Live and Electric is the hugely influential Diamond Head caught live back in 2022 when they opened for Saxon in a classic New Wave of British Heavy Metal double heavy hitter tour.
Riffmaster Brian Tatler and the band rip in up over the dozen song career-spanning set nicely balanced between songs they “have” to play and others. It’s powerful, breathless stuff as it should be.
I go all the way back with Diamond Head. Indeed – I have one of the original 1,000 copies of that famous debut album known as Lightning to the Nations on Happy Face.
Ordered it from the advert in Sounds (remember Sounds?). I think it cost me £3.50. I dare not play it these days. Can’t be too many of them left.
Anyhoo – back to Live and Electric. Interestingly each performance on the tour with Saxon was recorded allowing the band to cherry pick the best dozen which we now have here.
We go right back to the beginning as it starts with The Prince crackling with energy. As indeed does everything as Diamond Head give a metal masterclass and have the songs to do just that.
It was once said way back around 1980ish as I recall that the first Diamond Head album packed more riffs in to one song than Black Sabbath do in their back catalogue – or something like that.
Well, to paraphrase something else……if you want riffs, you got ‘em…………Brian Tatler up there with any other guitarist you’d care to mention flicking out the monster riffage. Listen to Live and Electric and you’ll know why if you don’t already.
Energetic front man Rasmus Andersen roars away with vocals to match Tatler’s guitar and the rest of the band all gel together making what we have here a huge performance.
The mixture of the old NWOBHM-era classics such as In the Heat of the Night, Sweet and Innocent and Helpless for example remain fresh and the others selected from later albums fit right in.
And of course – no Diamond Head performance would be complete without the legendary Am I Evil? If one song was to sum up what NWOBHM was (and still is) all about it has to be Am I Evil?
One of THE greatest riffs. Cutting, doomy, relentlessly heavy. And rather influential over the years. Covered by many bands, perhaps most notably by Metallica.
Here it is blasting out from King. George’s Hall in Blackburn from the album:
I’m generally not the biggest fan of live albums though I think this one is worthy. A legendary band showing they have not lost a step.
Snap it up. Usual digital and physical versions available.
>> DIAMOND HEAD LIVE AND ELECTRIC ON AMAZON <<
I wonder what next for Diamond Head as of course Brian Tatler is now involved with Saxon appearing on their superb 2024 album Hell, Fire and Damnation. Don’t miss that.
Let’s hope Brian can find the time to balance Diamond Head with his Saxon duties and we may have more to come from Diamond Head.
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