Black Diamonds - No-Tell Hotel album rev

Black Diamonds - No-Tell Hotel

Album review by; The Dark Cookie

It’s like Europe is keeping 80’s rock music alive these days. Bands like H.E.A.T, Reckless Love to name a couple. Well we can add BLACK DIAMONDS to that list of bands keeping the spirit of Sunset Strip alive and well.

Whilst some of them, H.E.A.T for example have made that polished 80s A.O.R sound their own, BLACK DIAMONDS, offer us something slightly less shiny all the time, there is a little dirt under their fingernails, although just a smidge.

The album kicks off with he title track “No-Tell Hotel”, which rocks, not exactly hard, but the guitars give it a bit of edge to get us dancing. “Evil Twin” dials up the sleazy swagger, whilst “Lonesome Road” gives us some old feel-good vibes. That’s just the first three tracks.

The quality and most importantly the fun doesn’t stop. The album is all good stuff. Be it the harder edge of “Forever Wild” or the dance and sing along vibe of “Saturday” to the softer side as expressed by “Anytime” the big sing-along, lighters out chorus, or the lonesome Cowboy, Poison-esq “Hand In Hand” complete with the whoawhoawhoa’s. The 80s called and they want their big ballad back!

And let’s not forget a good dose of cow-bells on “Turn To Dust”, and oh yes! more Whoa-a-ooo chorusing. Joe and the rest of the Leps would approve.

Even the hokey Euro-pop, Cow-poke nonsense of last track “Outlaw” isn’t going to spoil our fun by loading up more cheese than, well, a really large cheesy thing. If nothing else it will leave a smile on your face, as this wild ride from the 80s pulls out on to the Strip with the radio up full blast, the backseat full of babes in tiny bikinis a trunk full of cold beers and bottles of Jack looking for the next party!

5 out of 5

Track listing;
1. No-Tell Hotel

2. Evil Twin

3. Lonesome Road

4. Forever Wild

5. Saturday

6. Anytime

7. The Island

8. My Fate

9. Hand In Hand

10. Reaching For The Stars

11. Turn To Dust