Fans of thrash metal were treated to a legendary moment last night (June 26) at Tons of Rock as DIAMOND HEAD‘s guitarist Brian Tatler joined METALLICA onstage for a rendition of the classic anthem, “Am I Evil?”.
Pioneering a sound that influenced countless early 80s thrash acts, DIAMOND HEAD left a lasting mark, especially on METALLICA. METALLICA not only covered “Am I Evil?” as a B-side to their 1984 Creeping Death single (later appearing on their acclaimed Garage Inc.), but also tackled three more DIAMOND HEAD classics: “Helpless,” “The Prince,” and “It’s Electric” across various releases throughout the late 80s and 90s.
Talking to Metal Pilgrim in 2022, Brian Tatler discussed the impact of METALLICA covering their songs. He said at the time: “I think if METALLICA hadn’t covered DIAMOND HEAD — the first cover was ’84 when they did ‘Am I Evil?’ on the B-side of Creeping Death — so I think if they hadn’t, I may have looked elsewhere for employment. I think it would have been harder to keep DIAMOND HEAD going without that introduction to their fanbase. ‘Cause that record sold millions of copies — versions of ‘Am I Evil?’ have sold millions of copies through METALLICA — and so so many more people know DIAMOND HEAD thanks to Lars [Ulrich] and Co.
“And it may be that a lot of the opportunities that we get now would not be there without that METALLICA connection. So I’m eternally grateful. Obviously, myself and Sean [Harris, original DIAMOND HEAD singer] still get writers’ royalties, but even so, I just think it’s helped DIAMOND HEAD as a name and a brand to get on more and more opportunities — get festivals and supports. Because they link it with METALLICA; they think, ‘Okay, well, you’re potentially tapping into a huge market.'”
Tatler acknowledges that royalties from DIAMOND HEAD‘s music, including METALLICA‘s covers, provide him with a comfortable living.
“It’s my biggest source of income,” he revealed in a 2019 interview. “It’s great and I don’t know what I would do without it. It gives me the freedom to do what I like. I’m very grateful.”
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.
