Well, if today the name Diamond Head falls, then are other names like Metallica or Megadeth close. Alas, dropped the star of this band, which rose never actually correct fairly quickly. At least they have created an album that you have to belong to the classics of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands and large, as the decisive influence above. Diamondhead's White Album, often called "Lightning to the Nations", has all the elements must have an excellent NWoBHM plate. The nasty speed and roughness of punk, hard pounding riffs a la Black Sabbath and the catchy melodies, which were undoubtedly influenced by Led Zeppelin. Added to this is the excellent vocals of Sean Harris, which makes the album much in this area. The texts, however, are largely without much depth. Biggest theme is playing live, physical love, or youthful defiance. Damage does the album in any way. The sound is like for the time around 1980 typical not the best and quite rough, but the remastering adjusted because some. Coinciding with the opening track "Lightning to the Nations" proves the band you can. But only with "The Prince" cut Diamondhead also speed default, a absolute Metalhit out. "Sucking My Love" is nine minutes, the longest title of the album and offers a very psychedelic middle part, which also has a great guitar solo. "Am I Evil?" is likely to be by far the most popular song of the band, not only because Metallica have been covered it up for gasification, but also because it is through the monstrous intro and the hard riffing one of the hymns of heavy metal. Even the relative unknown rather "Sweet and Innocent" convinces with a very melodic riff and brilliant vocal lines. "It's Electric" I would also classify by a striking reef, as huge metalhead. In "Helpless" press the guys again properly on the tube and place undoubtedly the foundation for the later Speed Metal. Who goes there in the middle part does not shake the turnip is your own fault :).
So much for the first 7 tracks that make up the original album. These range from the album to be given a 5 star blessing and classify it as a classic of the then young NWOBHM movement. In addition, with "Shoot Out the Lights" and "Streets of Gold" two B-sides that were present on the singles of the album, "Waited to Long" and "Play It Loud" from the eponymous single, and "Diamond Lights" "We Will not Be Back" and "I Do not Got" from the Diamond Lights-Single. This 7 bonus tracks round out the album from beautiful, even if it can not always maintain the level of the original releases.
Too bad the Diamondhead never had the success they deserved by this album. As early as 1985 it was over with the band, because at the time and other harder metal styles were in demand. Nevertheless, it remains "The White Album" an undisputed classic of the genre, and in my opinion must for all friends of Heavy Metal.