Country: England
Genre: Rock, metal
Full length: Live and Electric
Format: Digital, CD, double vinyl
Label: Silver Lining Music
Release date: July 11, 2025
As we know, England’s Diamond Head gave us “Am I Evil?” in 1980. Metallica contributed to their rise in popularity covering this song as a B-side to "Creeping Death" besides "Helpless" for "The $5.98 EP" and "The Prince" as a B-side to "Harvester of Sorrow". Can they still deliver on their terms? The videos made by Costin Chioreanu and Jay Shredder to promote "Live and Electric" show them working hard to remain relevant, earning them favorable press from indie publications.
"Live and Electric" was assembled from their performances in Aberdeen, Blackburn, York, Cambridge, Cardiff, and Bexhill during their 2022 tour with fellow English underground icons Saxon. The vibes those bands generated performing together are said to recreate the energy that facilitated the expansion of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal to the U.S., Germany and Canada when it was most needed, demonstrating the demand for organic music with twice the fervor and pugnacity.
Times have shown reverting to the basics is sometimes the way to go, and live albums showcase bands more effectively than studio albums (even if it was necessary for bands to edit tracks). Going by what I’ve heard, it may be difficult to fathom the band has existed in various forms for nearly fifty years, and most of the members are in their sixties, unless you consider the degree of professionalism and control infused into songs which have remained in their repertoire for this extended period.
Through the years Diamond Head never reached mainstream status, but even in ballroom sized venues their enthusiasm combined with the sentiment returned from the audience. The passage of time doesn’t appear to have diminished the skill demonstrated in every note, nor the keenness at conveying the musicianship with focused intensity. There exists a level of honesty, confidence and belief in their work speaking to the gathered fans that’s far too lacking aboveground. -Dave Wolff
Lineup:
Rasmus Bom Andersen: Vocals
Brian Tatler: Lead, rhythm guitars
Andrew “Abbz” Abberley: Rhythm, lead guitars
Paul Gaskin: Bass
Karl Wilcox: Drums
Track list:
1. The Prince (Live At The Bexhill De La War Pavilion)
2. Bones (Live At St David’s Hall, Cardiff)
3. The Messenger (Live At The Cambridge Corn Exchange)
4. In The Heat Of The Night (Live At The York Barbican)
5. Set My Soul On Fire (Live At The Bexhill De La War Pavilion)
6. It’s Electric (Live At The Bexhill De La War Pavilion)
7. Dead Reckoning (Live At The Aberdeen Music Hall)
8. Death By Design (Live At The Aberdeen Music Hall)
9. Sweet And Innocent (Live At The Aberdeen Music Hall)
10. Helpless (Live At The Aberdeen Music Hall)
11. Belly Of The Beast (Live At The Aberdeen Music Hall)
12. Am I Evil? (Live At King George’s Hall, Blackburn)
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