Diamond Rexx was the black eye glam metal needed in 1986. In a field that would soon be saturated by Poison pretty boys and whatever the hell a Bon Jovi is, their debut album, Land of the Damned, boasted a cruel, unforgiving brand of glam that could’ve only come out of filth ridden Chicago alley. Unfortunately, the masses weren’t ready for this musical wakeup call. Unwilling to crack under corporate pressure, Diamond Rexx soldiered on for the next 35 years as the Windy City’s resident sleaze metal mercenaries.
Sure, Poison and Bon Jovi achieved much greater fame and fortune than Diamond Rexx ever did, but at what cost? It’s 2020. Bret Michaels and Jon Bon Jovi have long since become darlings of daytime talk television. Meanwhile, Nasti Habits is still exactly that: Nasti. This is a dude you don’t want your wife or daughter ogling over on Ellen or The View. The same can be said for his bandmates, guitarist S. St. Lust, bassist Dave Andre, and drummer Johnny Cottone. Together for the first time since they took us to the Land of the Damned, the classic lineup of Diamond Rexx has now been committed to the Psych Ward.
Psych Ward opens strong with the hard hitting “The Answer”. This punked up number is short and to the point. Most of these songs are. How else could you fit 13 songs in a little over 40 minutes? The super sleazy “Love is Pain” sounds like it could be the soundtrack to a wasted evening at the Thirsty Whale circa 1987. If you’re from Chicago and of a certain age, you know what I’m talking about. After a ripping first stretch, things take a turn for the unexpected on “Ur Everything”. A slow power pop inspired ballad? I’d expect this from fellow Chicagoans Enuff Z’Nuff, but Diamond Rexx? Despite being out of their wheelhouse, Diamond Rexx makes it work. I really dig this simple little love song.
The title track (and halfway point) signals a shift in direction for the rest of the album. It’s dark, hypnotic, and chock full of heavy riffs. Imagine Black Album era Metallica…but good. The remaining songs on Psych Ward can all be labeled as heavy metal, while some (“Want it All”, “Under the Gun”) veer into speed/thrash territory. The hard rock/sleaze/glam ethos of the first half isn’t there, but that doesn’t make this second half any less effective. If anything, I’d compare these songs to The Evil (2002), but with a much stronger songwriting and production approach.
While other 80s glam metal acts have been relegated to nostalgia circuit scabs, Diamond Rexx deliver a “Kick in Your Face” with Psych Ward. By the numbers? Sure. Predictable? Perhaps. But if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
6 out of 10
Label: Pavement Entertainment
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Alice Cooper, Metallica, W.A.S.P.