Diamond Head have always baffled me somewhat. Having some initial success with their own self-financed album and EP’s, they had a raw metallic sound but decided to polish themselves up a bit with the release of this: their first album on a major label.
There are two tracks on here that appeared on the first album: Lightning To The Nations, and the iconic Am I Evil. Now, we all know how much the first album influenced early thrash bands like Metallica, who have done covers of nearly all the tracks off of it, so why would Diamond Head change that raw sound? Well, for one thing they didn’t know what an influence that album would become, and it’s obvious if you listen to this and Canterbury that would come after, that they were heading in a more experimental direction. Anyhoo enough of my ramblings, I really like this album as it’s now become a bit of a classic.
The album opens up with two monster tunes: In The Heat Of The Night and To Heaven From Hell, both are NWOBHM standards and To Heaven From Hell is my favourite. Call Me sounds as though they were trying to write a single, as the hook and chorus are very commercial. Lightning To The Nations closes out Side 1 and if you listen closely you can hear where Metallica got those ideas from.
The title track opens up Side 2 and this one has always lost me, it doesn’t fit with the rest of the record and would have been more at home on Canterbury. Sean Harris’s Robert Plant moment is next with Don’t You Ever Leave Me, and there are a few Zeppelin steals on this track. The album closes out with Am I Evil and I guess if you’re remembered for only one thing in your life then Diamond can hang their hats on this one.
8/10 from The Grooveman.
