DIAMOND DOGS - Set Fire To It All

Diamond Dogs is a veteran band from Sweden that celebrates 20 years as a band, and their 12 studio albums assure the quality of their music. I was waiting for this release for quite some time, specially after their previous one, which still finds it's way to my player from time to time, and finally the time is now. For those unfamiliar with the sound of the band, they are playing a guitar driven Rock 'n' Roll full of all the things fans love in such a style. The songs are melodic, groovy and have a sneaky way to stick into your mind. Melodies are plenty, and so are the parts that the listener can sing along, tap his feet on the ground or move the head along with the rhythm. The album starts with a blast, with the first two songs being the kind that make the crowd go wild when performed live, and then things often slow down a bit leaving room for a more Bluesy sound to develop. This makes the album more diverse, and gives an extra layer to it, which is very good. The musicianship is splendid, and the arranging of the songs is also very good. My only objection is that the album contains a bit too many slow moments, which I think weakens a bit the whole result, but without spoiling the fun. Once again, the vocalist is excellent, as harsh as they should be, and color the songs with his warm style. Guest appearances from Dan Baird, Spike, Danny Bowes, Ryan Roxie, makes things more catchy and will be appreciated by the listeners as well. As a result we have an album that contains 13 tracks of the same high quality, with excellent guitars, a saxophone that adds valuable details to each song, a perfect rhythm section and nice keyboard melodies. This album is pure fun, one of those that are ideal for drinking beers with friends, and the music finds it's right place when   performed live in clubs. If you are a fan of the band, then do check this album too.

9/10