To say I was underwhelmed by the self-titled 2016 release that Diamond Head put out last time around was an understatement. However, like many of the albums we review here, with time and a more reflective approach, Diamond Head was actually worth far more than the 6/10 I gave it at the time. Well, if that didn’t grab me hard, the band’s latest album The Coffin Train is very much a return to the fire and passion that always underlines the band’s live shows. This is very much old school classic heavy metal with a modern twist. Listen to opener Belly Of The Beast, a runaway horse of a track which rarely slows for breath as it stampedes along. Vocalist Rasmus Bon Andersen on fine form, drummer Karl Wilcox nailing everything with his powerhouse drumming and new bassist Dean Ashton [he’s been with the band for three years but this is his debut on record] linking tightly with Andy Abberley’s rhythm guitar work, you are assured of a smooth platform for Brian Tatler to work his six string magic.
The Messenger is another raucous track, decent pace and Bom Andersen hitting all the high points. I’ve said it several times before when reviewing the band, but they always amaze me with their enthusiasm and sheer passion. The title track fits nicely into the band’s catalogue, a slower brooding number which builds with a smoulder and some neat guitar work whilst the dramatic introduction to The Sleeper, another epic hard rocker. Classic metal is never far away in Tatler’s writing and Death By Design has an amazingly old school feel. At times Bom Andersen’s vocals drift into Myles Kennedy territory, especially on the closing duo of The Phoenix and Until We Burn but he has sufficient individuality to ensure his own mark. Of course, you always get quality guitar work with Diamond Head and this album is crammed full of quality musicianship. The Coffin Train is a fabulous piece of heavy metal, proving once again that the old guard can show those youngsters a thing or two. Well worth a listen. 8/10
Vader: Thy Messenger EP (Nuclear Blast)
Iron Times preceded Polish Death Metal tyrants Vader’s last long player, the excellent The Empire in 2016. Thy Messenger clocks in slightly longer than Iron Times, but one can’t help wondering in three years if the band couldn’t have managed another full release. Regardless of that pondering, what we have here is four blisteringly short but brutally savage original tracks, Grand Deceiver, Litany, Emptiness and the one minute Despair, as well as another cover, this time Judas Priest’s Steeler, which sounds like early Venom!! It’s a neat little package, reminding you, as if you needed it, that Vader remain as brilliantly intense and aggressive as they have always been. Once more it’s James Stewart’s battering assault on the drums that grabs the attention with a tightness that most could only dream of. He is one beast of a machine. Probably one for the diehards rather than the casual fan, Thy Messenger is hopefully the prequel to another slab of Death Metal, done the right way, the old way. 7/10
Sammy Hagar & The Circle: Space Between (BMG Rights Management (US) LLC)
Sammy Hagar & The Circle: Space Between (BMG Rights Management (US) LLC)
The Red Rocker is back. Yes, the man with one of the most distinguishable voices in hard rock returns with 34 minutes of country fused rock. This is almost Americana if you want to put a badge on it., Of course having a supergroup around you doesn’t half help and in former Van Halen colleague Michael Anthony on bass, the exceptional skills of Vic Johnson on guitar and one Jason Bonham behind the kit Hagar has built a neat collection. Having released a live album in 2015, Space Between is the studio debut and it oozes the class and quality you would expect from such rock alumni. Fast paced songs such as Full Circle Jam (Chump Change) with its metronome engine drumming and slide guitar sit comfortably alongside opener Devil Came To Philly [with some fat riffs] and the mellow Wide Open Space.
I was always Team Lee Roth rather than Van Hagar but solo wise and with Montrose in the 70s Hagar was superb. At 71 the man still possesses the pipes to deliver with style. The stomp of Free Man illustrates the easiness and comfort of a band who have nothing to prove. Switching from that stomp to the Stones/Petty style on No Worries with such casual effort and then flicking back to the thundering blues of Trust Fund Baby, you can only marvel at the sheer polish and professionalism of these artists; Johnson’s guitar work slick and tidy, Anthony’s pulsing bass lines present but never over powering whilst Bonham’s huge sound is distinctive and powerful, pushing everything forward. Little more to say except this is how the grown ups do it. 8/10
MTXS: Ache (Self Released)
I was always Team Lee Roth rather than Van Hagar but solo wise and with Montrose in the 70s Hagar was superb. At 71 the man still possesses the pipes to deliver with style. The stomp of Free Man illustrates the easiness and comfort of a band who have nothing to prove. Switching from that stomp to the Stones/Petty style on No Worries with such casual effort and then flicking back to the thundering blues of Trust Fund Baby, you can only marvel at the sheer polish and professionalism of these artists; Johnson’s guitar work slick and tidy, Anthony’s pulsing bass lines present but never over powering whilst Bonham’s huge sound is distinctive and powerful, pushing everything forward. Little more to say except this is how the grown ups do it. 8/10
MTXS: Ache (Self Released)
Crossover bands aren’t my thing. I’ve never understood the huge breakdowns, the roaring vocals or the anger that rages. But times change, and MTXS, who merge hardcore attitude with elements of Nu-metal have delivered a toxic disease-ridden album that combines Meshuggah, Slipknot and Hatebreed in one foul ball of fury. The South East outfit kick hard and fast. Ten tracks over 25 minutes includes the monstrous Strain, the rap influenced Bad Blood and the anger-fuelled all out thrash elements of Burn The Baron. Massive riffs, stop start motion, chugging mid-sections, punishing drumming and a hardcore punk feel all combine effortlessly. By all accounts ferocious live, MTXS has provided a sophomore release that leaves little to the imagination. It’s powerful, furious and well delivered with intelligent lyrics. If you like it hard, angry and with enough force to encourage you to break stuff, this may well be for you. 7/10
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