Next on the Master's Chopping Block: Diamante, the Hard Rock Heartbreaker ~ Words From the Master

On this edition of the Master's Chopping Block, I'm shining the spotlight on an artist who deserves WAY more attention: Diamante!

Diamante has long been one of those artists whose evolution you can see and feel in real time. Way back in 2015, when I first spotlighted her, she was an 18-year-old badass dropping singles and EPs. She had blonde hair and was featured in Revolver's "Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock" issue. It was definitely a different era. Much of the video content I shared in that post doesn't even exist anymore, making it feel very much like a time capsule from the beginning of her career. Interestingly, much of that early material is also no longer available on her official Spotify catalog. Whether that's due to licensing or distribution issues, a deliberate decision to leave some of those songs in the past, or simply a combination of factors, I honestly don't know—and I wouldn't want to speculate. Whatever the reason, it's still an interesting part of Diamante's journey. Those songs capture a very specific moment in her career and, in a way, make that 2015 time capsule feel even more significant.

But the Diamante we have now is something else entirely. She has sharpened her sound, matured her image, and added much more depth to her songwriting. Along the way, she has carved out her own place in the modern hard rock world, going from a promising newcomer to a full-blown powerhouse.

She has the confidence and polished feel that comes with years of experience, while still keeping the rebellious heart that made her stand out to me and others in the first place. That's why this updated spotlight isn't going to rehash the past. Instead, it's a celebration of how far she's come, how much she's grown, and why she is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most compelling artists in hard rock today.

This can be seen by going from her independently released debut EP, Dirty Blonde (2015), to her first full-length album, Coming In Hot (released through Better Noise Records in 2018). There is a huge shift and maturation in both her sound and her lyrics. Tracks like the beautiful, heartfelt "I'm Sorry"—and its Spanish version, "Lo Siento"—show a level of emotional depth and vulnerability that marked a real evolution in her artistry.

It's a huge step forward from the early, fun, tongue-in-cheek tracks like "There's a Party in My Pants (And You're All Invited)," which were catchy and playful but intentionally lighter. Her newer work felt more personal, more mature, and more grounded, reflecting just how much she had evolved both musically and lyrically in those few years.

Of course, there were legit hard-rockers too—like the driving “Haunted,” with its unforgettable, catchy chorus; the haunting and powerful “Sleepwalking”; and the badass, empowering “Bulletproof,” my personal favorite on the album. As a full-length debut, Coming In Hot is a strong slice of hard rock that showed plenty of promise. But, her best was still ahead of her.

In between her first and second albums, Diamante released various singles, including massively popular collaborations with other hard rock and metal artists. In 2018, she teamed up with metal band Bad Wolves for the emotional “Hear Me Now.” Then, in 2021, she joined forces with hard rockers Breaking Benjamin for a particularly powerful cover of the Goo Goo Dolls' 1998 megahit “Iris” (which would also appear on her next release American Dream) Of course, she also released solo singles, including her stunning rendition of the Scottish traditional song “Auld Lang Syne” released just in time for the holidays. These and her other releases showcased the diversity of Diamante's musical styles and influences. But above all, they highlighted her beautiful, soulful voice and impressive emotional range.

In 2021, Diamante independently released her second full-length album, American Dream, which continued to showcase her growing maturity and ever-evolving sound. As such, I consider it the best of her two LPs so far. It's quality, energetic hard rock filled with songs that I still find myself coming back to over and over again.

Among them is “Wake Up Call,” which has one of the catchiest, most sing-along choruses you're likely to hear. Then there's the moving and heartfelt “Unlovable,” a song that can really pull at the heartstrings, especially for anyone who has ever felt that way. The melodic yet still rocking “Serves You Right” features some of the album's best riffs, along with memorable lyrics about getting what you deserve. And, then there's the absolutely awesome “Ghost Myself,” an empowering, driving track that remains my all-time favorite Diamante song. Other highlights include “Obvious,” the title track, and the aforementioned “Iris.” In short, American Dream is packed with consistently high-quality, hard-rocking music from beginning to end.

In 2022, Diamante independently released an EP of covers, appropriately titled The Diamond Covers. Consisting of five classic pop songs—“Maniac,” “Dancing on My Own,” “Paparazzi,” “Like a Prayer,” and “Running Up That Hill” (my personal favorite of the bunch)—the EP puts her soaring, gritty vocals front and center. Combined with hard-rock guitars and what she calls “sparkle and grit,” these songs become memorable new takes on some of the world's most recognizable pop hits. They also showcase Diamante's love of pop music and the undeniable influence it has had on her sound and style.

Around this time, Diamante also appeared on two soundtracks. This is where her current relationship with Sumerian Records began, a label with some major names in modern hard rock and metal under its wing. The first came in 2024, with her soulful cover of Pat Benatar's classic “Love Is a Battlefield” for The American Psycho Comic Series Soundtrack. A year later, she appeared on the soundtrack to the wrestling biopic The Queen of the Ring with a beautiful and somber cover of Metallica's “The Unforgiven.”

For this one, she collaborated with alt-metal band The Pretty Wild, fronted by sisters Jyl and Jules Wylde. They're one of the most exciting and promising acts in modern metal today, and the combination of their powerful style with Diamante's soulful vocals made for what is, personally, my favorite collaboration she's done so far.

As far as her original material goes, this current era in Diamante's career might just be her most exciting yet. She is fully embracing her glitter-and-glam aesthetic and love of '80s rock, blending pop hooks with a glam-metal-influenced edge that adds yet another layer to her sound and further separates her from her contemporaries.

It all began with the 2023 release of “1987,” an incredibly catchy, pop-influenced track that still packs plenty of driving rock energy. I loved this clear love letter to the '80s from the moment she released it. Four years later, she revisited the track with a “Metal Version,” featuring harder, heavier guitars and harsh male vocals that give the song an extra kick in the ass.

Following that, in 2024 she released the awesome “All for the Glory,” which really feels like it was birthed from the '80s hard-rock sound. Featuring a great sing-along chorus, it's the kind of song that feels like it's begging to be used in a cool movie montage scene.

And speaking of the '80s, 2025 brought the release of the soaring and rocking “Silver Bullet.” This song never fails to get me moving! It's got such a cool, badass riff, accompanied by Diamante's amazing vocal range, full of soul and emotion. The song is elevated even further by some excellent layering and production, giving it an even bigger and more powerful sound.

This brings us to her most recent release, “Cool Down.” Catchy in the best way possible, it's one of those welcome earworms that you'll find yourself singing even when you're not listening to the song. I haven't been able to stop listening to it since the day it was released.

I love that, while it has a very melodic rock sound, there's a great heavy riff that comes in during the breakdown, adding a nice metallic edge. I remember Diamante previewing that riff on Instagram, asking, “What if I added a heavy part?” And I was like, “Fuck yeah!” So when I finally heard it in the finished song, it felt like the riff fit perfectly.

Then there's the lyrics, which are about stepping back and avoiding a heated confrontation with someone who means something to you. Lord knows I've had plenty of moments where I've had to “cool down” so I wouldn't “say something” I'd "regret". That personal connection makes the song hit even harder for me.

And honestly, that's probably a good place to talk about what Diamante's music means to me personally. As I mentioned in the previous piece, I've been a fan of hers since the beginning of her career. In fact, I remember that after I published that original article, a fellow writer, who covers metal and hard rock, asked me, “Who is this girl you wrote about?” It was one of those moments when I realized I wasn't just discovering Diamante for myself—I was introducing her music to other people, too.

I find that I can listen to her music whether I'm feeling good or down. Whether I'm at the gym pumping iron, relaxing in my room, writing an article (like I am right now), or dealing with the pain of a particularly difficult moment in my life, her music always seems to fit. Her lyrics are relatable whether she's singing about having a good time or dealing with the hardships of relationships. A song like “Unlovable” is especially easy to connect with for someone like me who hasn't always had the best luck finding love. Then there's “Ghost Myself,” which feels so empowering that I knew it was the perfect song to share with someone I knew had gone through a horribly difficult time herself. I was right.

I've said many times that music isn't just music to me. It has a much deeper connection to who I am. It's a part of me—part of my own DNA. There are certain artists whose music simply speaks to me on a deeper level, and Diamante is one of them.

Earlier this year, I shared her music with someone I had very deep feelings for. When she connected with Diamante's songs, especially the aforementioned “Ghost Myself,” it felt incredibly special. Here was an artist who meant so much to me, and someone I cared about was connecting with her music, too. It hit a special place in my heart that very few artists or musical moments have reached in my life.

We are no longer in each other's lives, but in many ways, that experience became part of the impetus for writing this piece in the first place. The fact that I loved “Cool Down” only sealed the deal. I realized that after all these years of following Diamante's career, her music had become connected not only to different eras of my life, but to some of the people and moments that have meant the most to me.

And, there's one more little piece of that connection that has followed me all these years: I actually won Diamante's autograph some years back. I hung it up, and it has moved with me through two different houses. I have tons of autographs, but hers is the only one that has been on my wall continuously since I got it (well, aside from the brief periods when it was packed away during the moves). There's something pretty special about that. After all these years, Diamante's music has continued to be a part of my life—and so has that autograph.

One of the other things that made me want to write this is how, despite having songs with millions of streams and collaborations that have racked up HUGE numbers on Spotify, Diamante still feels very much under the radar to me. Which is both a shame and a crime, if you ask me.

She has all the ingredients that make an artist great—and, ideally, hugely successful: catchy and memorable songs, lyrics that can be fun, empowering, and/or relatable, all delivered by a voice with soul, grit, range, and power. Add in her cool and provocative look, along with the fact that she really takes full advantage of promoting herself in memorable ways on social media, where she's very active, and you have the full-blown package that just screams: superstar!

But enough of me telling you how awesome she is. Why don't you hear it for yourself with some choice tracks!

The gym rat in me just loves this video! The song obviously kicks ass, too!

My favorite song of hers, I also love the video. She looks so cool and badass in it. And, the whole female Fight Club aspect is especially ass kicking!