Ruben Wijga

Ruben Wijga — Dutch keyboardist — was part of ReVamp, the band Floor Jansen formed after After Forever closed. ReVamp was a deliberate break. After a decade in After Forever, one of the groups that defined Dutch symphonic metal, Jansen put together in 2009 a project with a harder, less ornamented sound, with lyrics of a personal character and subject matter moving away from fantasy. The two records — ReVamp (2010) and Wild Card (2013) — are the works in which she appears as principal author rather than as interpreter of material written by others. The keyboard in this context has a different function from the one it would have in a conventional symphonic band. Instead of full orchestrations, Wijga works with more restrained layers and electronic textures, giving weight and space without competing with guitars or voice. ReVamp ceased activity in 2016, when Jansen became Nightwish's permanent singer. It is only two records — but they occupy a particular place in the work of one of European metal's most important voices.