Dangerdog Music Reviews :: © 1999 - 2025 Craig S Hartranft :: All Rights Reserved
No part of this this website, including design and music reviews,
may be reproduced in any form or by any means without
the prior written permission of the publisher.
CELEBRATING 18 YEARS!
- New Music Reviews
- |
- Archives
- |
- News
- |
- Submissions
- |
- About
- |
- |
New Music Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, AOR, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
Recent Reviews
February 2025
- Craig Brooks: Desolation Freeway
- Mantric Momentum: Alienized
- Pattern-Seeking Animals: Friend Of All Creatures
- Crazy Lixx: Thrill Of The Bite
- Ginger Evil: The Way It Burns
- Dream Theater: Parasomnia
- Tyran: Tyran's Oath
- Saber: Lost In Flames
January 2025
- Wildness: Avenger
- The Ferrymen: Iron Will
- Labyrinth: In The Vanishing Echoes Of Goodbye
- Bonfire: Higher Ground
- The Big Deal: Electrified
- Landfall: Wide Open Sky
December 2024
- After Lapse: Pathways
- Illusion Force: Halfana
- Powell-Payne: Voilá
November 2024
- Sunstorm: Restless Fight
- Storace: Crossfire
- Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
- Lionville: Supernatural
- Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
- Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
- Lonerider: Down In The Dust
- Seventh Crystal: Entity
- Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
- Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
- Impellitteri: War Machine
- Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter
October 2024
- Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
- DGM: Endless
- Daytona: Garder la Flamme
- Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
- Frost*: Life In The Wires
- Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
- Fans Of The Dark: Video
- Radioactive: Reset
- House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
- Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire
Diamond Dawn: Overdrive
Diamond Dawn: Overdrive
Melodic Hard Rock/AOR
4.0/5.0
Website
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Frontiers Records
by Craig Hartranft, 02.13.2013
Sweden's Diamond Dawn wears their influences on their collective sleeves. Their debut album, Overdrive, is pure and uncompromising classic melodic hard rock in the best Eighties AOR style.
Diamond Dawn:: Eighties deja vu.
While that Eighties rock style may be the larger canvas, Diamond Dawn sounds, at times, like a cross between Toto and Survivor, especially on Take Me Higher, Don't Walk Away, or Into Overdrive. Yet, generally, the band works the fundamentals: clear and melodic vocal arrangements, hooks in both composition and choruses, strong lead guitar lines, fervent rhythm section, and a nice layer synths.
Video:: Take Me Higher (Official).
It seems strange coming from a band that were likely mere toddlers back in the day. They must have been raised on their parents' record collection. Nevertheless, Overdrive sounds great and Diamond Dawn nails the classic rock genre with class, attitude, and energy. Those aforementioned tunes are representative, then add Cryin' and Standing As One as stand out pieces. However, the signature big Eighties style rocker is likely Turn It Up. I wouldn't be surprised if this would be their next video. Diamond Dawn's Overdrive is easily recommended to fans of classic AOR melodic hard rock.
Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.
TweetIn Short
Diamond Dawn's Overdrive is easily recommended to fans of classic AOR melodic hard rock.
Find A Review
Alphabetical Index
New & Notable
By now it's old news. Everybody in the prog universe knows: Dream Theater got the band back together. Drummer and founding member Mike Portnoy returned to his Dream Theater family to celebrate their 40th ... [ Read More ]