In the borderline infinite landscape of music there are some bands that never stop being excellent and each album they release manages the daunting task of outperforming the one that came before it, It’s a rare thing to achieve but this is very much the case when it comes to Switzerland’s Black Diamonds.
The progression from their debut album Perfect Sin to it’s follow up Once Upon A Time, and their more recent album No Tell Hotel has been each time a step up from the album that preceded the next.
As great as those albums are I’m here to tell you Destination Paradise on a musical level isn’t a step up, It’s a jump to another level.
According to the press release Destination Paradise is the first album to feature contributions from guitarist Chris Blade, Chris Joined the band during the sessions for No Tell Hotel and his presence is felt on this album. The guitar playing in this band has always been good, But on this album the guitar playing is even more impressive than it already was on prior releases and I suspect that’s to do with Chris’s contributions if not maybe just the band as a whole playing at the top of their game here.
“Through Hell And Back” starts things off with some thundering drums and riffs that almost venture into power metal territory were it not for Mich Kehl’s vocals keeping the song firmly grounded in hard rock, the rhythm section consisting of Bassist Andi Barrels and drummer Manu Peng drive the song with machine gun drum hits and a rich bass line while Mich and Chris bring the guitar pyrotechnics. This is one of those call to arms and take no prisoners type of songs I love to see open albums, it sets the pace for the rest of the album to follow and keep up with.
What follows is the albums first single “After The Rain” which was wisely chosen because this is the most immediately catchy song on the album and one with everything going for it that makes these guys great.
I’m not sure if this is intentional or not, But the beginning of this song starts with some riffs similar to some Guns N’ Roses did towards the end of “November Rain” while rain sounds play in the background and the drums build until the song goes into an immediately catchy mid tempo rocker. An insanely catchy chorus gives way to a great guitar solo three quarters of the way through the song. Addictive melodies, Great riffs, and choruses that will be stuck in your head for days is this bands stock in trade and this song is one of the prime examples in their entire catalog.
“Everyday Heroes” kicks off singing the title with a vocal harmony that would make Asia proud. The rhythm section really shines on this song, it’s a brighter track melodically than the others up to this point but the beat and melodies here really keep the listener engaged. It’s a basic rocker that is the most like their older material of the songs up to this point and is just a fun track.
“Bottums Up” charges out of the speakers with music that wouldn’t be out of place on an L.A. Guns album, Andy takes vocals and this one and it has a slightly more aggressive tone than normal and damn! That is one killer guitar solo. This song has a celebratory theme and when coupled with an energetic track you have the perfect recipe for a concert anthem, Crank this one up loud!
At this point the band slows it down for “Only For Awhile” which starts out with some beautiful piano playing behind Mich’s vocals slowly picking up the tempo as the other instruments enter the picture and build to the chorus and another great guitar solo. If the last song was the concert anthem then this one is where you would raise your lighters.
Next up is one of my top favorites on this album “Valley Of The Broken Hearted” which starts out with some wind and the sound of a crow before the guitars sear their way through and the rhythms blend melodic playing and harder riffs, This isn’t far off from something Dokken would’ve recorded in their early days. No one really sounds like Mich for me to compare him to but he’s a great vocalist and the band harmonizes extremely well with him which add that extra melody to put the choruses over the top in the best way. This song has probably my favorite guitar solo on the album, everything about this song is absolutely flawless.
A church bell and a preacher starts off “Rock N’ Roll Is My Religion” and that’s a title I couldn’t agree with more, The playing in this song walks the line somewhere between Van Halen and Reckless Love. With a title like that you know this song is going to be exactly what it is, A good time celebrating the greatness of rock n roll and the good times that come with it.
“Nothing’s Gonna Keep Me From You” starts off with a slower classic rock riff before breaking into some 80’s inspired incendiary leads and modern hard rock driving rhythms and the momentum doesn’t let up, This is one with a chorus that audiences will be shouting along with at shows, and the second song to feature Andy on lead vocals.
“From The Ashes” starts out with a music box melody before the hard hitting riffs kick in mirroring the same melody and blowing the roof off, this song really grooves and has a great chorus and a great guitar solo. Easily one of my favorite songs on the album.
“Leave A Light On” is a Belinda Carlisle cover which features David Balfour who is the singer of Irish melodic rock band Maverick, The song begins with some muted guitar picking and drums before speeding things up just a bit. It’s a slow to mid tempo song and Mich and David trade verses, Despite having two different vocal styles these guys both compliment each other well and blend very well in the mix when they harmonize.
“Yesterday’s News” maintains the pace, while not one of the higher tempo rockers on the album it’s still a great listen and will hit a bit close to home for some of us who can relate to things in this song.
“Paradise” is one of the very best tracks on this album, I’ll honestly be surprised if it doesn’t end up a single. It’s got a massive sound with great rhythms. Mich’s vocals sound great as usual and the rhythm section is excellent here, Andi’s bass playing here is excellent and Chris of course is just slaying it with his incredible leads.
The album closes with “Run With Us” which gives me slight Adrenalize era Def Leppard Vibes, There’s a bit of Reckless Love I hear in it as well. A fantastic mid tempo rocker with lucious melodies that is a fantastic closer for a fantastic record that will have you playing the album all over again.
Normally I try to give comparisons for the reader to get an idea of what a band sounds like but Black Diamonds really have their own corner of hard rock carved out, Small comparisons can be made but they take a well loved genre and do their own spin on it.
Destination Paradise is an impressive album that takes an already great band to new heights, The playing on this record is phenomenal and every fan of great rock n roll should be checking this album out.
9/10
