Although they never conquered the charts in the same way that
Iron Maiden or
Def Leppard did, New Wave of British Heavy Metal veterans
Diamond Head have certainly been name-checked over the years by some very renowned names (
Metallica,
Megadeth, etc.). Subsequently, the group -- led by singer
Sean Harris and guitarist
Brian Tatler -- enjoyed a popular resurgence in the '90s, and as a result, reunited for shows and the odd studio set/live album. But by the early 21st century, all must not have been rosy between the group's two leaders, as
Harris exited, leaving
Tatler to carry on with a new singer, Nick Tart, as evidenced by the group's 2005 release,
All Will Be Revealed. Most veteran metal groups that came out of hiding around this time seemed to embrace a heavier than expected sound, as if to show the young bucks how it was done. But in
Diamond Head's case, instead of issuing an album as sonically heavy as 1981's
Lightning to the Nations, the group offers tracks in a very obvious
Sammy Hagar/
Billy Squier-esque mold. This direction is evidenced throughout the album, but especially on such tracks as "Give It to Me" and "Fallen Angel." Longtime fans will enjoy hearing
Tatler's new set of riffs, but newcomers to the band (especially by way of
Metallica) should stick with the group's earlier releases. ~ Greg Prato