King Diamond

The King Diamond band was formed in 1985 by Danish vocalist King Diamond following the break-up of his previous band, Mercyful Fate. The original line-up consisted of Diamond, his former Mercyful Fate bandmates Michael Denner (guitar) and Timi Hansen (bass), and Swedes Mikkey Dee (drums) and Andy LaRoque (guitar)…

Few things can be as mindlessly entertaining as a bad bar band. Filled with their own sense of importance with a heaping helping of silly songwriting, it can make for a full night's entertainment. But what could make it more entertaining? Why not have the band be fronted by a young King Diamond, the infamous Satanist metal singer who may be best known for pioneering the black metal genre with Mercyful Fate. This recording is basically a rehearsal of his first band, Black Rose…

After doing time as vocalist for pioneering metal band Mercyful Fate, King Diamond broke out solo in 1986. The singer's multi-octave range, theatrical, corpse-painted face, and highly conceptual songwriting came into full form with the interweaving story lines of albums like 1987's Abigail and 1988's Them. The Complete Roadrunner Collection 1986-1990 gathers together King Diamond's five earliest albums, including the aforementioned concept albums, a less than stellar debut (Fatal Portrait), 1989's crushing Conspiracy, and 1990's The Eye.

The King Diamond band was formed in 1985 by Danish vocalist King Diamond following the break-up of his previous band, Mercyful Fate. The original line-up consisted of Diamond, his former Mercyful Fate bandmates Michael Denner (guitar) and Timi Hansen (bass), and Swedes Mikkey Dee (drums) and Andy LaRoque (guitar)…

The King Diamond band was formed in 1985 by Danish vocalist King Diamond following the break-up of his previous band, Mercyful Fate. The original line-up consisted of Diamond, his former Mercyful Fate bandmates Michael Denner (guitar) and Timi Hansen (bass), and Swedes Mikkey Dee (drums) and Andy LaRoque (guitar)…

There is only one King Diamond, and for more than thirty years the great Dane has been dropping classic albums and putting on shows fans remember for the rest of their lives. Perhaps the only downside to having such a formidable catalogue is that there are just too many great songs to fit into a single set. However, you would be hard-pressed to find a fan who wouldn't want to hear 1987's seminal Abigail in its entirety, and Songs For The Dead Live captures this, twice, and in very different locales. Boasting eighteen songs per set, each of the two shows - Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting in June 2016 and Philadelphia's Fillmore in November 2015 - feature a brace of classic King Diamond and Mercyful Fate tracks including "Welcome Home," "Halloween," and "Eye Of The Witch" before launching into Abigail. The performances of the all-star lineup of musicians, comprising of guitarists Andy LaRocque and Mike Wead, bassist Pontus Egberg and drummer Matt Thompson, are absolutely ferocious, hammering home every single moment.

It is so cool to find an album that was cut by professional musicians that sound like they are having a blast and doing what they were born to do, and a perfect example of this is Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King’s Fat Man’s Shine Parlor, a killer disc from their recent return to the venerable Blind Pig Records label!

First released on CD as KCCC 29, the opening improv is akin to a gathering storm that suddenly finds its focus in Dr. Diamond. Almost overwhelmed in the beginning by Bill’s use of the gong, it quickly powers up into a great opening number. Prior to a gorgeous version of Exiles, Fripp deploys his classic stage announcement borrowed from Elmer Gantry, “Right, hands up those who like it those who don't fuck off my eyes feel like pissholes in the snow this is the last one for the evening seeds of space fly by my face”.