published: 6 /
3 /
2007
Label:
Alive Naturalsound
Format: CD
Raw rock 'n' roll and punk-inspired debut album from American duo the Black Diamond Heavies which brings new life and energy to the blues
Review
As the opening drum solo that kicks off 'Every Damn Time' settles into a driving beat keyboards join in with a simple blues riff that could have come off any number of classics. And then the vocals kick in, sounding like singer John Wesley Myers has had his voicebox dragged along the gravel roads of the south behind a pick up for years. This is raw in the same way a steak should be raw – unaltered, primal, and damn tasty.
The Black Diamond Heavies can be reassuringly authentic when they choose to be. They are though one of the small group of bands busy driving this genre into newer realms, rather than adhering strictly to the rules of the past. This is not pure old fashioned blues.
There is a more modern, rock and roll or even punk streak to this album. It sure is heavy too, thundering along like an 18-wheeler through some backwoods town. Their slower numbers are equally impressive. ‘Stitched in Sin’ makes Barry White sound like Cliff Richard. And on ‘All To Hell’ you can almost feel the weight of the world crushing down the band into their instruments and wringing the plaintive, beautiful misery out of them.
This is a worthy addition to the blues cannon and a healthy slap in the face for anyone who thinks blues is tired and old.
Track Listing:-
1
Fever In My Blood
2
All to Hell
3
Leave It In the Road
4
Let Me Coco
5
Poor Brown Sugar
6
Stitched In Sin
7
White Bitch
8
Signs
9
Might Be Right
10
Guess You Gone and Fucked It All Up
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