(Diamond Head Music) Total time: 47:16
Well, I recently got a copy of Diamondhead’s new album “All will be revealed”. I was cautiously optimistic but curious nonetheless. Let me cut to the chase. Diamond Head suffered the loss of Sean Harris, who was ousted from the bands ranks. They lost a great singer and front man. His replacement the unfortunately named Nick Tart, (sorry for pulling the Mickey) possesses a similar voice and has previously worked with Robin George, so his rock n roll credentials are ok. He’s passionate and all and does the best he can given the nature of the material, Mr Guitar, Brian Tatler is also in fine form, blasting fantastic riff after fantastic riff and along with Adrian Mills, they form a nice guitar duo. The solos are carefully placed and quite nicely executed. The production is vintage, analogue sounding, with the drums sounding very natural. Thus it’s dry. Thus it lacks in punch a bit. And I ‘d like the vocals even louder and even more adventurous. The band sounds unmistaken ably like themselves, the riffs are the ones that METALLICA would sell their souls to write these days, (This band is a bane, for the Brit bands it has covered I believe – fair enough it gave them royalties and a temporary exposure, but very few of the metallica fans ever bothered to research ‘em. And recently I was quite shocked, which means I m getting old when a girl told me she thought ASTROLOGY ?!?! is one of the best songs METALLICA have written. Nice one !) but also sound like a very boisterous turbocharged version of the Zeps when they were rocking their socks off. Which is quite nice. The songs must have been written in a hurry, and I cannot decide if it’s that or the mix, that steals a bit of their thunder. “Mine all mine” has a riff that simply hooks ya and a kinda claustrophobic mood and a shouty chorus, that really hits ya hard. Perhaps it’s the fact that the rhythm section, although precise sounds quite thin. The bass/drums should have had the room shaking , something that didn’t quite happen, I mean listen to the opening of “Give It To Me”, oh , it should demolish a studio. Very Pagesque overall.
”Nightmare” is ok and “Fallen Angel’s” opens with a big groove which it retains for the most of it’s duration. “Alimony” is a rockier song, about paying your wife monies after u have split. Ouch, probably speaking from experience. Another killer riff, something between Aerosmith and Metallica, “Lost At Sea” is a really nice song, probably my favorite. It has a wicked riff, awesome rhythm, with a strong bass/guitar rattle, and a poignant refrain that is the complete antithesis. “Broken Pieces” is really stompy. Really nice. The title track “All Will Be Revealed” finds Mr Tart writhing and shouting while a driving riff and a nice harmony linger in the background. “Dead Or Living” is ok, rather passable. “Drinkin Again” is the helpless like tune, fast to the point, just perfect.
”Come Alive” up next, flexes it’s muscles and grooves, but ultimately cannot escape from it’s mid tempo mediocrity. The chorus doesn’t help it either. The curtain call comes with the rumbling trippy “Muddy Waters”. While the band doesn’t explore new territory, they manage to produce a batch of new songs that will appease their longtime fans. That’s what all counts. Trying to sound modern would most likely make ‘em sound out of place, so I m most satisfied with their chosen musical direction. If they ‘d manage to inject a bit more of volume in the production, I think they ‘ll only make thing better.
Diamondhead are preaching to the converted. Do you believe? If you do, all will be revealed...
Funk am I evil, however good it is, here’s to the new shit...
