Firebird

When it comes to titles, UK-based power trio Firebird couldn't have found anything more suitable for this sixth outing. Packed with rich melodies and thick, meaty grooves fuelling their twang-infused boogie metal, it is a gem. Boasting an incredible shuffle and flow, offset by prodigious interludes worthy of Iron Maiden's finest moments (best showcased on "A Wing & A Prayer" and the slide-driven "Pound Of Flesh"), Double Diamond is epic. Keeping the entire excursion rolling, tracks such as "Farewell" unite the lumbering plod of formative Fu Manchu with understated guitars and vocalist/guitarist Bill Steer's throaty delivery. The overall atmosphere takes on a feel not unlike what Lynyrd Skynyrd and the entire Southern rock movement would have possessed had they originated in Britain and not the U.S. While many blues-metal bands falter, dragging songs out beyond the point of interest, by switching between mystical airiness, a straight-ahead drive and hook-laden melodic tendencies, once again Firebird manage to keep it uncomplicated yet inarguably compelling.