MUSIC may not be your first thought when you think of Blaenavon, but the town seems to have made an impact on musicians as far away as Holland.

As well as a Hampshire-based band Blaenavon, who are currently supporting The Wombats on tour, now Dutch rock band Dark Wizard have penned a song inspired by a visit to south Wales.

Lead singer Kees Reinders said the town left an impression on him as it reminded him of his hometown.

He said: “It might be an unusual link, combining Blaenavon and rock music.

“The song is based on personal experiences that I’ve tried to put into words.

“The reason I wrote the song about Blaenavon is that we (me, my wife Coby, and son Esra) visited beautiful Blaenavon in the autumn of 2012.

“Our son Anne was doing an internship for school in Pontypool that year.

“We explored the area, including Abergavenny, Cardiff and Blaenavon. Blaenavon left a special impression on us, in such a way that I wrote lyrics about it.

“It is also partly about my birthplace and memories from my younger days in Kloosterhaar in the Netherlands where - before I was born - the people used to work hard in the peat, and didn’t have much money.

“In Blaenavon’s history, I saw the same people working hard in the coal and iron mines, and not having very much money to spend.”

Dark Wizard split up in 1985, but last year recorded the album ‘Close in the Dark’ with a new line-up.

“Compared to the other ten songs on the album, Blaenavon is a bit calmer, although there are some heavier parts in it,” Mr Reinders explained.

“The contrast between heavy and calm is something I thought worked well, others took some convincing, but we’re really happy how it turned out.

“I hope the people of Wales can appreciate the song, and I also hope that we will visit Wales again in the coming years.”

The lyrics include the lines “Running like a river through the future and the past, standing on the coal and iron mountains, surrounded by a white and downy mist.

“Walking through Blaenavon’s streets, historic miners ground, the memories go back to where I was born.

“At Blaenavon in the mist, at the mine or in the streets, at the moor of my home town.

You can listen to the song in full here by searching ‘Dark Wizard Holland’ on Facebook.