Prog-rock · Art-rock · USA & Europe

Every song
tells a story.

Six musicians in different countries, one shared surname, and songs built like paintings.

Van Rijn is a prog-rock/art-rock project with members from the U.S. and Europe, exploring intricate melodies, shifting time signatures and deeply emotional lyrics. The sound is driven by the musicians' own experiences and musical taste. All six albums are out on every major platform, and the newest is House of Salvation.

Listen on YouTube Music YouTube channel Spotify Apple Music
House of Salvation album cover: a hooded figure carrying a red rose walks down the steps of a candlelit stone archway, reflected in a puddle.
House of SalvationVan Rijn · sixth album
13 songs · 43 min

Room I · The Paintings

Discography

Every cover is made with input from the whole band, and Henk gives it the final touch. They hang here in the order the albums were made.

  • The figure

    Beauty in insanity

    The lone figure on every cover stands for the beauty that lives inside madness.

  • The rose

    Beauty in nature

    The red rose, carried through every storm, is the beauty of the natural world.

  • The candle

    Light in darkness

    The small flame says there is always light, even in the dark.

  • Seen from outside

    Six covers, one journey

    The figure never shows his face, so you end up standing where he stands. He is always alone at an edge: a window, a cliff, a rock in the surf, a doorway. On the first cover the roses are rotting around a man in a straitjacket. After that he carries the rose with him, through rain, storms and waves. The light grows too, from a tea light on Shadows of Yesterday to a lantern on the MoonDog covers to a whole lit doorway on House of Salvation. Look into the puddle on that last cover and you'll find the man from Beneath the Thorns reflected there. He is walking away from who he was, toward a calmer and more confident self.

  • Our music takes its inspiration from all of this. We hope to take you on a journey in and out of these emotions.

    Max Van Rijn

Beneath the Thorns of a Rotted Rose cover: a figure in a straitjacket stands in fog among dying roses.
Beneath the thorns of a rotted Rose
First album9 songs · 29 min
Song list · 9 songs
  1. Beneath the Thorns of a Rotted Rose3:48
  2. Break These Chains3:16
  3. I Don't Know How to Love You3:29
  4. In the Echoes of a Failing Heart3:14
  5. Masterpiece of Pain3:16
  6. Rhythms of Hearts3:17
  7. Please Say Yes3:12
  8. Remnants of Days2:49
  9. Love Misunderstood3:14
YouTube MusicSpotifyApple Music
Shadows of Yesterday cover: a hooded man faces his own reflection in a rain-streaked window beside a rose in a vase.
Shadows of Yesterday
Second album12 songs · 39 min
Song list · 12 songs
  1. Father Ohh Father3:51
  2. Wake Me Up3:22
  3. Shadows of Yesterday3:05
  4. She's a Street Walker3:11
  5. In the Arms of Night3:15
  6. In the Desert3:23
  7. What About It3:24
  8. Knights Take King3:04
  9. Mr. Jones Emporium3:28
  10. I'm Falling3:29
  11. Ordinary3:07
  12. Fading Lights2:53
YouTube MusicSpotifyApple Music
How Did We Get Here cover: a hooded figure on a cliff edge above a stormy sea, a rose behind his back.
How did we get Here
Third album11 songs · 35 min
Song list · 11 songs
  1. How Did We Get Here4:10
  2. It's Never to Late3:09
  3. In the Arms of Sorrow2:25
  4. Hades You Bitter Tool3:03
  5. Red Flags (feat. Aida)3:01
  6. Lady Silence3:15
  7. Secrets in the Shadows3:41
  8. Working3:18
  9. I Am Dreams3:17
  10. Funeral in the Rain3:15
  11. Final Farewell3:03
YouTube MusicSpotifyApple Music
Lullabies from the Deep cover: a hooded figure on a rock faces crashing waves, a ship on the horizon.
Lullabies from the Deep
Fourth album11 songs · 36 min
Song list · 11 songs
  1. Beautiful Pain2:30
  2. Chasing Cards3:30
  3. I Am the Dark2:52
  4. I Want to Hear the Words from You2:45
  5. I'm Breathing3:12
  6. This Time of Mine3:31
  7. Just an Echo3:17
  8. Lullabies from the Deep3:35
  9. Stay a Little Longer3:27
  10. Life of a Sailor's Desire4:09
  11. de Fray3:09
YouTube MusicSpotify
The MoonDog sw Covers cover: a hooded figure behind a rainy window holds a framed Moondog record.
The MoonDog sw Covers
Fifth album9 songs · 31 min
Songs from Moondog, the band where Max first heard Eric's lyrics.
Song list · 9 songs
  1. Seeing the Sun3:12
  2. You Got It2:43
  3. Crazy3:58
  4. Leave Me Alone3:27
  5. You Better Believe It4:05
  6. Hide Away4:06
  7. Free Ride3:08
  8. When Everyday Hurts2:49
  9. Wake Me up in the Morning3:27
YouTube MusicSpotifyApple Music
House of Salvation cover: a hooded figure carrying a red rose walks down the steps of a candlelit stone archway.
NewestHouse of Salvation
Sixth album13 songs · 43 min
Song list · 13 songs
  1. Psycho Snatcher3:35
  2. House of Salvation3:37
  3. Daughters and Sons2:47
  4. This Is All There Is3:38
  5. Troublemaker Heart3:18
  6. Gunpowder Lemon Jam (Romeo and Juliet)4:09
  7. Spirit of the Water3:21
  8. Save Me2:51
  9. Promises3:10
  10. Children of the Flames2:51
  11. Son of Light2:50
  12. Parade of Fools3:44
  13. The Wheel Never Stops3:21
YouTube MusicSpotifyApple Music

Room II · The Portraits

Six musicians, one surname

Four of them sing, two of them don't, and all six are called Van Rijn.

We're passionate about complex arrangements, lyrical narratives and dynamic instrumentation, all the things that make progressive music so special.

The six members of Van Rijn standing on a herringbone-brick canal street in Amsterdam while a photographer takes their picture.
The band on an Amsterdam canal. The Rijksmuseum, home of The Night Watch, is a short walk away.
  • Guitar · lead & backing vocals

    Max van Rijn

    Studied music in Holland, then went back to Sweden. Sang on Sebastian and JP's projects and suggested they start something serious.

  • Keyboards · lead & backing vocals

    Sebastian Van Rijn

    Met Max and JP in Holland, then moved to Oslo to make music and play studio sessions. Said they should call Henk.

  • Drums · lead & backing vocals

    Henk Van Rijn

    The drummer JP and Sebastian saw one night in Holland. Came back from the Rembrandt museum with the band's name.

  • Guitar

    JP Van Rijn

    Jean Pierre. Met Max and Sebastian in Holland, then moved to Oslo with Sebastian to make music and play studio sessions.

  • Guitar · lyrics · lead & backing vocals

    Eric Van Rijn

    The lyricist. Joined in 2016 from the US, where he was making his own albums.

  • Bass

    Angus Van Rijn

    Henk suggested they try him out on bass, and now they had a band.

The members live in different countries and most play in other bands, so all six took the last name Van Rijn. It's more fun, and it keeps everyone's identity private.

Room III · The Story

How did we get here?

It started in Holland. Max studied music in Holland, and that is where he met Sebastian and Jean Pierre (JP).

After school the three scattered. Max went back to Sweden, kept studying music and jammed with local bands. Sebastian and JP moved to Oslo, where they started their own music project and worked as hired musicians on studio sessions.

Years passed. Max would now and then travel to Norway to put vocals on Sebastian and JP's projects. One day he suggested they start something serious together, and Sebastian said they should call Henk.

Back when they were studying in Holland, JP and Sebastian often went out to see local bands, and one night they saw Henk play. They were instantly impressed, so after the show they bought him a beer, and for the rest of their time in Holland they kept jamming with him.

Now they sent Henk some music they had recorded, and he was intrigued. They still needed someone on bass. Henk suggested they try out Angus, and now they had a band.

By 2014/2015 they had songs and plenty of ideas, but no lyricist. In 2016 Max reached out to Eric. He had seen MoonDog Sw play when he was younger, and he remembered the lyrics. Eric had moved to the US by then and was working with local musicians on his own albums. He said yes.

Henk suggested the name after a visit to the Rembrandt museum. Every painting tells a story, and every song should too.

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was born in Leiden in 1606 and painted people as if you'd walked in on the middle of their lives. That is the idea behind the band. Everyone agreed, and everyone took the name.

  1. School

    Holland

    Max meets Sebastian and JP while studying music.

  2. Holland

    A beer with the drummer

    JP and Sebastian see Henk play and keep jamming with him.

  3. After

    Sweden & Oslo

    Max studies and jams in Sweden. Sebastian and JP make music and play studio sessions in Oslo.

  4. Later

    Something serious

    Max suggests a real band. Henk joins and brings in Angus.

  5. 2014–15

    First songs

    Five musicians, great ideas, no name yet.

  6. 2016

    Eric joins

    Max recruits the MoonDog Sw lyricist from across the Atlantic.

  7. Then

    The name

    Henk visits the Rembrandt museum. The band becomes Van Rijn.

  8. I–III

    The first three albums

    Beneath the Thorns of a Rotted Rose, Shadows of Yesterday and How Did We Get Here.

  9. IV–V

    Into the deep

    Lullabies from the Deep, then the MoonDog covers album.

  10. VI

    House of Salvation

    The sixth and newest album.

  11. Now

    On the road and in the studio

    Some of the members are on tour with their other bands, while the others are working on music for a future album.

Room IV · The Family Album

The many faces of Van Rijn

Band photos from across the centuries. Some of them may not be entirely accurate. Tap any picture to enlarge it.

The namesake, on lead guitar
Pub in Amsterdam
One of those rare times
The ancestors, Leiden, c. 1890 (allegedly 🙂)
Claymation
Charcoal portraits, a gift from a fan in Japan

Moving pictures

Videos

Two songs, two short films.

Beneath the thorns of a rotted RoseFrom the first album · Watch on YouTube
Mr. Jones EmporiumFrom Shadows of Yesterday · Watch on YouTube

In honour of

MoonDog Sw

The MoonDog album art: a pale stone mask with the word Moondog written down the side.

MoonDog Sw was Eric's old band in Sweden. As a young boy, Max saw and heard Eric sing with MoonDog Sw. The band split when Eric moved to the US, but the songs stuck, and with the help of the members of Van Rijn, they live on.

The MoonDog Sw Covers is Van Rijn's tribute to them: nine of their songs, played the Van Rijn way, with Eric singing on all of them.

Go and hear where it all started.

Listen to MoonDog on YouTube

Exit through the speakers

Listen to Van Rijn

All six albums are on every major platform. Subscribe on YouTube and follow us on Facebook for news and new releases.

YouTube · Lullabies from the Deep
Spotify · Van Rijn
YouTube MusicArtist page · all albums → SpotifyArtist page → Apple MusicHouse of Salvation → QobuzArtist page → YouTube channel@Van-Rijn → FacebookNews & releases →

Stay in touch

Follow the journey

Van Rijn is a studio project. We live in different countries and most of us play in other bands too, so we write and record mostly on our own and meet in the music. That means no live shows, but there is always a new song on the way.

Follow us for new releases, and send us a message on Facebook if you want to get in touch.

Facebook YouTube channel YouTube Music

Lyrics by Eric Van Rijn