-
Diamond Head Lightning To The Nations Album Review
Wow I should have listened to this album a long time ago but am just now getting to it in 2024.
Diamond Head, a Heavy Metal band formed in the 1970s, released their first album, Lightning To The Nations, on October 3 of 1980, and wow what a debut album!!!
The band included Sean Harris on vocals, Brian Tatler on guitar, Colin Kimberley on bass, and Duncan Scott on drums.
With this album, I dare say, they influenced a lot of bands that came after them. Most notably Metallica, who have covered at least 4 songs from this album (from their Garage Inc. covers album).
After hearing this album, I can hear the influence and I think this album is one of the blueprints for a lot of Heavy Metal bands.
Diamond Head are definitely innovators.
If you are not familiar with this band, check out their music. Especially this album.
Diamond Head are still together, although guitarist Brian Tatler is the only original member still in the band.
While not working with Diamond Head, Brian is also playing guitar for Saxon, another hugely influential, innovative Heavy Metal band.
Check out Lightning To The Nations.
HOLY COW is it amazing.
I bought the deluxe edition, so it has a lot of bonus tracks. Even a bonus disc. Check it out!!!
-
Kerry King From Hell I Rise Album Review
Five years since Slayer’s “Farewell Tour”, guitarist Kerry King has released his first album under his own name.
Called From Hell I Rise, released May 17 of 2024, is very much a continuation of what he did in Slayer, but with a different group of musicians.
Wow what a group Kerry has formed here. It includes singer Mark Osegueda (Death Angel), guitarist Phil Demmel (Vio-Lence, Machine Head), drummer Paul Bostaph (Slayer, Exodus, Forbidden), and bassist Kyle Sanders (Hellyeah, Nothingface).
Kerry wrote all the songs and plays all of the rhythm guitar parts (like he mostly did in Slayer), and a lot of the lead guitar, but Phil does play quite a bit of lead guitar too.
If you are a Slayer fan, you should love this album.
It’s not a complete copy of it, but it’s close enough. And I’m fine with that because I love Slayer and I love this album.
Every song is a banger, as they say.
Mark is singing/screaming as great as he ever has, Kerry’s guitar parts are always amazing, and again, just the whole group Kerry has assembled just bring it.
I know Slayer is reuniting to do at least 3 festivals in 2024, and I’m fine with it if they do more than that, but I think Kerry has a great group here and I hope there is a lot more albums to come.
Rock on guys.
