Tag Archives: king diamond remasters

“The Spider’s Lullabye” (deluxe edition) by King Diamond

Artist: King Diamond
Title: “The Spider’s Lullabye” (deluxe edition)
Label: Metal Blade Records
Release Date: 11/27/2015
Genre: Heavy Metal
Rating: 3.5/5

The 2014 return to full touring activity by the great King Diamond has found not only scores of his appearances breaking venue records in attendance but also a growing number of new fans to his musical body of work. In 1995 he offered up his first album on Metal Blade Records with “The Spider’s Lullabye” and this would not be a full concept album as he was known for doing in the past. The recording was remastered and re-released back in 2009 and was discussed on this website along with its companion re-issues. 2015 finds this recording being re-issued anew with a few bonus demo tracks and since my thoughts on the main body of work remain the same I am refreshing reader memory below. I’ll be back to discuss the bonus tracks afterward. Let’s continue.

“Freshly remastered by guitarist/producer Andy LaRoque, King Diamond’s 1995 opus “The Spider’s Lullabye” comes at us for another attack. It’s interesting to listen to this particular album some fourteen years later as it’s quite different from what fans of the King had grown used to him delivering, and it was also the first album to be released on his then new label Metal Blade Records. Some felt this release was the weakest offering that the King had delivered and in one sense I can agree that it is not as strong as your “Them” or “Abigail” recordings, but those are very, very hard to top when it comes down to it based on how they impacted the Heavy Metal genre and its use of Horror as a consistent genre for source material. When you play the remastered edition you will quickly realize that “The Spider’s Lullabye” is not a timid release in any shape or form, but it is different in how it begins because it starts up by offering up several small stories as opposed to one centralized theme that runs a full album. Perhaps the hardcore fans expect Mr. Diamond to only release full stories and never experiment with his own musical ideas every once in a while. Musically this is on point as longtime collaborator Andy LaRoque is in place and with subject matter that involves ghosts, serial murderers and being buried alive one can see that the switch to Metal Blade from Roadrunner Records did not find the King dulling his senses or skill at things macabre. My favorites from this part of the recording are “The Poltergeist” and “Six Feet Under”.”
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“The Graveyard” (remaster) by King Diamond

Artist: King Diamond
Title: “The Graveyard” (remaster)
Label: Metal Blade Records
Release Date: 10/13/2009
Genre: Heavy Metal
Rating: 4/5

Continuing the remastered editions of the King Diamond catalog that were released under the Metal Blade Records banner comes the 1996 recording of “The Graveyard” and remaining true to form the King weaves a tale that both horrifies and compels the listener as it plays out. I admit that I paid little mind to this release when it first came about and enjoyed the fact that I was listening to it with what I felt were fresh ears with this version. The story told across the span of the album is that of the King character who works for an evil boss that is caught molesting his daughter. The King’s outrage and pointing out of this activity finds him declared mad and locked away in a sanitarium. I guess he should have expected this when accusing the mayor of such an insidious deed. In time the King escapes and is now officially mad and a resident of the local graveyard where he becomes a living spook or ghoul in some respect and kills unsuspecting passers by as he plots the demise of the mayor who locked him away so long ago. The two eventually meet and to know the full story you will just have to listen for yourself. We don’t plan on spoiling the end of the movie for you in these words that’s for sure.
Continue reading “The Graveyard” (remaster) by King Diamond

“The Spider’s Lullabye” (remaster) by King Diamond

Artist: King Diamond
Title: “The Spider’s Lullabye” (remaster)
Label: Metal Blade Records
Release Date: 10/13/2009
Genre: Heavy Metal
Rating: 3.5/5

Freshly remastered by guitarist/producer Andy LaRoque, King Diamond’s 1995 opus “The Spider’s Lullabye” comes at us for another attack. It’s interesting to listen to this particular album some fourteen years later as it’s quite different from what fans of the King had grown used to him delivering, and it was also the first album to be released on his then new label Metal Blade Records. Some felt this release was the weakest offering that the King had delivered and in one sense I can agree that it is not as strong as your “Them” or “Abigail” recordings, but those are very, very hard to top when it comes down to it based on how they impacted the Heavy Metal genre and its use of Horror as a consistent genre for source material. When you play the remastered edition you will quickly realize that “The Spider’s Lullabye” is not a timid release in any shape or form, but it is different in how it begins because it starts up by offering up several small stories as opposed to one centralized theme that runs a full album. Perhaps the hardcore fans expect Mr. Diamond to only release full stories and never experiment with his own musical ideas every once in awhile. Musically this is on point as long time collaborator Andy LaRoque is in place and with subject matter that involves ghosts, serial murderers and being buried alive one can see that the switch to Metal Blade from Roadrunner Records did not find the King dulling his senses or skill at things macabre. My favorites from this part of the recording are “The Poltergeist” and “Six Feet Under”.
Continue reading “The Spider’s Lullabye” (remaster) by King Diamond