Niko Vidgren
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King Diamond - Abigail (a review)
King Diamond - Abigail
Year: 1987
Personnel:
King Diamond - vocals
Andy La Rocque - lead guitar
Michael Denner - lead guitar
Mikkey Dee - drums
Timi Hansen - bass guitar
King Diamond has intrigued me since I first saw his picture in Metallica's Garage Inc.
sleeve. The ex-Merciful Fate singer With corpse paint, leather, upside down crosses and mic stand resembling bones he
looked like an artist I would never like. Still Metallica's Merciful Fate medley on that
album struck me as great heavy metal.
Then I read reviews of some of his records, including Abigail, a horror concept album.
I was further intrigued to get it when I noticed on Mike Portnoy's homepages that it was
one of the sources of inspiration for Scenes from a Memory.
So I bought Abigail, his second solo album and the one which almost everyone usually mentions
when asking the favourite King Diamond album.
As I previously said, it's a concept album, telling an old-fashioned horror story of an
undead stillborn baby Abigail who haunts a mansion where a couple moves.
The music is typical 80's euro metal style, much like Iron Maiden. The guitar playing is
fantastic through-out the record, and the commanding drum style of Mikkey Dee is noteworthy.
Great hooky riffs and passages, the guitarists Denner and La Rocque have an ear for melody.
But what's distinctive about King Diamond is the man's unorthodox singing. Man, I have never
heard a man sing so high! He can go from a very low growl to a frighteningly high falsetto
in a moment, and that's the effect he uses a lot. Another effect are the multi-layered
high falsetto harmonies, which sound absolutely gorgeus.
I admit that his voice is something of an acquired taste, but to me it struck hard.
Sometimes it can sound corny or campy, but he has never taken himself that seriously.
Anyway, Abigail has no fillers, it's great heavy-metal through-out after you get used to
Diamond's style of singing. Absolutely great storyline also, it's like horror movie told
in the ways of music.
About King Diamond's image, just think about it, the man got the idea of face paint
when he saw Alice Cooper in concert in 1975. And he battled in court with Gene Simmons
after Simmons noticed that Diamond's paint bore too much resemblance to his own. :P
The album's sleeve is also noteworthy as it features pics of all the band members.
King Diamond poses in corpse paint, in black leather and cape making the devil sign
with a burning bone in his other hand. The other members of the band seem to have escaped
from Poison or Ratt. Especially Mikkey Dee's posing is hilarious, it looks like he's saying
something like 'hey babe, do you come here often'.
The contrast is hilarious between the singer and the band. :P
Great record though.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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9/11/2004, 12:18
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mcpmk2
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Registered: 08-2004
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Re: King Diamond - Abigail (a review)
i love this album.
think it is a very underated classic.
hilarious yes and i even went to see king on this tour at hammersmith, which was even funnier.
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10/11/2004, 20:28
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Gillans micstand
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Re: King Diamond - Abigail (a review)
I do feel his singing is a bit unorthadox,but so is Van Halens guitar playing. 
Yes he is an acquired taste,but Ian Gillan was once that for me as well,and seems to be,to much of the world.
Isn't KD from Finland Niko?
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10/11/2004, 21:09
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Niko Vidgren
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Re: King Diamond - Abigail (a review)
quote:
Gillans micstand wrote:
Isn't KD from Finland Niko?
No, he's Danish. Actually, after reading an interview I realised than under all that make-up there's just an ordinary middle-aged atheist Dane guy who likes the traditional Danish christmas meal and owns a hand gun in the fear of someone breaking to his house. He lives in Dallas, Texas nowadays.
Weird guy anyway.
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10/11/2004, 21:15
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Gillans micstand
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Re: King Diamond - Abigail (a review)
...funny,I think you told me that once before,and I don't know for the life of me,why I thought he was from Finland,must have been an error of a journalist or something. 
Why on earth he would want to live in the big fat hell hole I call Dallas,is beyond me,yea thats pretty friggen weird! 
...maybe because he can own a hand gun there,I don't know that the laws are like in Denmark for this,but Texas practically started such a tradition in this country. 
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10/11/2004, 22:16
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TeleCat
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Re: King Diamond - Abigail (a review)
quote:
Gillans micstand wrote:
I do feel his singing is a bit unorthadox,but so is Van Halens guitar playing.
I'd call EVH's guitar playing more groundbreaking than unortodox. Mainly because 90% of metal guitarists incorporated two handed tapping into their repertoire after he introduced it. But I know your not a fan.
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11/11/2004, 0:18
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Gillans micstand
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Re: King Diamond - Abigail (a review)
"Groundbreaking" through being unorthadox.
What on earth makes you think I'm not a fan?
"Tapping" may have broke him through as well,but I'd say thats the unorthadox part,atleast thats what I consider to have been the case when he came onto the scene,then his influence was instantly felt,cloned,then burried by the virtuoso movement.
Last edited by Gillans micstand, 11/11/2004, 3:25
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11/11/2004, 3:25
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Big J
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Re: King Diamond - Abigail (a review)
quote:
TeleCat wrote:
quote:
Gillans micstand wrote:
I do feel his singing is a bit unorthadox,but so is Van Halens guitar playing.
I'd call EVH's guitar playing more groundbreaking than unortodox. Mainly because 90% of metal guitarists incorporated two handed tapping into their repertoire after he introduced it. But I know your not a fan.
Although Uli Roth was apparently doing tapping some years before Eddie.
---
Bring back The Opening Salvo!
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11/11/2004, 10:11
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Gillans micstand
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Re: King Diamond - Abigail (a review)
...Alan Holdsworth and many others too,but for some reason VH takes all the credit.
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11/11/2004, 10:18
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TeleCat
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Re: King Diamond - Abigail (a review)
GM,
I've heard you call them Van Hairlan so I assumed you weren't much of a fan. As far as EVH getting credit for the technique, he's acknowleged he wasn't the first to do it. But he certainly brought it to the masses. His playing was saturated with it. But without it he's still a great player. Furthermore, I don't think the neo-classical virtuoso players burried Ed. His playing is basically blues based, particularly is early stuff, so it's apples and oranges. People hear a flashy, fast player and begin to make comparisons.
I have to admit I don't know much about Uli Jon Roth. My insight goes as far as Virgin Killer and that's about it. So if anyone can make a suggestion feel free.
Great discussion!
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11/11/2004, 12:38
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