Scavenger's "Nosferatu" Doesn't Suck
How the Belgian heavy metal band found fresh blood and made itself immortal
Perhaps it makes sense a band named Scavenger found its future members through social media. "I was scrolling on Facebook, and I noticed someone posted a video of the Battlefields album," Tine, the lead singer of the 2.0 version of the Belgian heavy metal band, writes in an email about how she first encountered Scavenger co-founder and guitarist Marc Herremans. "I didn't know about Scavenger by then, so I listened to the whole album. I was happily surprised to find out about this Belgian cult band. After some chats with Marc, he asked to do a rehearsal together with Luke [Ebinger, the original drummer], and so our first meeting happened."
That first meeting stirred Scavenger awake. After dropping two demos under its old name, Deep Throat, in the early '80s, the rebranded band bashed out Battlefields and released it in 1985 via Belgian heavy metal emporium Mausoleum Records. The album, complete with some seriously '80s-ified Frank Frazetta-aping art that should've been painted on a van door instead, grew in stature over the ensuing four decades. Fans of Belgian Jasper, no doubt an authority on Belgian heavy metal by dint of being named Belgian Jasper, voted Scavenger the 10th-best Belgian band of the '80s based on an exacting criterion of citizenship, proximity to Ostrogoth, and general ass-whippage, one expects. And Battlefields does indeed battle in the fields, speedily swishing a sword made of pure steel. Think if a post-Lightning to the Nations Diamond Head that, and this is key, didn't suck hooked up with Malice and moved in the same rockier, hookier direction. Battlefields doesn't quite rise to the level of 'lost classic,' but it is good, holding its own when matched against the rest of the Mausoleum Records discography, and far more deserving of modern appraisals outside of its home country than the paltry 144 ratings on RateYourMusic.
Of course, as it often does, life got in the way of Scavenger's impending metallic domination. Mausoleum Records filed for bankruptcy in 1986, and the resulting shrapnel of the sudden lack of label support dealt Scavenger a grievous wound. The quintet split, with its members blown by the wind into other outfits. And for over 30 years, that was Scavenger's fate until it stirred awake in 2018. But the black cloud hanging over the band wasn't ready to dissipate. In 2019, singer Jan Boeken, the deep throat of Deep Throat, died. For most bands on the comeback trail, that would spell the end of a reformation. But Scavenger wasn't turning back this time. Maybe the remaining members wanted to keep Boeken's flame lit. Whatever the case, Scavenger started scavenging.
Like a band version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers with a far more positive outcome, new Scavenger members started replacing the old ones. First came Tine and guitarist Kevin, then Tim, and then Vincent. Ebinger was the final metaller left standing, but not for long. "After Covid, Luke Ebinger, the last original member, gave his drumsticks to me," new drummer Gabriel writes. Scavenger was a whole new band. But the ceremonial passing of the drumsticks wasn't the only thing old Scavenger was passing on.
So, what's a band to do when they inherit a legacy without any legacy members? For instance, did Scavenger Mach 2 ever think about changing the name? "Yes, especially by the new members," Tine answers, "but the old members wanted to keep 'Scavenger' alive, and they preferred to keep the band's name."
Right, both eras of Scavenger are still connected, as if they're amicably co-parenting a heavy metal band. And, with the blessing of the old Scavenger, the new Scavenger kept Battlefields alive, too, occasionally trotting out some classics during live shows. "I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to sing the old songs of Scavenger after the passing of Jan Boeken," Tine writes. "It is a privilege to continue their legacy and keep the spirit of their music alive."
But soon, it was time for Scavenger to sprout new growth. In 2020, the band released the two-song single Backslider, the first new material under Scavenger's name in 35 years. Four years later, the appropriately titled Beyond the Bells hit the streets via the dependable No Remorse Records. It was a big step for the band, but Scavenger always knew where it came from.
"For Beyond the Bells, I definitely wanted to establish my own voice, but we also drew inspiration from some of the older material," Tine explains. "Jan Boeken was like a poet in the way he wrote his lyrics; he had a unique talent for weaving metaphors into his lyrics. He used vivid imagery and symbolic language to convey deeper meanings and emotions. We used the older material more as a touchstone, a way to honor the past while pushing ourselves to explore fresh ideas and craft a sound that felt authentic to where we are now as a band."
Of course, reborn Scavenger ran the new material by Ebinger and Herremans. They must've given the rookies the green light because here we are. No surprise there because Beyond the Bells is a banger, modernizing a very '80s approach to hard rock and heavy metal. On the surface, you can hear how the metal generations connect: It's the Scavenger of Battlefields, but it's also like a version that dumped a bunch of points into its RPG skill tree. The riffs are sharper. So are the hooks. Ultimately, Beyond the Bells flexes the innate ability of a band like Fate that could fuse earworm melodies and poppier songcraft. The difference is that Scavenger can be fierce, pulling the trigger on a flamethrower fueled with face-melting shredosity. And one of the tracks that best exemplifies what Scavenger is now bringing to the table is "Nosferatu."
"Nosferatu came together as a collaborative effort, with each band member contributing their unique strengths to shape the song," Scavenger, answering collectively, note. "It started with a central catchy riff that captured the essence of the song. From there, we built the structure around that core idea, experimenting with different arrangements and dynamics to create a sense of tension (the bridge and instrumental part, the guitar solo duet...). The songwriting process involved a lot of back-and-forth, with everyone bringing in ideas and refining them together. The goal was to tell a story, the story of meeting Nosferatu, so we paid close attention to how each section flowed into the next, ensuring that the song felt like a journey. The lyrics, rich with metaphor and imagery, were crafted to match the gothic atmosphere of the music, making 'Nosferatu' not just a song but an experience."
And what an experience "Nosferatu" is. Racing right out of the gate with a sprightly speed metal riff, guitarists Tim and Kevin set the table for a feast of shred. Bassist Vincent and drummer Gabriel pour a steady foundation of rock-solid rhythms while also decorating the edges with their own flourishes. And singer Tine turns the dial to "anthem," upping the quotability quotient of the lyrics thanks to her expert feel for the rise and fall of the song. Her hooks are the vessel upon which you ride "Nosferatu"'s surf.
So, for the first minute, it's easy to enjoy Beyond the Bells's showpiece as a BBQ-ready smoker, a scintillating speedster schooled in the ways of King Diamond's without-fail approach to stacking memorable metal passages as if they were shipping containers at a port. With Tine delivering the catchy payload of the repeated calls of "Nosferatu," the song of the same name is weaponized for pure summer enjoyment; it's the 'hair blowing in the wind while speeding in a convertible' subgenre of metal. Summer breeze, blowing through the heavy metal of my mind. But things run a little deeper than pure surface pleasures.
"We wanted to work around a main theme, the chorus riff," Scavenger explains. "The song is easy to sing and has a clear story. 'Nosferatu' is maybe the song that caught the true essence of our music vision. At the end of 'Nosferatu,' you hear the ringing of a 'warning bell,' which serves as a recurring motif throughout the album. This bell is more than just a sound; it represents the ever-present danger that the songs explore. The idea is that the bell warns of looming threats and acts as a reminder that danger is always near, threading a common theme through the entire album."
Like how "Nosferatu" fits into the larger theme of Beyond the Bells, so too do the song's sections. In a sense, it's the micro mirroring the macro. Both album and song exhibit a keen sense of narrative flow. Scavenger is here to rock, but in the tradition of an epic poet troubadour, it's also here to spin a yarn — just, you know, with riffs.
"I approach my playing like a storyteller, using melody, rhythm, and dynamics to convey the journey, emotions, and characters in the story I'm trying to express," Kevin writes.
Ah, yes, "the journey." The journey has become shorthand for when metal bands go roaming, expanding upon expressed themes with the giddy wanderlust of a born explorer. Not surprisingly, "Nosferatu"'s back half racks up the miles, taking listeners on a round trip of rock.
"For Nosferatu, 'the journey' likely came together through a combination of the band's individual creativity," Scavenger recalls. "Each member brought up some ideas during rehearsals or writing sessions, experimenting with different riffs and moods to see what resonated. After verse one, we intentionally carved out space for a longer instrumental section, allowing the music to breathe and evolve. This instrumental part became a key moment where the band could explore and expand on the Nosferatu theme, using syncopated rhythms, changing mood, and throwing in new melodies to create and release a musical tension. Then, with the guitar solos kicking in, we tried to return to the main theme and create a sense of resolution. The piece ends with a 'warning bell.'"
In that way, like a time traveler, "Nosferatu" captures the past and present of Scavenger. For example, there is, of course, the undeniable '80sness of the touchstones.
"There's definitely an '80s vibe to "Nosferatu," and that was intentional," Scavenger clarifies. "We drew from a specific set of influences that shaped the sound and atmosphere of the track. Bands like Warlock, Judas Priest, and early Enforcer were huge inspirations, especially in how they combined melodic elements with a darker, more aggressive edge. We wanted to capture that epic, cinematic feel that was so prevalent in metal during the '80s. The idea was to pay homage to that era while putting our own spin on it, creating something that feels both nostalgic and fresh."
Indeed, "Nosferatu" pays homage while maintaining the present voice of its current membership. For instance, check out how the rhythm section updates the groove of trad metal to something more dexterous, not just nailing down the tentpole of the one, but also providing a necessary opposing force while still driving the song forward.
"The rhythm section is crucial in heavy metal for providing the powerful backbone of the song," Vincent notes. "When it comes to 'Nosferatu,' the syncopated rhythm creates an open and freer atmosphere that contrasts with the intensity of the song. It is a moment of rest."
And yet, the magic of "Nosferatu" is nothing seems to be at rest. As soon as the song hits the bridge, new layers are injected, giving "Nosferatu" a pleasing verticality. Within that wide space, Scavenger plays with sonic textures, rubbing you with sandpapery tension before soothing you with velvet resolve. And it's all in service of making sure the song has legs, the kind of indelible good-times delivery that outlasts the summer.
"We wanted hooks or melodies that stick with you," Scavenger writes. "These memorable elements keep the song in the rotation. We used the repetitive word 'Nosferatu' to make the chorus easy to remember and shout along with."
It's hard not to shout along to "Nosferatu" once it has its teeth in you. And it's almost sad when the closing bell rings out; you don't want the song to end. But soon enough, the equally good "Crystal Light" is upon you. And, if you're still hankering for another bite of "Nosferatu," you can quell that hunger by hitting the "repeat" button. That way, that bell doesn't foretell finality but a new beginning. After all, that's what Scavenger did to keep the band alive: found fresh blood, hit refresh, rinsed, repeated. It cheated death, ignored the end, and spun back to the start. Indeed, while it's all over Beyond the Bells, the bell hasn't tolled for Scavenger, proving that while that bell might toll for thee, good heavy metal is eternal.
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