L.A. Guns have been busy since the Traci Guns/Phil Lewis reunion. Their first album, ‘The Missing Peace,’ hit hard. And was a surprise success. With each following record, the Guns got more and more raw. Almost creating a punk/street vibe. Making the band grounded and authentic. That trend continues with the new ‘Black Diamonds.’
‘You Betray’ opens things up with dark ‘vampiric’ vibes. And it’s apparent that vocalist Phil Lewis is in fine form. While so many of his peers have burnt out over the years (Vince Neil anyone?), he’s been able to keep his voice sounding nearly identical to L.A. Guns’ late 80’s heyday. ‘Wrong About You’ is a strong follow up. Displaying that Traci and co haven’t lost their groove. ‘Diamonds,’ the sort of title track, is actually a really good ballad. L.A. Guns always wrote ballads that were a cut above the rest. And ‘Diamonds’ is no exception. ‘Babylon’ really brings in that street vibe I was referring to. While ‘Shame’ is blues to the max. Providing a killer Traci Guns guitar solo.
‘Shattered Glass’ brings the punk/street vibe back the record. Straight forward power chords dominate the track. While ‘Gonna Lose’ embraces 90’s alternative balladry. ‘Got It Wrong’ and ‘Lowlife’ really have that punk vibe I was referring to. Not so many single string riffs on this album as there are power chord drives. There’s also a real 90’s alternative feel on many tracks. Such as ‘Crying.’ Simple, straight forward. Kind of ballad, but it still rocks. Something that really could be a solid hit. And a song that could easily fit on the ‘Empire Records’ soundtrack. The closing track ‘Like a Drug’ also fits into that category. Rounding out a consistent, but at times, stale album.
All in all, ‘Black Diamonds’ is a more than decent hard rock album. Is it anything special? I don’t know about that. The production isn’t as good as the previous three albums. But it’s more than worthy of carrying the L.A. Guns moniker. And they are one of those bands from the era that still sound great. There’s only a handful of them. L.A. Guns are flying the flag almost better than anyone. And while ‘Black Diamonds’ isn’t amazing. It’s authentic and adequate. A solid three out of five stars.
