folded’, however did not make it to the album as planned and another three newer tracks were added: ‘Fast Ride’, ‘The Trial’ and ‘Castles In Black’. Most of the tracks are long drawn out and contain classic heavy metal with sturdy and (some) high pitched vocals, a rhythm section as tight as a duck’s arse, ferocious killer hooks and some damn fine soloing. True heavy metal vinyl collectors really dig this album and it has a cult status nowadays. On online auction websites like e-Bay, Discogs or the Dutch “Marktplaats” the original album easily costs about $ 65,- / € 60,- but I’ve seen a $ 120,- price tag during my most recent visit to £a$ V€ga$ too! There also exists a 1993 bootleg CD by the Revenge Of True Metal label in their ‘Forgotten Metal : Outstanding Metal Gems’ series. The CD (which is # 13 in the series) also holds California / U.S.A.’s Child Saint with their 1988 two track debut EP and Shelder from France with their self-released 1988 ‘God Of Vikings’ album. It’s so obvious that it is almost impossible to obtain this CD for a fair price. In 1988, the Proud Existence track ‘Castles In Black’ (taken from ‘The Trial’) was featured on the ‘Teutonic Invasion Part 2’ compilation by Roadrunner Records. The album also holds Pestilence that released their smashing debut CD / LP ‘Malleus Maleficarum’ the same year and (Germany’s) Chainsaw (from 1986’s ‘Hell’s Burning Up’ LP) to name only a few. Some might think Proud Existence were gonna make it, but unfortunately the group disbanded shortly after their penultimate achievement. Ron van Dijk formed the thrash metal band Dementia that recorded no less than three convincing demo tapes. In 1995 Dementia released their only full-length CD release through the Concrete label from the U.S.A. entitled ‘Watching The Dawn’. I advise you to check this CD if you’re into early Metallica or Onslaught. Nowadays Van Dijk plays with the Dutch metallers Rages Of Sin. Coen Petri stopped playing six strings and since then plays bass guitars in the Dutch AC/DC tribute band Rosie. Rosie plays original works and an initial AC/DC cover now and then and the band has a big following in The Hague and its surroundings. René Vletter joined a few bands and became a much sought after session musician, especially within the blues genre but nowadays he has buried his sticks. Alex Roest hit the stages with Partners In Crime, a cover band that played songs like ‘Looking For A Kiss’ and ‘(There’s Gonna Be A) Showdown’ from the legendary New York Dolls, but also cover versions from The Stooges, Dead Boys, The Damned and so on. Coen Petri and Ron van Dijk were permanent members of Parters In Crime as well. Roest no longer is active as a musician either. Guitarist Ben Bijl hasn’t played in any band worth mentioning since the Proud Existence days, but occasionally appears on a stage in the The Hague area. During the years of its existence, not a lot was written about Proud Existence and so far it seems that we can only draw lessons from oral history. ‘The Trial’ hasn’t lost any of its relevance 30 years after its initial release and even today some quotes may give you an idea what this monster of a heavy metal album is all about: “superb power metal everyone should know about”, “classic heavy metal”, “great band!”, “another great piece of Dutch heavy metal!” “awesome heavy metal from the Netherlands that needs to be experienced”, “The music here is damn heavy, dark, epic, and unadulterated classic power metal” or “overall if you want some poundingly heavy metal from ’88 with some powerful epic touches here and there, Proud Existence’s ‘The Trial’ fits the bill more than most”. So far, it seems that Proud Existence was a flower that never bloomed but in 2014 the Dutch Aardschok reporter / writer / vinyl collector Robert Haagsma honoured Proud Existence by adding the band on the ‘Dutch Steel : 80’s Metal From The Netherlands’ double CD / triple vinyl compilation together with such acts as Picture, Dark Wizard, Highway Chile and Future Tense. The year 2016 marks the year of the re-release on the new found Virginkiller Entertainment label of the ‘The Trial’ album including the four track demo, both newly remastered by Caspar Falke from the original mastertapes. Deliver or kill! credits. Released April, 2016