Search - Diamond Rexx :: Land of the Damned

Sleaze metal debut

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 09/03/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Chicago based rockers Diamond Rexx hit the scene in 1986 with their debut Land of the Damned. The band, which took their cues from the Hollywood hair metal scene, was all about sleazy rock, big hair, and plenty of attitude.



Unlike some of their later albums, Diamond Rexx actually flirted with a real heavy metal sound on Land of the Damned. It's still largely a glam/hair metal album, but it's surprisingly heavy and nowhere near as poppy as say Poison or even L.A. Guns. I'd say the closest point of comparison is Smashed Gladys plus a bit of Motorhead. Vocalist Nasti Habits (how great is that handle?) snarls and shouts his way through 10 odes to living fast and dying young. It's a rough album, but it has a lot of that gritty charm that made Too Fast for Love and Appetite for Destruction so effective, which isn't a bad thing at all.



It's not a must-have glam metal album, but Land of the Damned is still a fun blast from the lipstick-laden past. If you're an 80's rock fan and prefer bands on the sleazier end of the spectrum, you'll definitely want to check out Diamond Rexx, and Land of the Damned is the best place to start.



Edition Notes: Crash Music reissued Land of the Damned in 2007. As best I can tell, the album has not been digitally remastered (you need a lot of extra volume just to hear it), nor are there any bonus tracks."