Diamond Lane

The second full length album from California’s DIAMOND LANE showcases 9 tracks of lean and mean Hard Rock that has equal footing in the classic American sound of the 70’s/80’s while also keeping a toe in the modern grooves and occasional down-tuned heaviness of the current generation. This quintet keep their focus on a beefy bass sound, thick guitar hooks, and a drummer who knows how to play in the pocket while offering the right flash and dash fills to keep the audiences swinging.

Vocalist Brandon Baumann has a multi-faceted range, injecting a lot of fierceness along with a playful personal touch, gathering instant appeal on highlights like “Favorite Kind of Victim” and mid-tempo guitar monster “Slow Destruction”. Obvious similarities to Sebastian Bach and Don Dokken come up, but there is a little bit of that Modern Rock vibe going on at times that allows Brandon to squeeze out more emotion through the lyrics. Jarret and Frankie have a warm axe sound, naturally conjuring up everything from AEROSMITH and GUNS ‘N ROSES to BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and a slight tip of the cap to METALLICA. Check out some of the tap and stop/ start maneuvers during “Life to Lose” or the heavier, up tempo “New Model” and be prepared to feel the kinetic energy pouring through your speakers.

Professional in all aspects concerning the album cover, a solid production that gives the listener a great idea of what they could expect live, and 9 diverse tracks – “Terrorizer” should elevate the band’s status as a premiere Hard Rock band not just from California, but for all of the world to enjoy. It’s rare in this day and age that an independent act comes down the pike, hits me upside the head through strong songwriting and performance skills, and leaves me wondering why they remain neglected on a larger label support scale. By the time the closing power ballad “Drift” ends, the vocal harmonies and chorus reverberating in my head, I only hope DIAMOND LANE gain major acclaim in the coming years, for quality this good should not go unnoticed. - Metal Temple

If you’re a fan of bands like modern Trivium, Bullet for my Valentine and the aforementioned Avenged Sevenfold but crave a far more cohesive, less whiny experience than those last two can ever possibly offer, Diamond Lane has a treat in store for you. While catering largely to eighties and modern Rock concepts, the group isn’t afraid to show their old fashioned Heavy Metal worship here and there. If Terrorizer is any indication of the band’s live performances, then not only is the album worth checking out, but it stands as enough of a reason to go out of your way to catch Diamond Lane live as well. It’s surprising to see a band of this caliber still unsigned, which is probably their own decision. But if they are looking for a deal, Terrorizer should be enough to attract the attention of many big name labels looking to get a piece of the action. - Apoch's Metal Review

Los Angeles-based hard rock band Diamond Lane’s second full-length effort Terrorizer comes across as a refreshing dose of pristine, no-bullshit heavy music that’s focused on clean old-fashioned rock singing, catchy riffs, ripping solos, delicious harmonies and a lively rhythm section. Production-wise, the 40-minute album sounds clean but not overdone, and successfully captures the energy exuded by the quintet. The last time a new(ish) band generated this much excitement in me was Holy Grail in late 2009/early 2010, and it’s safe to say that Diamond Lane are the Holy Grail of 2014. Pick up ‘Terrorizer’ and look out for this band to carry the flag for Los Angeles and American hard rock/heavy metal in the years to come. - Metal Assault

"You do not make a mistake with Diamond Lane. THE ROCK IS NOT DEAD. These are cool, varied and new hard rock combination tunes for music lovers and serious listeners. You have a real bomb between your hands and I suggest radio to absolutely play this masterpiece." - Evigshed

"They are clearly talented musicians and perfectly capture a moment in time that metal fans seem to be longing of late and there are plenty of hooks." - Love it Loud

"Diamond Lane has written some really good songs on this album…World Without Heroes will certainly not go forgotten and with Diamond Lane on the rock scene, one can only say - Rock 'n' Roll is Still Alive!" - Calles Rock Corner

Scrawled in ballpoint pen on a yellow sticky note, plastered to the back cover of this snappy CD, is a hand-written note to me from Brandon, singer for the pure rock outfit, Diamond Lane. "Thank you for believing in rock n roll!!!" he writes. Well, Brandon, thanks for the comment, but more importantly, thank you, my brother. Thank you for keeping the flame lit and rock burning, cause one thing I can definitely say is Diamond Lane believes in rock n roll. Hollywood rock circa 1985 to be precise. With a massive, good old-fashioned rock guitar attack of Jarret Reis, this is Diamond Lane reclaiming the glory that bands like Guns and Roses and Motley Crue once held in their day. Massive retro (without ever being derivative) riffs crunch into the night with soaring vocals, massive melodies, scream-your-heart-out big choruses and stick to your brain like glue hooks. This is mighty, mighty rock with monsters like "All Rebels Welcome" and the snotty dump-your-ass breakup song of "I Know Who You Did Last Summer.' And when I say this shit is hot, I mean it burns. These cats sold out the Viper Room for their Hollywood debut show, then went out and toured with Aerosmith and ZZ Top. If rock meant anything in the world today, these guys would be catapulted to the next big thing. I remember in my teens, this woulda been the band that was all the buzz. Hopefully, times will right itself and Diamond Lane will get what they deserve. Because if you dig pure, unadulterated, rocking metal, Diamond Lane are keeping that flame alive. - Ripple Music

Usually when a band releases their second album, they seek to polish up the rough edges, but Diamond Lane have thumbed their noses—or more accurately, raised their middle fingers—at conventional wisdom and instead opted to rough up their polished edges. The band’s debut was a straight-up serving of throwback hair-metal that perfectly captured the sound of the Sunset Strip circa. 1988, but this full-length follow-up snatches that hair-metal sheen by the throat, doggy-styles it face down in the dirt and grime of the sleaze rock genre, then drags it by the mousse-abused hair into the 21st century.

World Without Heroes wallows in the same wanton, devil-be-damned debauchery that Guns ‘N Roses rode to superstardom, with songs about rebellion, sex, drugs, sex, love, sex, booze, and sex (this is the kind of pattern they don’t teach in preschool). Granted, the band’s lyrical prowess is a step up from the stereotypical ‘80s tropes, but their subject matter is more of the same old thing. But honestly, would you want it any other way? This is the kind of album you throw on when you want to scream about slugging cheap booze and nailing even cheaper chicks. If you want lofty introspection, go listen to Bono.

The opening track, “All Rebels Welcome,” immediately caters to the old-school metal connoisseurs with a serpentine riff that could have slithered straight off Appetite for Destruction and that riff then whiplashes its way right into a catchy chorus overloaded with gang vocals shouting “Hey! Hey! Hey!” Does it get any more ‘80s than that? There are several other bands finding varying degrees of success with this old-meets-new formula, including Buckcherry, Vains of Jenna, and Sister Sin, and Diamond Lane is easily the equal of that trio and, quite frankly, surpasses the latter two.

Guitarist Jarret Reis deserves to be a household name alongside the likes of Slash, Reb Beach, and Doug Aldrich. To call his skill impressive is to do it an injustice; Reis slings an axe like nobody’s business, unloading one scorching lick after another and accompanying them with some sizzling solos. Hardly a one-trick pony, he possesses some serious speed chops as well, as the near-thrash pace of “Needle Down” gives him a chance to prove. He is strongly supported by bassist Ray Zhang and drummer Jonah Nimoy who provide a powerful foundation with beefy bottom end and furious skin-pounding that is in exact keeping with the full-throttle nature of this album, with nary a ballad in sight to ease up on the turbo-charged, pedal-to-the-metal intensity.

The retro ‘80s resurrection is currently dominated by bands like Crashdiet, Crazy Lixx, and Hardcore Superstar, but those bands opt for big, loud choruses where Diamond Lane eschews instant pop-metal accessibility in favor of a rawer, grittier approach. In other words, Diamond Lane is more concerned with being badass than bombastic. That said, while the choruses certainly don’t soar over the top, many of them do manage to muster up a certain amount of catchiness. “Time Bomb” and “Heaven’s Falling” are prime examples of this, featuring chorus hooks that are infectious without being overblown.

This is a tough, dirty, hard-hitting sleaze rock album that will transport you back to 1989 while allowing you to remember that it’s really 2011. It’s a hybrid line that few bands can perfectly traverse, but Diamond Lane do it better than most. This is raucous, raunch-tinged rock done mostly right, full of greasy sexual grooves perfect for a nasty bit of wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am business. Anyone craving some new millennium sleaze drenched in ‘80s excess like a drunken co-ed drenched in cheap beer at a collegiate kegger should definitely crank up this gem. - Hard Rock Haven

They’ve got the catchy rock riffs, great melodic hooks, and the metal chops that keep them from being one dimensional, all with a modern sound that appeals to the new generation and a good old fashioned work ethic and blue collar approach that should endear them to the old guard. - Mile High Metal

DIAMOND LANE has certainly been picking up speed lately and there is a fair amount of buzz around the place about this new album of theirs and it’s easy to see why. WORLD WITHOUT HEROES has a unique, catchy sound with a fantastic production and enough music to please fans of a fair few different genres… - My Global Mind

Possibly the most impressive thing about this release is the fact that it is all done with no label support…this is easily one of the most solid, most truly enjoyable releases I have heard so far [this year], with no disappointing ballads or wasteful filler material. I would be shocked if these guys don't find themselves a label home before their next album is released, nor would I be surprised to find out that this disc is picked up and repackaged by someone later this year. It is that good. - Glitter2Gutter

…wailing guitars, unrelenting screams and a backend determined to hammer the message home... - SleazeRoxx

Every track is a winner on "World without heroes". Glad to see a young band stick at it and really knock one out of the ballpark as Diamond Lane have done on this album. - Heavy Metal Time Machine

"...for whatever reason I love it. It’s got that fun vibe that you want to see when you go out to a dive bar and find out that there’s a $5 cover charge for some band you’ve never heard of—hell you may have never heard of them before, but that one night they fucking rocked your ass off...But hell, their songs are tight, they know how to rock out, and have a whole shitload of fun in the meantime, so why the hell not?" - www.smother.net

http://www.examiner.com/x-16177-San-Jose-Live-Music-Examiner~y2009m8d1-Battle-of-the-Bands-Saddle-Rack-Sunday-Aug-2

"Twelve bands face off in a heated battle lasting two weekends for an opportunity of a lifetime. 107.7 The Bone and The Saddle Rack in Fremont have catalogued a list of bands that are willing and ready to play their black hearts out, for you! It’s not a country line up, don’t worry I wouldn’t do that to you, its pure rock and metal. The bounty these bands are after is a spot as the opener for ZZ top and Aerosmith at the Concord Pavilion August 19th, a show for a show deal.

Sunday July 27th was the first round of metal mêlée, with six solid bands playing for your vote at deafening decibels. The stand out was Diamond Lane, the band stirred the biggest crowd of the evening. With no shortage of supporters sporting the band’s merch, Diamond Lane left people with bloody eardrums and shattered chest cavities. Jarret Reis, their axe talent melted faces on six strings of piercing pentatonic while Brandon led the pack with a rock god like stage presence. This Sunday has an entire new line up but Diamond Lane is going to make them work for it. When competition meets artistry it can bring out the worst, but these bands are putting on their best show for the judges, which are actually the fans. Win-win in my book." - The Examiner

"Some bands play good music. Other bands put on a real visual show. Diamond Lane is one that does both. Haze from a fog machine crept over the stage, strobes and stage lights operated by the band's own technician flickered frantically and Diamond Lane ripped out arena metal to no end. [They] went all out, wrapped in black leather and bound with chains…the members themselves exhibited enough energy to power all of SJSU." - Spartan Daily

"One of my favorite bands because of their genuine love for real rock...If you’re new to the [real rock and roll] scene or a 40 something rocking a Crue or Whitesnake shirt under your suit, this is the band for you. Diamond Lane’s ability to bring a refreshing energy to an old sound works well for them." - www.artsynoise.com

"Diamond Lane has the look of arena-metal gods….Sounding like Aerosmith meets hair metal, Diamond Lane illustrated the meaning of "putting on a show" with onstage interaction." - John Myers, Editor in Chief, SJSU

"You know how sometimes you just hear a singer's voice and it's just "wow"! As soon as Brandon Baumann, from the Californian band Diamond Lane, utters his first note in "Bite The Bullet" this is love at first sound for me. His voice isn't really anything unique, it's just damn good. It's Jani Lane meets Mad Margritt's Eddie Smith meets Sebastian Bach.
Apart from the killer voice the music on the four song EP Save This City is great as well. "I Got Nothing" is very addictive and I could listen to it over and over again. It's got (you guessed it) impressive sounding vocals - this guy has great range - and the guitar work sounds crunchy, if that's possible.
The tempo slows down for "Lonely Road", and I got worried because generally I just don't like this kind of thing. But it turns out that it's not actually a boring ballad after all. It's got a bit of a rocky edge because of the power-house vocals, hard hitting drums and wailing guitars. Things crank up a notch or two again for "One More Minute" and this packs some punch with melody and some nice guitar soloing.
Diamond Lane have the perfect recipe for good classic rock and it's right up my alley. Not too heavy, not too light - it is just right.
Diamond Lane's Myspace page say they have a full length album coming out in the summer and I for one can't wait to hear more."
www.diamondlanerocks.com - www.myspace.com/diamondlane

Reviewed by Tania for Sleaze Roxx, April 2008. (www.sleazeroxx.com) - Sleaze Roxx

“This four-song EP fucking RULES, and lays any and all competition to waste as far as recapturing that good [rock] sound…it gets the sound just plain RIGHT, the songwriting is right on par with the stuff from the genre’s heyday and it leaves you absolutely starving for a full-length release. The fact that this band is even accepted on this site should tell you something about the music right off the bat, and this I must say is definitely the heaviest I’ve heard the style get. Bon Jovi this ain’t, needless to say. Every song is mainly centered around rock/metal grooves with a shitload of attitude and general asskickery injected into them. The great thing is that this heavy/rock-ish mix never clashes badly - what it does is that is adds diversity and pushed the boundaries of the genre, which is always a big plus when done well. Worthy of further praise is the production, which is total major label quality and packs a great punch.

Again, there are only four songs on here and highlights include all of them. “Bite the Bullet” - sounds like something straight out of Painkiller at its onset, a double bass romp of pure molten steel, before sliding into a Skid Row-esque chugging toughness for the verses. “I Got Nothing” - hellacious low-down groove, nasty as fuck. “Lonely Road” - the ballad, it’s great. Finally, “One More Minute” recalls the first Firehouse album at its most heavy and energetic (”Overnight Sensation”, anyone? Set phasers to ROCK!!!)…I have but few gripes to make here. This is an EP to show new and old bands alike how it’s done; rock hasn’t sounded this good in 15 years, I tell you. Don’t delay, buy this off iTunes or you’re [a fool].”
- www.metal-archives.com

- Encyclopedia Metallum