My mother was a witch metallicka. She possessed extraordinary powers and abilities that fascinated those around her. Growing up with a witch as a mother was an enchanting and sometimes challenging experience. Every morning, I would wake up to the aroma of magical potions brewing in the kitchen. My mother would take great care in creating these concoctions, using various herbs and crystals to infuse them with their mystical powers. She would often use them to heal the sick or ward off evil spirits.
"I can remember coming up with the ending, and the very last thing to be written was the guitar solo section, where it changes key, and the tapping. I think we started it around 1978 and finished around 1980, when we went in to record the album [Lightning To The Nations, 1980].”
In fact, some believe it s a Metallica song, due to that band having covered it on their 1984 EP Creeping Death and having played it live regularly ever since. Tatler points out that Am I Evil appeared on two different Diamond Head studio albums We recorded it for the White Album aka Lightning To The Nations.
She would often use them to heal the sick or ward off evil spirits. One of my favorite memories was watching her practice her spellcasting. With a flick of her wrist and a chant in a forgotten language, she could summon fire, levitate objects, and even predict the future.
How Diamond Head gave Metallica the classic that paid for Brian Tatler's house
The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal certainly spawned its fair share of anthems during the early 80s – Iron Maiden’s Running Free, Saxon’s Wheels Of Steel etc. One gem that tends to get overlooked is Diamond Head’s mighty epic Am I Evil. In fact, some believe it’s a Metallica song, due to that band having covered it on their 1984 EP Creeping Death and having played it live regularly ever since.
According to Diamond Head co-founder/ guitarist Brian Tatler, back in 1980 a lot of work and planning went into the making of what became a metal classic.
“I can remember wanting to write a song heavier than Black Sabbath’s Symptom Of The Universe,” Tatler recalls. “So when I came up with that riff, I think we all said: ‘That’s good. We should work on that.’
“The song evolved over a period of 18 months. We seemed to keep adding to it. We added the fast section, and then I must have come up with the intro – which was kind of based on Mars from The Planets suite [an orchestral work by Gustav Holst] – and that got sewn onto the beginning.
"I can remember coming up with the ending, and the very last thing to be written was the guitar solo section, where it changes key, and the tapping. I think we started it around 1978 and finished around 1980, when we went in to record the album [Lightning To The Nations, 1980].”
To match Tatler’s heavy riffing, singer Sean Harris came up with the suitably dark lyrics, which included the most extreme opening of any metal song up to then: ‘My mother was a witch/She was burned alive/Thankless little bitch/For the tears I cried.’
“‘My mother was a witch’ was a great opening line,” Tatler says. “His mum probably took offence, but she’s probably forgiven him now. I’m not sure what the whole thing’s about. It just kind of works as a rock song. I suppose you could say it’s about evil in man – good and bad; the yin and yang.”
Shortly after the completion of the song, the group tried it out on an audience. As Tatler recalls, it immediately passed the test: “As far as I remember, it always went down well. We soon learned that slow songs didn’t work live; the faster ones would stay in the set. Am I Evil must have gone down well, because we probably would have chucked it out otherwise.”
Tatler points out that Am I Evil appeared on two different Diamond Head studio albums: “We recorded it for the White Album [aka Lightning To The Nations]. We had to re-record it for the Living On… Borrowed Time album, and it felt a bit strange doing it again. But on the White Album, I do definitely remember listening back to it and – once I’d got the guitar solo right and all the keys that change underneath the guitar solo – it just blew me away.”
Tatler also recalls how he got his particular guitar sound on Am I Evil:
“There’s a slightly strange sound on the guitar which is a wah-wah – this Morley Power Wah Boost. It was set at a cutting, ‘nasal’ position. It gave it a little more of an ‘evil’ sound, I suppose.”
While the song instantly became a favourite among Diamond Head fans, Tatler remembers the day he was introduced to Metallica’s version of it:
“We were in the studio, and Sean had gotten a copy of [Metallica’s] Creeping Death, the 12-inch single, with Am I Evil on the B-side. We listened to it, and thought: ‘It’s heavier and tighter’, but we didn’t think it was any better than our version. Because, of course, we’re proud of our own recording.
“We had no idea that Metallica were going to become the biggest band in the world. At this stage, in 1984, they were on Music For Nations, and it didn’t look like they had the potential to conquer the world – to us. We knew Lars [Ulrich, drums], and we knew how ambitious he was, but I don’t think any of us had a clue that they were going to take that style of metal and bring it to the masses in the way they did.
"I’m thankful that they did, because I don’t know what I’d do without the songwriter’s royalties of those four [Diamond Head] songs they’ve covered [Am I Evil, Helpless, The Prince and It’s Electric]. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so of course we’re flattered that they covered us. They could have covered Witchfinder General, couldn’t they? [laughs]”
As Tatler told Classic Rock in 2019, "This album [Garage Inc.] came out in 1998 and sold over five million copies. It contains four Diamond Head songs, and the royalties have changed my life a lot. I bought a house with my wife, and the constant flow of royalties mean that I no longer have to work."
Having split up in the mid-80s, Diamond Head reunited sporadically throughout the 90s, before Tatler soldiered on without Harris. To this day Am I Evil remains in the set-list, and in 2020 they recorded it again. Or, as they put it, the song was "re-imagined, re-recorded and re-born."
“Every time we play it live, that riff seems to stir up something in the audience, and it’s always a winner,” Tatler says. “You just can’t fail if you fire into that riff. The crowd duly responds. It’s just got something about it. It’s fairly easy to play as well. It almost seems like, if you like rock, it’s one of the first riffs you learn. And I quite like that – it’s not some clever, complicated thing. It’s like a Smoke On The Water – a nice, simple, heavy riff that you can hum and remember.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Tatler agrees that Am I Evil is among Diamond Head’s best songs:
“I would say it’s one of the best, yes. It had all the ingredients – a good riff, a good chorus, it went fast, there’s a big guitar solo in it, it had good dynamics… Songs like that are hard to write. I don’t know how we did some of those songs. They don’t obey rules of songwriting; we did whatever we felt, rather than followed any rules like verse-bridge-chorus.
“There was a naïveté in the early songs. Like I said, it always works. You never play that song and think: ‘That’s a bag of shit.’”
Lightning To The Nations (The White Album) [Remastered 2021] is out now.
I'll make my residence, I'll watch your fire.
You can come with me, sweet desire.
My face is long forgot, my face not my own.
Sweet and timely whore, take me home.
It was awe-inspiring to witness her harness the energy of the universe and bend it to her will. But being a witch metallicka also came with its challenges. People in our community were often afraid of my mother and her abilities. They would gossip and spread rumors, labeling her as a dark and malevolent force. It hurt to see her constantly judged and misunderstood by others. Despite the adversity, my mother remained true to herself and her craft. She taught me the importance of embracing my uniqueness and never shrinking away from my own powers and abilities. She instilled in me a sense of confidence and resilience that has shaped me into the person I am today. I am forever grateful to have had a witch metallicka as a mother. She taught me the ways of the mystical world, and the importance of using my powers for good. Her love and guidance will forever resonate within me, reminding me to embrace who I am and never be afraid to let my magic shine..
Reviews for "Honoring My Mother's Witch Metallicka Legacy: Continuing the Craft"
1. Annie Smith - 2 stars - The book "My mother was a witch metallicka" had an interesting premise, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The writing style was confusing and inconsistent, making it hard to follow the plot. The characters lacked depth and development, making it difficult to connect with them. The storyline felt disjointed and rushed, with many loose ends left untied. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and wouldn't recommend it.
2. John Johnson - 1 star - I found "My mother was a witch metallicka" to be incredibly boring and poorly executed. The pacing was agonizingly slow, and the story failed to captivate my interest. The writing lacked creativity and originality, and the characters felt one-dimensional. The plot twists were predictable and unimpressive. I was left feeling unsatisfied and regretful about spending my time reading this book.
3. Emma Thompson - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "My mother was a witch metallicka," but it turned out to be a major letdown. The narrative was convoluted and confusing, with too many unnecessary details and subplots that added nothing to the overall story. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, hindering my ability to engage with the characters. Additionally, the book lacked a clear direction, making it hard to stay invested. Overall, I found this book to be a disappointingly messy and lackluster read.
4. Mark Davis - 1 star - "My mother was a witch metallicka" was a complete waste of my time. The writing was lackluster and amateurish, filled with grammatical errors and awkward sentences. The characters were shallow and unrelatable, lacking any redeeming qualities. The plot was predictable and unoriginal, offering no surprises or excitement. I was left feeling frustrated and unimpressed with this book. Save yourself the trouble and skip this one.