I got into Diamond Head for one simple reason. Metallica was into Diamond Head. Half of the Lightning To The Nations album can be found in the official Metallica catalogue. If you include the unofficial catalogue there are only two songs on this album Metallica hasn't covered. I think that's pretty impressive, and speaks mountains about this album.Also known as The White Album, Lightning To the Nations was the record that shot Diamond Head to the front of the pack in the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, at least in 1980 when this album dropped. Produced by Reg Fellows and featuring the line up of Sean Harris, vocals, Brian Tatler, guitar, Colin Kimberley, bass, and Duncan Scott, drums, this album will blow your mind.
I bought this album in the summer of 1996, and I was treated to some fantastic music. It was the first time I ever heard the album's title track. It's like a cross between Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. There's that typical fast paced speed riffing of NWOBHM, but it still has sections that are allowed to breathe and take form on their own without it sounding forced, like bands of 70's Heavy Metal understood.
Just so we are clear, I don't like The Prince. I don't like Metallica's version. I don't like Diamond Head's version. I just don't care for the song. I don't have a good reason, and that will just have to be good enough for you, because I don't have anything better. I think this song is weaker than the next one, and the next one is either about vampires or oral sex, depending on the day of the week you ask certain members of the band.
"Over and under, do you go down to the sea / Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah / Sweet and timely caress, dear babe fulfillin' me / I can feel her heart, it is beating down inside / Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah / Tasty, tasty, tasty, tasty / Into her valley, all her charms taste of love / Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah / Fragrance of my dreams, yeah go down, take my love / Oh yeah, yeah / Taste my bitter wine, cos there's something boiling up inside / Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah / Tasty, tasty, tasty, tasty / Faster......love.... / Make me go..... / Shoot me / Faster, faster / Love, sucking my love / Oh Lord, sucking my love / Oh Lord, sucking my love". These are the words that make up Sucking My Love, the only song Metallica has covered from Diamond Head, but never officially released. I can understand why, but at the same time I think it's a great song musically. At least it's better than The Prince. It has a great guitar riff, the bass is doing what bass is supposed to do, and the vocals are full of echo for dramatic effect. There's also a bunch of improved moans in those lyrics as well, which help set the tone for this song even better. Also the wind chimes add that magical touch this song needs as well.
After that it's on to the most popular Diamond Head song. Am I Evil? You know it, as it is performed by Metallica, or at least you should. It was on the CD release of Kill 'Em All until 1995 or '96. It's all played live at almost every Metallica show as well. In fact most common people would argue this is more a Metallica song than a Diamond Head song. Those people are morons and shouldn't be allowed to speak. If they have ever listened to this original version, they would hear that Metallica did a really good job of covering a spectacular song. However, this version is better.
The weakest song on this album is Sweet And Innocent. This would have been a good song if it had been released by Def Leppard, might have even earned them a couple more platinum records. But, on this album it's substandard and a bit of a let down. The nice part is that it's the second shortest song on the album, so you aren't stuck listening to it for long, although it does feel like it runs long.
It's Electric is a good song, but the production on the intro sucks ass. It sounds like they didn't quite cue the tape right and the first half second is spliced in wrong. I will say that the Metallica cover is much better than this version, but I think it's because this song needs to sound thicker than the production this album has to offer.
The album finishes off with Helpless. I think that this should have been the lead off track instead. It doesn't have the sound of a finishing song. This is another track where I think the thin production hurts the song a bit. For the time it was fantastic, and the music is phenominal, but it could have sounded better, and would have today.
This is one of those albums that I am not only happy I picked up, but I consider myself better off for giving myself this educational experience. There is so much that can be taken from this album, including how to write bad "Oh, baby" lyrics with success.
I will say that in the decade and a half that has followed since I picked up this album I have yet to pick up another Diamond Head record. Partially because I've never heard anything about any other album, and partially because I've never come across another one. If I were to find another album, I would pick it up based on how much I enjoyed this one.
7/10 - content
7/10 - production
8/10 - personal bias
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