ENFORCER – Diamonds CD
Heavy Artillery Records
After a few listens I’d say this band’s sophomore release is a winning follow up. I saw them back in 2009 in a local club playing with CAULDRON. That was one fantastic show which brought back some cool memories from my early days. While on their debut Into the Night I thought their sound was firmly planted in the second tier of NWOBHM bands from the past. On Diamonds they’ve obviously moved up to the top tier with the MAIDEN influenced “Midnight Vice” along with “High Roller”. We’re talking first era MAIDEN of course. Think of the galloping rhythms and twin guitar assault of Killers but with a little more melody along with a higher pitched vocalist. On other cuts there’s a further reach back to the Metal days prior to NWOBHM. It’s as if, while in their early teens, their parents threw down a dozen old LPs for them to play with. One of those records must have been from RIOT another one might have been the first DEF LEPPARD LP or even the pre pop days of the SCORPIANS. Listen to “Running in Menace” with its MTV era pop metal overtones or the blaze of “Take Me to Hell” with its crowd inviting to sing along chorus. “Katana” could be their set closer with its guitar duel off. Yeah everything about Diamonds is pure nostalgia worship and done right. It obviously appeals to me since I grew up then and saw almost all the original bands. We didn’t have genres back then. We just called it Metal, son. For today’s generation, lucky bastards, you get to see it all done true to the original from a band that is still doing clubs. Well maybe not anymore after this one.
www.heavyartillery.us
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