DIABLO BLVD. - "FOLLOW THE DEADLIGHTS" (2015)

DIABLO BLVD. - "FOLLOW THE DEADLIGHTS"
(Running time: 51:28 minutes; 11 Songs)
("Nuclear Blast Records"; CD; 2015):

Hey guys, and yes, I am back again and right into the action up here. It was a very, oh boy, I mean a really very busy day and it's more or less just right now that for the first time today since getting up early in the morning I finally can sit down. Getting up early, taking my girfriend to the dentist-emergency-service, doing the weekly shopping for the pets, followed by doing the weekly shopping of food'n'stuff, lifting weights, then working at my house to gettimg it some better sooner than later day finally ready to finally doing my sort of hopefully "final" house-moving, yes, and then finally coming home and doing all the stuff to end the day in a proper way before finally sitting down and taking some deep breaths. My girlfriend's out of order today and I am now also sort of out of order so I turned down my friends when asked to go out for a drink or two and instead of this I think I'll rather finally do some up here again before I fall-a-sleep (probably sooner than later). So yes, what's coming now up here? Yes, a new record-review-post, on the 2015 full-length-album "FOLLOW THE DEADLIGHTS" by DIABLO BLVD. released via "NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS". It's their third album (but the first one that came up to my ears) and for all what I know it's also still their newest, current one and so this alone would be more than enough of a reason to do a record-review on it even today in 2017. This is an album that totally took me by storm back then and that still rules ongoing supreme today and also it is still on my "heavy rotation" playlist for lifting weights so that I still listen to it regulary even two years after I got my hands on it for the first time; and that should tell already quite a bit of a story. Unknown to me before this one, the great and very unique style of music of DIABLO BLVD. just was right from the start sort of totally "my thing". A great mixture out of dark and sinister, sort of "gothy" Hard Rock or (how I like to call it) Dark Rock and radiating flickering, intense, dynamic, and very energetic Heavy Metal on a very high level of quality'n'charisma and with a very strong own identity. At first dark and creepy gleaming and then more and more and finally completly majestic in a sinsiter and apocalyptic yet bright and hypnotic radiating dark yet beautiful light exploding guitars with phenomenal leads, damn strong solos, and also just a total breath-taking rhythm(ic) work really is the shining and marking trademark of the music, beside the very full and clear/clean, yet hard and also especially elated vocals - and of course a very intense and skilled, tight yet diverse and varied songwriting through which DIABLO BLVD. really deliver a grapping and exciting ride from start to finish on this album. And then there's also still the inspired and strongly varying, massively heavy and yet still volatile'n'fluffy working rhythm section, lending the tracks their powerful and loadable backbone. And all is woven into an impenetrable close and thick and tight sinister atmosphere that's sort of a dark glooming crown on top of it all. Like already mentioned is the songwriting very, very strong and also nicely diverse, and so while DIABLO BLVD. deliver on "FOLLOW THE DEADLIGHTS" sheer truckloads of hooklines and sing-a-longs and while the almighty larger-than-lifes refrains surely are the climax' of every song DIABLO BLVD. also deliver amazing verse arrangements that are in no way inferior to the mentioned refrains. Also the strong grooving and rocking approach, that's marking the songs as strong as the thick sinister atmosphere and the great varying songwriting is a total trademark of DIABLO BLVD. and that for good; and that also is to say about their undeniable hit-potential that they showcase so often on "FOLLOW THE DEADLIGHTS". Absolutely outstanding stuff. This guys are also just high-skilled musicians, just to point that out. DIABLO BLVD. commute in a very independently way somewhere between DANZIG, THE 69 EYES, TYPE 0 NEGATIVE, THE CULT, and VOLBEAT (but much more authentic and honest and "just" more real than the last mentioned), and for any fans of dark Hard Rock/Heavy Metal I think DIABLO BLVD.'s "FOLLOW THE DEADLIGHTS" will be or better is just a close to perfect album, and so it's a highly, yes, highly recommended one. My personal favorites are "SAINT OF KILLERS" (the bonus track on my CD), "BEYOND THE VEIL", "SON OF CAIN" (a real über-hymn), "FOLLOW THE DEADLIGHTS", and "PEACE WON BY WAR"; so start your disovering-journey calmly with this songs and then expand your discovery with the not-less strong not mentioned songs. DIABLO BLVD. deliver on point and surely close to perfect, it will be exciting what will be up next from and also for them; and so long make sure to grab a copy of "FOLLOW THE DEADLIGHTS" in case you really still don't know this masterpiece-album. Yes, okay, that's it, I think I've said all and everything what there was to say so far and no, hm, yes, now I'll say good night and yes, of course for the final time again: Get your copy of DIABLO BLVD.'s "FOLLOW THE DEADLIGHTS" and enjoy it. Okay, now that's it really. Cheers and good night.

(9 of 10 points)

https://www.facebook.com/diabloboulevard (-the link to the facebook-site of the band)

DIABLO BLVD. - "SON OF CAIN" (2015, "FOLLOW THE DEADLIGHTS")