Lightning to the Nations

Lightning to the Nations
Original "white album" cover; individual copies were signed by various band members
Studio album by Diamond Head
Released	3 October 1980
Recorded	March 1980[1]
Studio	Old Smithy Recording Studio, Worcester, England
Genre	Heavy metal
Length	41:37
Label	Happy Face
Producer	Reg Fellows
Diamond Head chronology
Lightning to the Nations (1980) Borrowed Time (1982)
Alternative cover
1993 Metal Blade cover

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	10/10[3]
Sounds	[4]

Lightning to the Nations (also known as The White Album) is the debut album by British heavy metal band Diamond Head. The album was recorded in 1980 (after the 1977 and 1979 demos) and released later that year through Happy Face Records, a label owned by the producer Muff Murfin of The Old Smithy studio of Worcester, due to lack of interest from major labels and the band feeling that they needed to get the ball rolling as other bands from the same era, such as Iron Maiden and Def Leppard, were already becoming big names.

It was originally released in a plain white sleeve with no title or track listing, and was subsequently named after the first track on the album. Metal Blade Records re-released it on CD in 1992. In 2001, it was re-issued in its original "White Album" form by Sanctuary Records, featuring seven bonus tracks that were featured on singles and EPs from this era.