It took Sustain two years to write and record the debut album This Is Now. The first couple of songs were written in 2002 by Raymond Helebrand (guitar) and Rick Olmeyer (vocals) in little time. Finding the right musicians to complete the band turned out to be more difficult than writing songs. Eventual the decision was made to bring in session musicians Ivo Kikken (drums) and Ron Bormans (bass). The music of Sustain isn’t hard to describe. The band plays melodic rock with clear and strong structures. The opening track “Dancing” is a destined opener and characteristic for the entire album. The track starts with strong bass and heavy rhythm guitars, the drums have a less prominent role and are mostly atmospheric. I personally would not have mind if the drums were a bit less basic but that’s inherent to melodic rock. The biggest effort is the warmth of the album.

The sound, the moods and the deep bass, they all add up and actually touch you inside. There are of course a couple of ballads on the disc – “Don’t Give Him An Alibi” - being the first. Usually I’m not very fond of ballads by melodic rock bands but the combination of melancholy and melody is most appealing. The weakest songs on the album are the more old fashioned - in the eighties anchored track “Hold On Tight” and “Right Between The Eyes”. But these are the only tracks where I’m annoyed by the over simplified melodies (“Hold On Tight”) and corny refrains. All in all I must say that I’m quite impressed by this debut. Sustain will have no trouble finding their ways in the Dutch rock scene. The band is planning to promote their album on stage as much as possible. If they’re playing in the neighbourhood you should definitely check them out.