Brian Tatler Discusses Diamond Head's Live Album, Says There Are No Plans For New Music Right Now

Brian Tatler, founding member and lead guitarist of Diamond Head, joined Loudwire Nights on Wednesday (July 16) to celebrate the band's latest live album, Live and Electric.

Listen to the full conversation in the player near the end of this article.

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"It's been 20 years since the last one — that was recorded at the Astoria in London," Tatler recalled to host Chuck Armstrong.

"That gig, I remember, was stressful because you book one show, you hire a mobile recording unit. It's expensive. Everybody's using two-inch tape and all that. I just remember it being stressful."

Fast-forward two decades and Tatler was blown away by the ease at which Diamond Head could record their live performances.

"With modern technology, [you] can record every night and you can download it all onto a hard drive," Tatler said.

"So during the European tour with Saxon, we did about 20 days and we had a discussion and we all said we could record the show every night and then have a listen and if we like it, we could put it out as a live album. What a fantastic option that is to record everything without it costing a fortune."

Will Diamond Head Release New Music Anytime Soon?

In addition to celebrating Live and Electric, Tatler spent some time reflecting on the legacy of Diamond Head — as well as the band's future.

"We've discussed it," Tatler said about new music from Diamond Head, but he was quick to say there are no firm plans at the moment for a follow-up to 2019's The Coffin Train.

"We did start doing demos in [I think it was] 2021, but we never got to the stage where we got vocals on it."

Tatler said they basically got as far as writing the demos for new Diamond Head Music, but not much further.

"We had some rehearsals," he said, "so that's kind of been put on hold. I joined Saxon two years ago and straightaway, you know, we did a new album."

He revealed that Saxon are working on their next studio record, which should be out in 2026.

"I'm busy doing Saxon," Tatler said.

"Saxon's busier than Diamond Head, so I'm putting a lot of my efforts and time into that, understandably."

What Else Did Diamond Head's Brian Tatler Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

What runs through his head when someone calls him a legend: "I was going to say [I'm] used to it, but I think it's just a case of certain people, you know, they have their heroes. I've got my heroes I look up to and I suppose to some people who like Diamond Head...I've done something worthwhile."
What it was like when Metallica decided to cover Diamond Head's "Am I Evil?" for the Creeping Death EP: "They weren't household names yet, you know? At one point, Diamond Head was a bigger band than Metallica. We were very flattered that they've done such a fantastic job of it. It's a great cover, it's very respectful ... They were the first band to ever cover a Diamond Head song and we just thought it was very nice. We had no idea what was about to happen, and of course now they've covered four Diamond Head songs."
What Black Sabbath means to him: "I think Black Sabbath is where it all began. I think the first Black Sabbath album and the first track, track one, side one, 'Black Sabbath,' is the start of heavy metal for me. I know some people would say, but you know, Blue Cheer and Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix and Cream. Whatever, there was some stuff before it, but I think no one did a track with that flattened fifth and that dark tone and that lyric. To me, that's where it all began. I'm eternally grateful. Without Black Sabbath, I think we'd all be doing something different."