‘A dragon’s birth’ is a 20-minute mini cd from Dutch band Chinawhite. The natural predecessor to their yet to be born debut reflects the professionalism the band has acquired since their embryo back in 1989. Their rock manifest blends melodic textures with a symphonic edge. The cd first pair of tracks ‘rock and water’ and ‘the revolution by night’ are certainly showtoppers. The band adrenalize on the first track to an extent that got me shaking my bootie…The rhythm section is very tight and the overal arrangement well thought of; on the other hand, I could have sworn I heard those first few bars before ? The second track ignites with a synth that enables to hook you to the rhythm. One other factor that persuades the listener’s attention is the guitar playing which is outstanding. Big money is a few notches below in comparison to the former duo. Nevertheless, it possesses a haunting Hammond reminiscent of John Lord. The closing track, ‘the lurker’ reverts to the high standard developed by Chinawhite; this is also my favourite. Lot’s of goodies in store: a driving bass, frenetic guitar solos, candlelight piano, amongst others. Great stuff boys and girls! Can’t wait for the debut. (carlos j. tavares)