Those purveyors of some mighty fine Rock and Roll who make no apologies about their mission in life, that’s to keep the flame of old-fashioned, R&B-greased, riff-driven rock and roll burning. They’ve served their time touring with the likes of Nazareth, The Damned, The Cult, Hanoi Rocks, Iggy Pop, and Ian Hunter as well as touring on their own steam. Diamond Dogs just plain and simply get “IT” whatever “It” might be. Sulo has a Rolodex of names as long as MR Tickles arm and has played with dozens of my heroes who all also get it! It’s been a while but the wait has been worth it as ‘Slp Bang Blue Rendezvous’ has condensed the journey this band has been on and rolled a big fat slab of Rock and Fucking Roll for everyone to enjoy. as Tomas Skogsberg put it ”This is my masterpiece, my White Album”. It’s a double album of twenty-four timeless classics from the 70s and into the twenty-first century with a dash of smudged guyliner, some red wine spilt and a honking wedge of bloody fantastic emotional roller coaster rock and roll.

From the opening riff-a-rama of ‘Alright Brutus’ its Hanoi Rocks meets the Stones meets the Faces, cmon you know the drill its Rock and Roll with handclaps, saxophone, some impeccable overdriven twelve-bar and some spectacular backing vocals all pulled into a twoand half minute explosive kick-ass slice of the coolest rock n roll anywhere.

It’s got the lot wedged in here from all-out rockers to the tear-jerking ballads and everything in between. the playing is spot on and the lyrics are always on point. ‘Everythings Fine’ is acoustic guitars rocking out like the best-uncovered Kinks meets Mott for some gentle happy-go-lucky rock.

‘Rocked Wrecked Robbed And Ruined’ is something a bit special as the band goes through the gears and adds a bit of spikey attitude with the acoustic mixed with electric for a cracking tune. ITs got a swinging set of bollocks but it’s more than that with some finely placed BV’s and a subtle piano nailing this one down and taking it somewhere special.

‘You Got A Diamond In Me’ is a shift of gears as the thoughtful acoustic guitars open the first verse before soaring into the chorus before easing back but cruising with a full band verse. The album is barely opened and already we’re weaving through flavours and rockin textures making for a varied and thoroughly enjoyable album.

There’s a confidence about this album and you get the impression the band knows it too. We’re not even halfway through and I’m feeling on top of the world. ‘Make Up Boogie’ is like something mixed up with a bit of Bowie and the chorus is fantastic with that sax lying low in the mix underneath the big jumbo acoustic strummed chords before the Hunter breakdown.

We have a few acoustic numbers at the midpoint with ‘Ghost Pain Of Your Love’ being a simple yet poignant song before ‘Golden Wheel’ grows into some huge banger but not noisy but laid back and subtle but a knockout all the same like the spirit of Bolan is set free. I must admit I do Love a Sulo ballad and he has a tremendous voice for a building ballad that looks back as on ‘Get Me Out’.

If you want a retro call to arms then look no further than ‘Rock It And Roll It’. It’s a lot of music to take in but I’d imagine if you’re still with me then you’re a fan of 70s rock n roll and a fan of Diamond Dogs which would suggest you’re pretty much clued into what I mean when I champion their fresh look back at what was a golden age of Rock and Roll and spin it on its head and dress it up for the 21st century like they’ve stumbled upon the meaning of life and want to shout it from the rooftops. In a way they have. Hell I even love the synth intro on the Townsend like ‘Common Form Of Life’ before they venture of with the space age spiders like ‘Rocket Richochet’. I couldn’t pick a favourite track it changes all the time but as a complet record its a belter. Variety galore, value for money etc, etc. One after the other this is quality of the highest standard, make no mistake about it.

Diamond Dogs unashamedly love to Rock and Roll and do it better than almost everyone else who is still in love with Rock and Roll from an age when Rock and Roll changed lives and really really mattered. Just buy it and be proud to wear the smile you’ll have when the needle drops on the groove and Hey Brutus kicks in!

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