by Derric Miller
— Managing Editor —
If you are/were/will forever be a fan of Diamond Lane, you know them for their decidedly mainstream Hard Rock sound. Their music is ear candy–easy to digest, a riot to crank and like that genre, not overly philosophical or existential. Diamond Lane lead singer Brandon Baumann has taken a different direction on his solo album Manifestation, and while the Hard Rock pinnings are there, this album is more thought-provoking and evocative than anything Diamond Lane created.
“Do or Die” is one of those tracks the album almost had to start with, just for familiarity sake. It’s a fairly straight ahead rocker, with a modern feel and those clear, musical vocals Baumann always wields.
Baumann is a child of the West Coast, including the Northwest, so Manifestation feature a mixture of musical genres, including Alternative. “What Do You Want” is bouncy, thumping, almost foreboding, but it gets darker later.
As far as heavy goes, “Wolf Mask” weighs the most on the release. It’s noisy, at times, and a clear shout out at the gatekeepers of the industry, with lyrics like, “Cuz I’m not famous, not on a playlist!” It’s a song about raging against the norm while wearing a mask to get along … for now. Blood boils as the song reaches its pummeling end–just a damn strong delivery all around.
“Bury ’em Deep” is a clearly Alternative track. Baumann’s vocals, at times, sound a bit like Chester Bennington, and not just on this song. It’s got a sing-song chorus with deep riffs and is another off-center bullseye on Manifestation.
“Forever the Messenger” begins with the haunting chorus, at least a line of it, and then a dreamy, atmospheric composition greets you. The song just breathes, it gives you space to feel everything, including some of the best vocals on the album. It just sounds like a Modern Rock hit.
“Mirror Mirror” closes things out, and you can hear some Soundgarden riffage. While you may have expected a ballad, this is a razored, raw as hell and angry song. Again, on the higher notes, you’ll feel echoes of Bennington. A down-tuned uncomfortable groove carries the emotions along, and when Baumann growls, “I don’t recall signing up for this shit!” it emotes as personal, not just a lyric.
Who knows what this means for Diamond Lane at this point. They haven’t been overly active the past couple of years, and their last song “The Enemy” was in an entirely heavier direction, more NWOTHM than Hard Rock. Regardless, that voice has now ventured out and brought you his aural vision, which again, is a whole new ballgame. Just too much talent here to go unnoticed …
Genre: Rock, Alternative
Band:
Vocals: Brandon Baumann
(Live)
Drums: Tosha Jones
Bass: Sam Harman
Guitars: Frankie Lindia; Garrett Bower
Tracklisting:
1. Do or Die
2. What Do You Want
3. Wolf Mask
4. Try to Find
5. Bury ’em Deep
6. Forever the Messenger
7. Heroic Dose
8. Living Dreams
9. Mirror
Label: Independent
Online:
http://www.facebook.com/BrandonBaumannMusic
Hardrock Haven rating: 
(8 / 10)