This sensational 8-piece band takes its name from the flagship passenger train of the Leigh Valley Railroad which ran from New York to Buffalo from 1896 until 1959. The train was named after the railroad’s major cargo, anthracite coal, commonly known as “black diamond.” In 1927, Reverend A.W. Nix recorded a two-part singing sermon with his congregation called “The Black Diamond Express To Hell.”
According to the lyrics, when the train leaves the station the bell is ringing “Hell-bound,” and the conductor who is the Devil cries out, “All aboard for Hell.” This powerful, black gospel recording is one of the earliest on record and of historical importance.
Fast-forward nearly a century and the spirit of the earliest gospel, blues roots and folk traditions is alive and well in the emotionally supercharged eclectic Americana, Celtic-influenced, and at times anarchic, music of The Black Diamond Express (BDE). Formed in 2007, the line up comprises Toby Mottershead (a.k.a The Jack of Diamonds) on vocals and guitar, bass player Ewan Gibson, drummer Andy ’The Duke’ Duncan, Cameron Henderson on fiddle, George Marsden on keys, Stevie Slide on lap steel, Tom ‘Harpo’ McClelland on harmonica, and Electric Steve on guitar.
This limited edition EP in 12” vinyl, Year Of The Snake Volume 2, was released in February after a long gap since the first volume in 2017. It is the second in a series of four EPs, the remainder to be released over the next year. Front man Toby gives the context; “We had just got back from touring Canada and were excited to capture that live energy in the studio; these songs represent a raw, authentic moment in time for the band.’ Bassist and manager Ewan Gibson adds; ‘Listening to the songs you will hear echoes of the chain gang, plaintive melodies, gospel hymns and gut-buckets, noir narratives and tall tales, truth and fiction in equal measure. Board the train and be transported.”
Toby is also a highly respected solo musician, master of slide guitar, blues scholar and historian who heads up another successful Edinburgh band Jawbone Walk also involving Ewan. They are dedicated to keeping alive the roots of 1940s and ’50s traditional blues and classic gospel songs, their shows at the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival popular and highly acclaimed. Not surprisingly, these two are influential in ensuring that the Express glides smoothly along the tracks but it is the combined talents of the entire octet which make this a very special project.
A brief overview of BDE’s debut EP, Year Of The Snake Volume 1, gives clear insights into how the standards were set for Volume 2 and the musical progression of the band. “Racing With The Sun” captured an experimental Doors-esque haunting American west coast vibe while “Two Roads” and “The Ballad Of William Dakota” confirmed Toby’s credentials as a consummate and captivating storyteller. The ballad is an epic story about the gruesome murder of a mobster who was “born to lose and made to fight,” vividly portrayed as looking like “a shark out of water in a blood stained vest.” Cameron Henderson’s sumptuous violin on “Gulls, Rocks And Sand” is Celtic-folk playing at its best which is also carried through to Volume 2.
The second volume opens with “Doors Of The Dungeon,” the impact of which is immediate with the chanting chorus and repetition of the words “Up from the centre of the earth” enhanced by the harmonious background vocals of Ewan, Cameron and drummer Andy Duncan. Cameron’s violin playing is a tour de force as he realizes his self-confirmed ambition to seek out the voids in tunes and grace them sensitively. His strong ear for melody facilitates a variety of interventions on each track which range from the haunting and delicate to the rhythmic and bold. George Marsden’s empathetic keys play a similar role alternating between adding depth and texture to the background and taking the lead.
“Rattlesnake Blues,” with its references to hell and the devil, echoes the drama of Reverend Nix with an even more ferocious storyline. As Toby explains; “I was inspired by the performance by the late American Piedmont blues guitarist, singer and songwriter John Dee Holeman on a rare documentary on life in Mississippi in the 1970s/’80s which showed how the strains of older oral traditions lived on usually around gathering where the community would share food, dance, and sing together. I took some of his original dialogue and added my own verses to complete the lyrics for the song.”
Toby’s intricate finger-picking guitar introduction sets the mood for an upbeat tempo interspersed with impressive harp blowing from Tom McClelland and superb lap steel and slide guitar work from Stevie and Steve.
“Murder of Crows” is a fitting finale which speaks for itself in this video. If Robert Johnson had met Black Sabbath this unique high-octane sound might have been the outcome. At times the sound effects, the contrasts of light and shade, the high energy and improvisations all seem frenetic but they are underpinned by careful arrangements and progression. “The Duke” puts in a shift Ginger Baker would have been proud of, his synchronicity with Ewan’s deep grooves and melodic bass lines a triumph.
By the time this project is complete it will appropriately be the Chinese Year of the Snake and mark nearly 20 years on the road for The Black Diamond Express, albeit with regular breaks to pursue individual musical directions.
The time has finally come for the band to emerge from under the radar and deservedly gain wider recognition. Their legacy will be significant and is thankfully now recorded on vinyl for posterity in this remarkable collection.
All songs written by Toby Mottershead and arranged by the band as a whole. Backing vocals performed by Ewan Gibson, Andy Duncan and Cameron Henderson.
Original artwork by photographer Colin Holmes
Live photographs by Stuart Stott
Recorded by Graeme Young at Chamber Studios
Mixed and mastered by Andy Duncan
Artwork by Colin Holmes
Graphic Design- Lentil
Pressed by Seabass Vinyl
Released through VoxBox recordsThe Year Of The Snake Volume 2 can be streamed from Bandcamp. Connect with the band on their official site and Facebook.
