NWOBHM pioneers, Diamond Head, return to the world stage with a new album. The Coffin Train will be released via Silver Lining Music on May 24. Pre-order the album here, and watch a video for the new single, "Death By Design", below.

The Coffin Train is at once fresh and exuberant while also being a stone-cold classic slice of old school heavy metal excellence. Is it packed with the sort of riff-fueled power that founding member (and riff LORD) Brian Tatler led a genre and influenced the odd band or two with? It’s electric for sure… and then some.

With a mean driving riff that resembles a thunderous machine gun, the album’s second single, "Death By Design", is a powerful track. It is a song that takes the listener along for one hell of a ride which promises to put the fire back in the spirit of anyone daring to jump aboard!

Remarks Brian: “'Death By Design' is the second song from the new Diamond Head album The Coffin Train to be released. This song began life in my home studio in 2015. I had the opening top E string riff and tried to build a song around it. I gave a demo to Ras and he added a new verse riff. We worked on the arrangement and made another demo early 2017 before trying it out in rehearsal. It has a four bar guitar solo that was recorded in a hotel room on Ras’s laptop while on tour, another first for Diamond Head!”

Singer Ras adds: “Contrary to the title, 'Death By Design' is not a song about death but about life. It’s about choosing life, your path and on your terms. It’s saying “no” to rotting in the giant hamster wheel and drowning in pre-conceived notions of “the good life” checklists, so that when you’re done and heading down into the fire, you can wear that big smile saying you did it your way and had one hell of a ride.”

On the video production, Ras continues: “We’ve shot the most videos the band has ever shot for an album launch. The music video for Death by Design was a tough one to shoot right. We don’t exactly have Hollywood budgets for the production, but our director on this song, Russell Cherington, has been a massive support in shooting a rather fantastic video. We wanted to create something that resembled a descent into hell and follow the concept from the lyrics. We hope everyone will enjoy the second single and video and that it might inspire them to live life on their terms.”

"Death By Design" video:

Formed in 1976 under the riff-rolling leadership of guitarist Brian Tatler, Diamond Head would quickly establish themselves as a vanguard of the exploding New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene. With their genre-defining debut album Lightning to The Nations, Diamond Head became the band who influenced and opened gates for many metal bands.

The Coffin Train, Diamond Head’s eighth studio album, is a glorious testimony to Diamond Heads’ masterful ability to create the flavours necessary for a classic album. The songs were written between tours and recorded in several different places: guitars, bass and vocals at Vigo Studios in Walsall, drums at Circle Studios in Birmingham, produced and mixed at Ras’ Raw Sound Studio in London.

When it comes to the concepts behind The Coffin Train, Tatler left the heart to Ras, who being a thinker and life-conceptualizer, doesn’t lack sources of inspiration. Diamond Head have not only managed to create an album of pure heavy metal intensity, they have created a timeless aural statement which feels destined to see them delivering both The Coffin Train and DH 2.0 to more fans than ever.

Is it really that electric you might ask? Oh yes it certainly is!

Tracklisting:

"Belly Of The Beast"
"The Messenger"
"The Coffin Train"
"Shades Of Black"
"The Sleeper" (Prelude)
"The Sleeper"
"Death By Design"
"Serrated Love"
"The Phoenix"
"Until We Burn"

"Belly Of The Beast" video:

Diamond Head will be touring Europe for most of 2019 and are confirmed on the lineup of two very special UK shows with NWOBHM giants, Saxon, which will take place on October 19th at the iconic Hammersmith in London and October 20th at the O2 Apollo in Manchester.

Diamond Head tour dates:

June
21 - Hellfest - Clisson, France

July
25-28 - Camp Bestival - East Lulworth, UK
25-27 - Rock & Blues Festival - Cambridge, UK

August
24 - Stonedeaf Festival - Newark, UK

October
19 - Hammersmith Apollo - London, UK (with Saxon)
20 - O2 Apollo - Manchester, UK (with Saxon)

November
7-10 - Hard Rock Hell Festival - Great Yarmouth, UK

Diamond Head lineup:

Brian Tatler - lead/rhythm guitars
Rasmus Bom Andersen - vocals
Karl Wilcox - drums
Andy "Abbz" Abberley - rhythm/lead guitars
Dean Ashton - bass, backing vocals