Lords of Metal
Arrow Lords of Metal

DIAMOND HEAD: 'The Illustrated History' photo book due in March

06-11-2024

Rufus Publications will release “Diamond Head The Illustrated History” in the spring of 2025.

At the vanguard of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene of the late 1970s, DIAMOND HEAD laid the groundwork for countless metal acts to follow. Known for their powerful riffs, soaring solos, and relentless energy, DIAMOND HEAD’s music resonated with fans hungry for a tighter, rawer sound. Their debut album, “Lightning To The Nations”, is an undisputed classic, boasting tracks like “Am I Evil?”, “The Prince”, “It’s Electric” and the proto-thrash of “Helpless”, songs that became essential listening for metal fans and musicians alike. It wasn’t long before METALLICA, inspired by DIAMOND HEAD’s intensity, covered their songs, cementing the band’s legacy and influence.

Packed with images sourced from the band’s founder and lead guitarist Brian Tatler’s personal collection and bound in the classic “The White Album” livery, this photographic journey captures DIAMOND HEAD’s raw essence on and off stage. Tatler’s involvement brings a uniquely intimate perspective, showcasing the band’s evolution from club venues to international festivals. From rare behind-the-scenes moments to iconic live shots, this collection is a must-have for fans and music lovers wanting to capture the force that is DIAMOND HEAD through the lens of those who lived it.

The ultra-limited-edition, 342-page hardback book measures 310mm x 310mm and comes in a white, vegan leather slipcase with a fold out poster. Only 350 numbered copies are being made and each copy is personally signed by founding members Brian Tatler and Duncan Scott.

The book costs £99 and can be pre-ordered from 3 p.m. on Friday, November 1 at 3 p.m. U.K. time with a 10% pre-order discount. The book will ship worldwide at the end of March 2025.

DIAMOND HEAD influenced a slew of early ’80s thrash metal bands, in particular METALLICA, which recorded “Am I Evil?” as a B-side to their 1984 “Creeping Death” single and again included on the band’s multi-platinum 1998 covers album “Garage Inc.”METALLICA would record three additional DIAMOND HEAD songs: “Helpless” (“Garage Days”, 1987), “The Prince” (“One” single B-side, 1989) and “It’s Electric” (“Garage Inc.”, 1998).

According to Brian, the royalties that he receives from the DIAMOND HEAD back catalog, including the METALLICA recordings of his songs, are enough for him to live on. “It’s my biggest source of income,” he revealed in a 2019 interview. “It’s great and I don’t know what I would do without it. It gives me the freedom to do what I like. I’m very grateful.”

A reimagined and re-recorded version of DIAMOND HEAD’s “Lightning To The Nations” album was released in 2020 via Silver Lining Music. “Lightning To The Nations 2020” included four cover tracks, among them METALLICA’s “No Remorse”.

Watch the previously released 40th anniversary version of ‘Am I Evil?’ below.
“I wanted to cover a song from Metallica’s debut album, Kill ‘Em All,” explains founding member Brian Tatler, “partly because Metallica covered songs from DIAMOND HEAD‘s debut album Lightning To The Nations and it felt like things have come full-circle to me. None of the band members knew how to play any of the songs from Kill ‘Em All and I eventually decided we should all learn ‘No Remorse.’ Then when we got into the rehearsal room, we played ‘No Remorse’ and immediately it just sounded great; it was very ‘DIAMOND HEAD‘ and it really suited us as a band. Of the four covers we ended up doing, ‘No Remorse’ sounded the best straight away. I’ve seen Metallica live over twenty times and they don’t play ‘No Remorse’ very often, but it’s always great when they do!”
 
“Of all the four covers, we almost didn’t have to work on ‘No Remorse’,” furthers singer and producer Rasmus Bom Andersen. “We all had to learn the parts, and it’s very difficult to play, but in rehearsal it did sound fantastic and we thought: ‘yeah, yeah, it’s gonna be mega.’ It was almost surreal when we did it because it just felt incredibly familiar.”
 

Lightning To The Nations 2020 will be released on November 27th 2020, via Silver Lining Music. Available as a CD Digipak, Double Vinyl Album housed in Gatefold, digital formats and special D2C bundles. For pre-orders, go to THIS LOCATION.

Track Listing:

  1. Lightning to the Nations
  2. The Prince
  3. Sucking My Love
  4. Am I Evil?
  5. Sweet and Innocent
  6. It’s Electric
  7. Helpless
  8. No Remorse
  9. Immigrant Song
  10. Sinner
  11. Rat Bat Blue

Diamond Head are:

Brian Tatler – Lead, Rhythm Guitars

Rasmus Bom Andersen – Vocals, Orchestration, Additional Guitars

Karl Wilcox – Drums

Andrew “Abbz” Abberley – Rhythm, Lead Guitars        

Dean Ashton – Bass, Organ on ‘The Prince’

Check de onderstaande socials voor meer informatie over deze band.