Editing Lightning to the Nations (section)

{{Short description|1980 studio album by Diamond Head}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Lightning to the Nations
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Diamond Head (English band)|Diamond Head]]
| cover      = Solid white.svg
| caption    = Original "white album" cover; individual copies were signed by various band members
| alt        =
| released   = 3 October 1980
| recorded   = March 1980<ref>{{Cite web |title=Diamond Head – Lightning To The Nations: The White Album (Universal UMC – 2785026) Liner Notes |url=https://i.discogs.com/OSJwjvIQSyDTuSfJuJgojrz8I1ofOU3wTRDnon4IUMw/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:299/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTM4MDU0/ODItMTU1ODU4OTAz/Ny04NDAwLmpwZWc.jpeg |access-date=3 February 2024 |website=[[Discogs]]}}</ref>
| studio = Old Smithy Recording Studio, [[Worcester, England|Worcester]], England
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Heavy metal music|Heavy metal]]
| length     = 41:37
| label      = Happy Face
| producer   = Reg Fellows
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title = [[Borrowed Time (Diamond Head album)|Borrowed Time]]
| next_year  = 1982
| misc       = {{Extra album cover
 | header  = Alternative cover
 | type    = studio
 | cover   = DiamondHeadLightningToTheNations.jpg
 | border  =
 | alt     =
 | caption = 1993 Metal Blade cover
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/r35282 | title = Diamond Head – Lightning to the Nations (The White Album) review | accessdate = 24 March 2011 | last = Rivadavia | first = Eduardo | work = [[AllMusic]]}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Martin Popoff|Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal]]''
| rev2Score = 10/10<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Popoff | first1 = Martin | authorlink1 = Martin Popoff | title = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties | publisher = [[Collector's Guide Publishing]] | date = 1 November 2005 | isbn = 978-1894959315 | page= 96}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]''
|rev3Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{cite journal|title=Diamond Head "Diamond Head" |journal=[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]] |date=20 September 1980 |first=Paul |last=Suter |url=http://nwobhm.info/nwobhm/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=207&Itemid=42 |accessdate=24 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100727190851/http://nwobhm.info/nwobhm/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=207&Itemid=42 |archivedate=27 July 2010 }}</ref>
| noprose=yes
}}

'''''Lightning to the Nations''''' (also known as '''''The White Album''''') is the debut album by British [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band [[Diamond Head (English 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 [[compact disc|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.