Now here someone really seems to have done his homework as far as epic Heavy Metal is concerned. Not only does the singer and currently sole member of Los Angeles based DIAMONDS HADDER, John Evermore, sound like a young Ronnie James Dio; the sound also seems to be referring to other traditional or traditional sounding American Metal bands. “Beyond The Breakers“ is certainly atmospheric but at no point is the album too bombastic. If you are looking for majestic keyboards or high-pitched singing, this is not your type of music. Instead, you get solemn yet gripping tracks such as the opener ‘Ballad Of The Dead Rabbit’. ‘Rivers End’, my favourite track of the album, continues in the same vein, with the well-placed use of a piano. Both tracks are strongly leaning towards DIO’s classic albums. The second half of this song (and indeed, of the album) contains what I would describe as references to bands such as BLIND GUARDIAN (minus their early Speed Metal bits) or ETERNAL CHAMPION, thus painting a multifaceted picture in the field of Heavy Metal. ‘Long Is The Road’ as well as the three final tracks makes you want to bow to old heroes such as METAL CHURCH or FATES WARNING; it is admirable how well DIAMONDS HADDER capture their spirit. Again, this works without the harder elements of Speed, let alone Thrash Metal. The album finishes with the two grandiose, epic songs ‘Master Of Illusion’ and ‘Evermore’. There is also a concept behind the music which becomes particularly apparent in the song ‘City Of Fire’. It circles around the figure of Lord Hadder in a mythical country called Evermore (sometimes including biblical motifs like the story of Adam and Eve). On their homepage (look for the section “Field Notes”), you can find more fantasy stories on Diamonds Hadder, which seems to be a very intricate concept devised by John Evermore. This also continues on Soundcloud, where these notes appear in a narrated form, announced as a possible nucleus of a second album. “Beyond The Breakers“ is DIAMONDS HADDER’s first full-length record; so far, only one EP and nine singles have been released (all but three of which have been included on the album; missing are the RAINBOW cover ‘Stargazer’ and the songs ‘Hell Fall’ and ‘Lord Of The Golden Tower’). So if you are into traditional Heavy Metal and belong to the crowd that enjoys gatherings such as Keep It True or Headbangers Open Air – make sure to check this one out! www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560262602768, www.facebook.com/noremorserecordsgreece