Biography
Inspired by his older brother David to learn the guitar at 14, Brian Tatler eventually recruited school friends Duncan Scott, Sean Harris and Colin Kimberly to form Diamond Head in 1976. At the age of just nineteen they became part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, gigging and performing their own material across the country. In 1980 they opened for AC/DC and Iron Maiden whilst recording and releasing their debut album Lightning To The Nations aka ‘The White Album’ on an independent label. This masterpiece is now a heavy metal classic, revered by bands such as Metallica and Megadeth who cite Diamond Head as one of their greatest influence.
The group signed to MCA in January 1982 and released Living On Borrowed Time which entered the UK album charts at 24. An appearance at Reading Festival and a UK tour at major venues including London‘s Hammersmith Odeon consolidated their burgeoning status.
The following year saw the release of the more progressive style Canterbury album. This was a difficult album to record and the pressure resulted in the departure of two original band members, Scott being dismissed and Kimberly leaving the group.
A new line up Diamond Head opened the Monsters Of Rock Festival in1983 and completed a 15 date European tour supporting Black Sabbath. This was followed by a further UK, Odeon sized tour. MCA now requested that management should be transferred from Harris’s mother and partner Reg Fellows but Sean refused and the label dropped Diamond Head in January 1984. That line up ended the following year but Brian & Sean reunited in 1990 adding new drummer Karl Wilcox and bassist Eddie Moohan. They released Death & Progress in 1993 featuring Megadeth ‘s Dave Mustaine on the track ‘Truckin’ plus a co-write and guest appearance from Black Sabbath ‘s Tony Iommi on the track ‘Starcrossed’. A release date was planned around Diamond Head opening for Metallica and Megadeth at Milton Keynes National Bowl. The group folded again shortly after.
In 1998 Metallica released ‘Garage Inc’ a double album of covers on Vertigo Records containing four Diamond Head songs, this went on to sell 5,000,000 copies and introduced Diamond Head to a whole new generation of listeners
Following a reconciliation of Brian and Sean in 2000, Diamond Head sparked back into life to tour the UK and perform for the first time in the US. Their partnership permanently ended after making an album, then Sean wanting it released under a new band name Host. In 2003 Brian decided to continue Diamond Head without Sean and recruited vocalist Nick Tart. This resulted in the 2005 album All Will Be Revealed. The band embarked on a 22 date European tour supporting Megadeth, which turned out to be a massive success, impressing long standing fans and picking up new younger ones along the way. What’s In Your Head? Was released in 2007 on Cargo Records and saw the addition of Abbz on second guitar. Various tours and festivals followed, including opening for Thin Lizzy , Europe and the Big 4 (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer & Anthrax) at Sonisphere UK and France. Nick Tart emigrated to Australia in 2008 and although the band tried to make it work for five years it made writing, rehearsing and touring very difficult and expensive.
During a band meeting at the beginning of 2014 it was decided that the only way forward was to look for a new singer based in the UK. Recommended through a friend, Brian asked Rasmus Bom Andersen, a Danish born singer living in London, to audition for Diamond Head. Impressed by Rasmus’ vocal skills and range, the band offered him the role and embarked on a European tour including Headbangers Open Air Festival in Germany and Hard Rock Hell UK. Rasmus was quickly accepted by fans for his powerful vocal performances and onstage chemistry with the rest of the band.
Whilst on tour the subject of writing new material came up and Brian gave Rasmus 45 pieces of music he had been working on since 2007. The band agreed that they wanted to make an album that was a homage to the early, golden years of Diamond Head, and in January 2015 settled in together to write from what they fondly called ‘the Brief’, which directed all of the songs, riffs and lyrics towards the sound and feel of seminal albums Lightning to the Nations and Living on Borrowed Time.
The self-titled album Diamond Head was released in 2016 to universal critical acclaim, hailed as a glorious return to form receiving some of the best reviews Brian has experienced in 40 years with the band, with high praise especially directed at the return of the classic Tatler riffs and the debut of Rasmus’ soaring vocal performances. “Diamond Head has never sounded better” Frenzy Fire.
The new line-up of Brian, Karl, Abbz, Rasmus and new bass player Dean Ashton toured the UK and Europe plus US and Canada in a massive 27 date marathon over 33 days, quickly selling out of albums and merch at many venues.
In early 2017 Brian and Ras started working through Brian’s extensive collection of riffs, from which they began formulating ideas for the next album. With recording completed in early 2018 Diamond Head completed 8 shows opening for Saxon plus a clutch of Festivals including Rock Hard, Rocklahoma & Metal Days. Finishing with Diamond Head’s longest ever European tour consisting of 38 shows across 10 countries.
The band are all excited to be working with Siren Management and that the new album The Coffin Train will be scheduled to release via Silver Lining Music on May 24th 2019.
