While most Satanic rockers are blithering idiots, King Diamond proves to be a pleasant exception. Founded in 1986 after the breakup of the legendary Mercyful Fate by the ex-members King Diamond, Michael Denner and Timi Hansen.The band had to go through many line-up changes over the years, drug abuse, lack of enthusiasm causing their frontline guitarists being fired.
Further entanglements with recording company and feuds kept the band from concentrating in bringing out consistent music as their quality went on decline.
King Diamond aka Tim Peterson is one vocalist whose vocals gives out an impression as if his balls are caught in a vice. Not a pleasant outcome right? On the contrary King?s helium induced falsetto wails has earned him and the band high respect in heavy metals history books.
King Diamond started first real traces of the ’’corpse paint’’ craze that is now rampant in the black metal scene. His talent for demonic metal hymns and brilliant convincing storyline to back his vocals are essentially what makes King Diamond a rarity.
Come 1987, King Diamond came up with perhaps their greatest concept horror albums of all. The raw intensity and passion overruns the entire 44 minutes of the disc as b>Abigail silences critics sitting in Kerrang editorial desks.
King’s laissez faire attitude runs rampant with work of a storyteller at the height of his skills. He seems to successfully blend his rather cheezy vocals with the horror induced environment.
The story revolves around the chilling tale of Jonathon Leafy and his wife Miriam moving into a haunted mansion and uncovering a dark, morbid secret. Both couple is well warned to leave while several omens tell the tale of what is to come. The story is absolute genius as song by song, the tale is spun unto the prophesized ending.
The finest hours in the album comes with incredible opening riff and mid song solo of ’’A Mansion In Darkness’’which gives way to ’’Omens’’explosive track with neat balance of drums and bass, added to vocals.
Title track Abigail remains one of my favorite doom songs ever. The classy riffs are so beautifully elaborated with classy melody, perhaps the best I have heard for a long time. Running through other tracks, The Family Ghost?, ?The Possession?, ?The 7th Day Of July 1777’’, ’’Shrine’’ delivers impeccable class to what I hail as the most sophisticated album under its genre.
1. Funeral
Arrival
A Mansion in Darkness
The Family Ghost
The 7th Day of July 1777
Omens
The Possession
Abigail
Black Horsemen
Shrine