DIAMOND HEAD Guitarist: 'We Would've Faded Away In The Late '80s Without METALLICA'

Radio Metal recently conducted an interview with guitarist Brian Tatler of legendary NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) band DIAMOND HEAD. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Radio Metal: People often say that without METALLICA, DIAMOND HEAD would never have existed. However, the members of METALLICA and notably drummer Lars Ulrich are constantly complimenting your band and using their success to promote you. Could it be said that without METALLICA, DIAMOND HEAD might not be as well-known?

Brian Tatler: Yes, absolutely. Since they've started covering songs in 1984. And of course, if METALLICA hadn't had made it big, it wouldn't have made any difference, but the fact that DIAMOND HEAD had been covered by such a huge and important band has just reflected the glory onto DIAMOND HEAD, hasn't it? It's just made the DIAMOND HEAD legacy seem much more cool and credible and important, because we've influenced the major metal band in the world.

Radio Metal: So without DIAMOND HEAD, no METALLICA, and without METALLICA, no DIAMOND HEAD.

Brian Tatler: Well, there wouldn't be a DIAMOND HEAD now. Obviously, DIAMOND HEAD were going before METALLICA, but yes, I think we would've faded away in the late '80s without METALLICA. If they hadn't have done covers because a lot of bands don't do covers, do they? They just do their own material, but METALLICA decided to do covers for B-sides and things and that has just been fantastic for bands like DIAMOND HEAD, and BUDGIE, and MOTRHEAD, and MERCYFUL FATE, or whoever they've chosen to cover.

Radio Metal: Don't you get tired when people talk about "Am I Evil?" and confuse it with a METALLICA song?

Brian Tatler: I don't mind, because I get the royalties! [laughs] I think we've all done that, we've all listened to an artist and thought, "That's a good song," and then later realized they didn't write it, they just did a good version of it.

Radio Metal: Have you ever had to tell people, "No, 'Am I Evil?' is by me!" And they didn't believe you?

Brian Tatler: Yes! I've had that happen. I said, "It's a DIAMOND HEAD song," and people answered, "No, it's METALLICA!" You have to tell them to look at the small print on the record where it says, "Written by Tatler/Harris in 1980."

Read the entire interview from Radio Metal.

Professionally filmed video footage of DIAMOND HEAD performing on July 23 at the Heavy T.O. festival at Downsview Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada can be seen below.