British heavy metal icons Diamond Head release the animation video for “The Messenger”. The track is the second single taken from the upcoming live album “Live and Electric” out this week.
“‘The Messenger (Live at the Cambridge Corn Exchange)’ Is a very powerful track. It started life in my head when I was watching Cradle of Filth live on the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise” remarks founding member and lead guitarist Brian Tatler. “They played a song with a fantastic groove which reminded me of Tobacco Road by the Nashville Teens. I thought to myself ‘that’s brilliant, I will try and come up with a riff for a groove like that’ and so I came up with “The Messenger” riff (everything comes from somewhere). We recorded it for the album “The Coffin Train” and played it live on the 2022 UK and European tour opening for Saxon. It always sounded good live, even next to classic Diamond Head songs like ‘The Prince’ and ‘In the Heat of the Night’. We recorded all the shows on the UK tour and thought this version at Cambridge was the mightiest. Heavy Metaaaaaaaal!”
With a thunderous crunch and genuine ‘in-your-face’ production that places the PA up against your ears, “Live and Electric“, is a live album that delivers every nuance of that four-letter word thanks to a song selection that covers Diamond Head’s seminal career, and a sound that leaves you breathless in the stalls and smelling the sweat and leather of a classic British Heavy metal night.
Recorded in 2022 on the band’s tour with Saxon, “Live and Electric” takes in performances from Aberdeen, Blackburn, York, Cambridge, Cardiff and Bexhill, creating in the process an unmistakably British energy which is superbly recorded and mixed by Jay Shredder, with singer/frontman Rasmus Bom Andersen mastering. By now, the rock and metal scene knows all about Brian Tatler, whose riffs have genuinely defined a genre as well as influencing one of the world’s biggest-ever rock bands, Metallica, but the contribution of Andersen to these Diamond Head performances is explosive as he bursts with power, presence and personality.
The first single taken from “Live and Electric”, “Helpless”, is released today. Founding member and lead guitarist Brian Tatler recalls of the song: “In September 1979 the song “Helpless” began life as a riff I was playing by an obscure punk band. I was playing it at the 5th fret and singer Sean Harris said ‘play it at the 2nd fret but play it faster’ and the song took shape. It has always been a powerhouse live and one of the songs that has never left the set list. Metallica covered “Helpless” on their “$5:98″ EP in 1987 which introduced it to a whole new set of Metal fans.”
The seamless way in which old classics such as “The Prince” and newer stormers like “Belly Of The Beast” thunder down the tracks is a testimony to the lock-tight no-nonsense foundation that Paul Gaskin (bass), Andrew “Abbz” Abberley (rhythm and lead guitar), and Karl Wilcox on drums add to the alchemy and the balance of respect plus reinvigoration for treasures “It’s Electric”, “Helpless” and “Am I Evil?” is electrifying.
“Live and Electric” is a true roots representation of Britain’s metal communities, and a wonderful live celebration of Diamond Head’s distinctly British heavy metal music which feels as fresh, vital, and important now as it ever has before.
The Fat Angel Sings 