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ROX DIAMOND
Let The Music Do The Talkin’

Lions Pride Music (2018)
Rating: 7/10

With a line-up consisting of Paul Daniels (vocals and keyboards), Kevin Achenbach (guitar), Elliot Mayhew (bass) and Mike Hansen (drums), American hard rockers Rox Diamond are back with a bang in the form of their third full-length studio record Let The Music Do The Talkin’.

Damn, 1991 seems a world away from when I purchased the Los Angeles-based band’s self-titled debut, which was a record – although solid – seemingly just too late for the boat. Somehow so was 2005’s Powerdrive, and yet although sporadic to say the least, Rox Diamond are also persistent and have emerged with 12 sauntering and swaggering tracks to clear the cobwebs.

Just like Bulletboys, Rox Diamond clearly has a knack for the flavoursome, the funky and pompous, seemingly brimming with confidence and buoyancy as the catchy, struttin’ title track displays – with hints of Van Halen, and then Extreme – the soulful vocal croon, the choppy riffs and that nifty drum. Then there are the steady yet fiery rockers, one such example being the cool ‘Just Wanting You’ which is opposed by the slow-burning ballad ‘Two Hearts’. ‘Two Hearts’ builds to an infectious and harmonious chorus; in a sense, it has a classic AOR feel but hey, let’s continue to randomly pluck the tunes from this rather pleasant and joyous opus.

Opener ‘Savannah Blue’ has a swift and airy feel; again with hints of Van Halen, there’s that bluster to the guitar and drum tandem, and that almost strained power to the vocals. In contrast, ‘You Can Never Love Somebody Too Hard’ is sweet and subtle on the keys. A sizzling ballad, ‘You Can Never Love Somebody Too Hard’ is matched by the equally exquisite ‘Yesterday Is Gone’ with its almost stark piano prod, but elsewhere there’s an almost playfulness about the more uptempo rockers on offer.

‘Angeline’ is a steady mid-paced rocker with a breezy chorus, while ‘Never Say Goodbye’ begins with a nice funky groove and sugary hook. ‘The Way I Feel’ has a driving prowess to its sturdy rhythm as does ‘Midnight Girl’, but a big favourite of mine is the excellent ‘Hold Our Heads Up High’ – another power ballad of hypnotic quality.

And yet strangely, in spite of numerous gems on offer, the record feels somewhat restrained. Is it the production? There does appear to be a distinctive lack of oomph, Rox Diamond for the most part opting for tight, concise melodic rockers bereft of any real metallic edge.

Nevertheless, do not let that put you off what is essentially a rather comfortable and cosy return, although they may not agree with such underwhelming words.

Neil Arnold

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