Diamond Head (British band)
English NWOBHM band influential on Metallica and Megadeth.
Diamond Head, a heavy metal band from England, got their start in Stourbridge, West Midlands, back in 1976. They were key players in the new wave of British heavy metal, and groups like Metallica and Megadeth credit them as a major early inspiration.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- Stourbridge, England
- Genre
- Heavy metal
- Years active
- 1976–1985; 1991–1994; 2000–present (on hiatus since 2025)
- Current members
- Brian Tatler
- Karl Wilcox
- Rasmus Bom Andersen
- Andy Abberley
- Paul Gaskin
Facts from the source article.
History
Diamond Head formed in 1976 in Stourbridge when schoolfriends Brian Tatler and Duncan Scott recruited singer Sean Harris, who was in the same year, in June 1976. The band went through three bass players before settling on Collin Kimberley in February 1978. Two self-financed demo tapes were recorded in 1979, each completed within six hours on a four-track machine; one was sent to Geoff Barton at Sounds. The timing coincided with the emergence of the new wave of British heavy metal. During 1979 and 1980, the band was managed by local managers Dave Morris and Ian Frazier. Morris invested money and sought a record deal, while Frazier drove the band on UK tours. Sean Harris's mother, Linda Harris, persuaded her boss and boyfriend Reg Fellows to see the band with a view to investing. The demos and live reputation earned Diamond Head two support dates with AC/DC and one with Iron Maiden at The Lyceum, London. Several record companies expressed interest, and the managers secured offers, but none were deemed worthy by Fellows and Linda Harris, who were advising Sean Harris. Internal disputes over representation led to the departure of Morris and Frazier, leaving Fellows and Linda Harris in sole control. While other NWOBHM acts secured major label contracts and entered the U.S. market, Diamond Head remained independent. Brian Tatler attributed this to unrealistic expectations regarding contract terms. When no suitable offer came, Fellows opted to record an album rapidly at the local 24-track studio where the band had tracked their debut single, "Shoot Out the Lights." Studio owner Muff Murfin provided one week of recording time with no upfront payment in exchange for 50 percent of the band's publishing rights for fifteen years.
Musical style and influences
Diamond Head cited early inspirations including Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, UFO, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Free. Brian Tatler noted that the first albums he bought were Led Zeppelin II and Machine Head, and that much of his guitar work was inspired by Ritchie Blackmore and Michael Schenker, but punk rock showed him that anyone could form a band. Colin Kimberley commented that the band's complex sound came from listening to Black Sabbath and Rush and realizing that a song with a single riff throughout was not interesting enough. In a 2008 interview, Tatler stated he tries not to be influenced by modern bands and to keep his sound, though he imagines little bits creep into the writing process.
Legacy and influence
Diamond Head is a band that casual heavy metal listeners might not recognize, but they were a key part of the new wave of British heavy metal and helped shape the early sound of both Metallica and Megadeth. The song "Am I Evil?" is often seen as the defining track of that entire era. The group never achieved major commercial success, and several reasons are usually given for this. One was a shift in musical direction with their album Canterbury. Another was a long delay in securing a record deal. When they finally signed with MCA, the label pushed them toward a more commercial sound, which created creative tension. Their management also held them back; unlike contemporaries such as Iron Maiden and Def Leppard, who had experienced professional managers, Diamond Head was handled by people with no prior industry experience. While many of their NWOBHM peers toured the United States in the 1980s, Diamond Head did not play there until 2002, when they performed at Metal Meltdown IV in New Jersey. Metallica covered several Diamond Head songs in their early days, including "Sucking My Love," "Am I Evil?," and "The Prince." A live version of "Am I Evil?" appeared on the Metal Up Your Ass demo from November 1982. "Sucking My Love" can be found on various bootlegs from 1982 and on the early demo No Life Til Leather. Metallica's first official studio release of "Am I Evil?" was in 1984 on the Creeping Death 12-inch single, paired with "Blitzkrieg" by the band of the same name. Both songs were also included on the first pressing of the Kill 'Em All LP when Elektra Records re-released it. A cover of "Helpless" appeared on The $5.98 E.P. - Garage Days Re-Revisited in 1987, and "The Prince" was a B-side on the "One" single.
More in New Wave of British Heavy Metal Musical Groups
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