Black Metal History Month - Diamond in the Rough -King Diamond 's "Fatal Portrait'

 

While King Diamond gets a great deal of mention here since he is one of my all-time favorite metal artists, I've only taken retrospective looks at "The Spider's Lullabye" and "Give Me Your Soul Please", though there have been reviews for the multiple times I have seen him live since this blog has been active. So I am going to review every King Diamond solo album in order of release aside from the two previously covered. Since this is black metal history month here, it only makes sense to do so given the fact he is one of the most influential figures in Black Metal, though these albums are not in and of themselves black metal, they are dark, and filled with the kind of eerie atmosphere any black metal fan should adore, unless they are a gluesniffer who only listens to blast beats.  

His first post- Mercyful Fate solo album. The lineup still included Micheal Denner and Timi Hansen from Mercyful Fate Mikkey Dee was a new addition along with Andy LaRocque who just added solos, making this one of the only albums he does not write on. Much like "Spider's Lullabye" it's one of the few albums where the entire album is not a story. The first side of this LP and the last song here comprise the story which was about a spirit freed from a book that possesses a portrait that speaks to her mother, so not far from what was happening in "Abigail". This translates to a cool dark gothic horror feel to the music. Lyrically less 'Satanic" than his Fate days. Occult horror became his new niche. 

"The Candle' opens the album with a great deal of vocal bombast, with King really flexing his falsetto on the first two songs for sure, though "The Jonah" is heavier as the accents carry more punch to them."The Portrait" has a more Mercyful Fate-like aggression to it's almost thrashy riffing that Dee's drumming drives masterfully.  "Dressed in White" is the first ever King Diamond song LaRocque ever soloed on. This might be one of the album's hookiest songs. "Charon" is my favorite song on the album as it was the b-side on the "No Presents For X-mas" single I got before this album was released. I would likely put it in my top 10 King Diamond songs. His vocals are the best on this one. The groove under the solo feels like it's the precursor to the melodic themes on "Abigail".

"Lurking in the Dark" is a great song, I just noticed today that it works off a similar tension as Maiden's "Number of the Beast". Halloween is obviously cranked every October 31st which, might mean it gets more play than any other song from this album aside from "Charon" if we are talking cumulative since I was wearing that one out as a kid."Voices From the Past" is an interlude that leads us back into the story for "Haunted". If the riffs from "Haunted" were said to be originally for the "Don't Break the Oath" album I would not be surprised as that is what it feels like. Though of the main songs, it is the most leaning in the direction of filler, despite the ripping solos. I like how the songs ends though. 

I've had versions of this album that have both had "No Presents For X-mas" on it and other that had not and special singles that have had 'The Lake" as well, so I will count both of them in regards to this review. "No Presents For X-mas" is one of those classics I know every note without having to listen to it. "The Lake" does reference the devil, in more of a Hammer Horror manner, it's what King does and is a pretty strong song , though like "Haunted" just shy of the bar the rest of the album has raised. Even then it was a bonus track I will give this album a 10.

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