DIAMONDHEAD "The Coffin Train"

DIAMOND HEAD

“The Coffin Train”

DIAMOND HEAD, the band who helped to spearhead the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and inspire countless other bands, have a lot to live up to. Their career has had moments of undeniable brilliance but has been erratic to say the least. We are 40 years on from “Lightning To The Nations”...how does DIAMOND HEAD fare today?

“The Coffin Train” will probably take more than one listening to appreciate. It starts out like a house on fire with the fast and snappy “Belly of The Beast” which should satisfy any real headbanger. The sound quality is excellent. From there, the band drop the intensity a bit and explore various phases of metal. The one item that caught my attention right away was how great vocalist Rasmus Bom Andersen sounds. He has such a clear, soaring voice that can handle difficult phrasings and rapid fire delivery with ease. Listen to his work on the title track and the huge, almost symphonic “The Sleeper” to hear him at his best. On this album, Andersen proves his worth and should banish the ghost of DIAMOND HEAD’s first charismatic singer Sean Harris once and for all.

A lot of the tunes here take a while to build, like “Shades of Black” and the moody, more hard rock injected “Until We Burn”. The tracks are not as instant as band classics like “Am I Evil?” and “It’s Electric”. And I can’t say that this album equals the great early epics that inspired so many. But it is quality heavy metal that is professionally done in all respects. And after so many years of chasing the brass ring, that’s no small thing for DIAMOND HEAD to accomplish.

SILVER LINING MUSIC

DIAMONDHEAD