by John Kindred
– Publisher —
Diamond Lil is another band from the Midlands in the U.K. It seems there is something in the water because Britain delivers up another quality rock band for your listening pleasure. The band’s humble beginnings for this incarnation of the band can be traced back to 2010. At that time, guitarist Colley and bassist Jamie Downes had taken control of Diamond Lil and joined forces with well-known Midlands hard rock singer, Ellis Wilde. The Spinal Tap scenarios of drummers falling by the wayside eventually lead the group to Austin Miller.
Having solidified its stake on the regional circuit, the band relentlessly has been touring venues throughout the U.K., has made appearances on radio, recorded music videos and has been featured in a few documentaries. It seems that all that was left to do was to deliver a collection of music for the masses to latch on to, and that has been realized with their release of the E.P. Misfits of Society.
The six-song E.P. showcases the band’s eclectic influences. Gleaning inspiration from bands, such as Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin, Stone Temple Pilots, etc., the band has created its own sound, which is not traditional by any means. The band’s appreciation for modern metal bands doesn’t seem to affect its music from reflecting an old-school, classic rock edge, with alternative rock overtones. This is not a metal band. Diamond Lil has a strong riff-driven-rock vibe, with vocals that are a far cry from today’s modern rock and metal vocalists.
In all honesty, what makes Diamond Lil different than their peers are the vocals provided by Ellis Wilde. Wilde has a contemporary-alternative style that sounds a lot like Leif Johansen of 21 Guns and Phenomena fame. In fact, the album that comes to mind with which this is extremely noticeable is the Johansen 2003 project called Life, which released one album in 2003 titled White Flowers.
After spinning Misfits of Society a few times, one comes away with the feeling that the uniqueness of the vocals combined with music gives the band an edge when stacked up against their peers. The band is different enough to easily separate from the pack. We all know there are so many bands today that are making a go at it, so much so that originality and new ideas have suffered plenty of repetition. So Diamond Lil is breath of fresh air.
Genre: Hard Rock, Rock
Band:
Ellis Wilde – Vocals / Acoustic Guitar
Harry Colley – Lead Guitar
Jamie Downes – Bass Guitar
Austin Miller – Drums
Track Listing:
1. Bottom Of A Glass
2. Sex Injuries
3. Misfits Of Society
4. Beautiful Nowhere
5. Reach
6. Barrymore (I Want More)
Label: Independent
Web: www.facebook.com/diamondlilrock
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.9/10
