Black Diamonds
Review Score: 9
Reviewed by: MARSWORTH
Rockers from Los Angeles, California, LA. Guns are set to release their fourteenth studio album Black Diamonds since January of 1988 and their fourth since the reunion of Phil Lewis [Vocals] and Tracii Guns [Lead Guitars, Backing Vocals]. Partnered with Frontiers Music Srl, the record is announced to hit the hands of die hard fans by April 14, 2023. Although the L.A. Guns guys are probably most noted for their driving power ballad “The Ballad of Jayne”, they seem to have lost the ability to grab ahold of your heartstrings like they used to. Luckily most of this record is hard, heavy, and most importantly head bangin’! As of now “Shattered Glass” will be a staple in my day-to-day playlists as it should be in yours too. Being able to sit down and create such a heartfelt ballad on one sheet and a guitar hero’s dream on the other is one of the most intellectually savvy things the band could have done both now and then. Every member of L.A. Guns are ready to grab us by the hair and show us the “Shattered Glass” that’s become Black Diamonds.
L.A. Guns is:
Phil Lewis – Vocals
Tracii Guns – Lead Guitars, Backing Vocals
Johnny Martin – Bass, Backing Vocals
Ace Von Johnson – Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Shawn Duncan – Drums (touring only)
Lewis is filled with joy when simply talking about this new record following their 2021 release Checkered Past. “Great songs, fantastic playing and some of the best singing of my career. It’s heavy and dark in places and bright ‘n breezy in others. It’s all over the place as per our usual style”, exclaims on a recent Facebook post including an image of the Black Diamonds track names and lengths. He goes on to say that he knows the loyal listeners will love it just as he does even though the wait for the release will be excruciating. With a renewed sense of drive and determination, the guys are more than exhilarated to serve up the goods in less than a month. With no signs of stopping or slowing down, the guys show us with Black Diamonds that they’ve reached a new ingenious extreme.
TRACK LIST:
- You Betray
- Wrong About You
- Diamonds
- Babylon
- Shame
- Shattered Glass
- Gonna Lose
- Got It Wrong
- Lowlife
- Crying
- Like A Drug