There are really only three things to consider when talking about diamonds. Heat, pressure, and time. There is far more to consider however when talking about Halifax’s Diamond City. The year-old rock trio brings so many elements to its debut album Therapy that you might have better luck mining an actual diamond than covering it all.
Lead singer, guitarist, and frontman Mike Bellefontaine enlisted help from bandmates Jaad Stewart (bass) and Devon Roberts (drums/backing vocals) to flesh out the songs he has crafted and the three have released a high-energy, riff-driven debut that will thrill any hard rock fan that has ever spent time with bands like Incubus, Billy Talent or Queens of the Stone Age.
Let’s dig in.
The record opens with “Believer” and an absolutely pulverizing guitar riff. When the rhythm section kicks in it quickly becomes clear that this is a rock record for rock fans. No surprises and no fluff. This album is just here to kick the doors down.
The next track “Lights Out” lives up to its billing with another driving groove that we’ll come to find will be the hallmark of this whole record. It’s well crafted, hard-hitting rock that provides a perfect underlay for the angst and desperation of the lyrics.
On the fourth track, “Manifest,” Bellefontaine sings the line, “no difference from sleep or awake” which is a striking and heartbreaking statement that speaks to the hopelessness of mental health issues; something that he has struggled with over time. This whole record, in fact, is Bellefontaine wrestling with these concepts for the whole world to see (or hear).
The title track, “Therapy,” begins with fuzzy, muddy guitars and paints a picture of confusion as Bellefontaine sings, “Woke up again today with my head a mess. I keep telling myself that everything’s going to be ok.” The fact that there may be a bit of this sentiment in all of us is what makes this album so relatable.
“Basically each song is a feeling or emotion for me. I’ve dealt with a lot of depression over the years and each song speaks out differently for me when I’m playing the songs,” says Bellefontaine. “It’s not as If I’m playing a song; I’m in the song and feeling everything else that goes along with each one.”
The record is called Therapy for a reason, and although some of the subject matter is dark and hard to talk about, Bellefontaine has thrown us a musical lifeline to help us along. This album just plain sounds fantastic.
In addition to fronting the band and writing the material for the record, Bellefontaine also wore the producer’s hat, and it’s clear that he spent some of the 2000s listening to Rage Against the Machine, Thrice, and White Zombie. The sounds, tones, and production techniques employed can only come from someone who has been paying attention.
There’s a big sound on this album, and it’s hard to imagine sometimes that it comes from a three-piece. This is plenty for Bellefontaine however, who prefers having just one guitar. “Everything is just clean and tight that way,” he says. “When I’m doing leads I’m either looping the rhythm and the background or our bassist kicks on his distortion and makes up for the lack of another guitar.”
However, it is that Diamond City delivers their sound is working for them. Bellefontaine has played in lots of groups and most often finds himself as the producer and principal writer although he is always open to working with other people. “I have pretty much produced everything I’ve ever been in. I played in metal bands, rock bands, blues bands; all kinds of shit, and it’s not that I’m against working with someone, I just always have done it.”
The songs are well-produced, well written, and the sounds are tight. Diamond City gives a firm nod to their influences and still manages to sound fresh and relevant. One listen to this debut album will have us agreeing that it is something they should continue to do.