Tag: king diamond

This is the first album by King Diamond after the initial demise of Mercyful Fate. It was released in ’86. Strangely, for the kingly one this is not a concept album. Although Andy De LaRoque plays on the album, he doesn’t contribute to writing as he was a last minute replacement.

Just has some people struggle with the Cookie Monster vocals in a lot of today’s metal bands, a lot of people back in the day couldn’t quite get thier head around the falsetto squeals of King Billy. Personally, it doesn’t bother me that much as long as the music is good, and for the most part this album does indeed rock.

Favourite tune is The Portrait which is a reference to Dorian Gray, and the music is Prog metal before it was a thing and Mr. LaRoque riffs and plays like a beast. Other tunes of note are Charon which opens up Side 2 with some killer riffage and a pounding groove from Mickey Dee; and Lurking In The Dark where again, the axe playing of Mr. LaRoque is seriously good.

Of course, after this we all King D would go onto better things. Not a bad album though.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

This is album number two for King Billy after his departure from Mercyful Fate, it was released back in ’87. It is a concept album roughly about the couple Miriam and Jonathan LeFey who inherit an old mansion and are warned not to stay in it. Of course they do, and this tale is about their creepy goings on and it is quite possibly one of metal’s best concept albums.

After the weird spoken intro, the album starts properly with Arrival a kick ass metal romp with King B’s voice covering all the spectrum as he deIves into different characters. Musically, it reminds me a tad of Iron Maiden. A Mansion In The Darkness is my favourite tune as it rips along at a kick ass pace with maximum riffage to go alongside the drama with some epic guitar noodling for added sparkle. The Family Ghost is next up and the feel and riff is a bit NWOBHM with more aggression. Some eerie acoustic noodling opens up Side 1 closer The 7th Day Of July1777, before max riffage and heavy grooves courtesy of Mickey Dee on the pots and pans.

Omens opens up Side 2. I’m a sucker for a killer riff and groove to match, and this hits the spot for me. The Possession has a very simple riff and groove to open things up before the double kicks start blasting away, and the middle eight is super cool. The title track follows and I’m not sure how many personalities are occupying King Billy here, but I guess it’s a few. Some killer guitar playing from Andy La Rocque as well. The album closes out with Black Horseman, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that you had put a Styx album on the deck of doom before insanity ensues and you are brought back to reality. In its own way, it’s just as demonic sounding as early Sabbath.

A very entertaining album.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

Mercyful Fate were a band that passed me by as I thought it was a gimmick, and I guess I never paid them much attention. Released in ’88, Them was King Diamond’s best selling album up until this point. I think this is about King Billy’s multiple personal personalities and his stay in an asylum. Fictional of course!

The vocals are so high pitched in places, I’m sure his Crown Jewels are being squeezed very tightly indeed. The music throughout this album is killer speed/power metal with an awesome guitar duo of Andy La Roque and Pete Blakk spanking their planks with aplomb. Before Mickey Dee was Motörhead’s skin basher he occupied King Billy’s drum stool, and his double kick prowess is all over this record. The Invisible Guests is a monster tune and is my favourite on the album. Killer riffs and grooves and the solos are seriously on the money. A close second is Twilight Symphony with epic riffage and grooves. A great killer metal album and as a result of me buying this gem I’ve gone back and I’m checking out other albums in King Diamond’s back cat.

9/10 from The Grooveman.