Lovingly pinched from The Sleeping Shaman: This latest offering from Firebird has been in the can for the best part of a year and has already seen a successful release through the band’s Japanese label but for some unexplainable reason is only just seeing the light of day in the band’s home country. I can only imagine they must feel pretty constipated by now waiting to get this out with only a highly limited 7″ release in the meantime to keep us hanging.

Now 2009′s Grand Union album was a highlight for me so is this new release a match? Yes definitely. Whereas its predecessor was an immediate hit to the senses Double Diamond is a little more of a slow burner but seems to benefit as a result. My initial listen was filled with uncertainty but repeated listening shows that the tunes contained here have real classic quality and staying power.

Firebird have made some significant progression in their sound here. The blues base is still intact but beefed up with a harder edged more metallic sound. When they first appeared in 1999 the band’s sound was very much in keeping with the late 60′s / early 70′s style of blues based hard rock. Twelve years on and the bands seems to have followed a natural timeline which sees them land in approximately 1981 and the height of the NWOBHM.

Continue reading: The Sleeping Shaman – Firebird ‘Double Diamond’ CD/LP 2011.