Diamond Head (GB)

About

Few bands can claim they inspired both Metallica and Megadeth, but Diamond Head from Stourbridge have that distinction locked in. Formed in 1976 around the core partnership of guitarist Brian Tatler and drummer Duncan Scott, the band built a fearsome live reputation during the early years of the new wave of British heavy metal. Their debut album Lightning to the Nations was so underground it originally came out in a plain white sleeve with no title, sold at gigs and through mail order for £3.50 a copy. Classic tracks like Am I Evil? and It's Electric became cornerstones of the genre. Their major label debut Borrowed Time, released on MCA, showed a more ambitious side, complete with an Elric inspired Rodney Matthews gatefold sleeve and a slot at Reading Festival in 1982. The album reached number 24 in the UK charts and earned them headline shows at venues like the Hammersmith Odeon. Decades on, Diamond Head are still very much active, with official videos for In the Heat of the Night, No Remorse and Am I Evil? all landing in recent years.