KING DIAMOND – ABIGAIL – METAL REWIND

L to R: Andy LaRoque, Timi Hansen, King Diamond, Mikkey Dee, Michael Denner

Pictures courtesy of High Roller Records and Indy Metal Vault

Happy Friday Metalheads. Today we take a trip back to 1987 to the second album from King Diamond called “Abigail”, released on Roadrunner Records.

This was the first concept album by King Diamond, which tells the story of a young couple, Miriam Natias and Jonathan La’Fey, who move into a mansion that La’Fey inherited in the summer of 1845. As they arrive, they are warned by seven horsemen not to move into the house, but they ignore the warning and move in. During the first night, Jonathan meets with his deceased relative, Count La’Fey, a.k.a. the Family Ghost. The ghost shows him a casket where the corpse of stillborn child, Abigail, rests and informs him that Miriam is carrying the spirit of Abigail inside her. The Count tells Jonathan that Abigail will soon be reborn and wants Jonathan to kill Miriam to prevent the rebirth. As the story unfolds we learn more about the Count and his wife. Abigail was born on the 7th day of the seventh month, July in 1777. The Count threw his wife down the stairs, causing her neck to break and in turn also killed Abigail, who was his illegitimate daughter.

The next day, we find out that Miriam is pregnant and as the fetus develops quickly, Jonathan contemplates throwing her down the stairs. Miriam, instead throws Jonathan down the stairs and soon after gives birth to Abigail. Miriam does not survive the birth, and Abigail is left all alone. The seven horsemen once again return, planning to kill Abigail.

“Abigail” has been reissued several times and has sold over 175,000 copies in North America alone. The lineup for Abigail includes: King Diamond – vocals, Andy La Rocque and Michael Denner – guitars, Timi Hansen – bass and Mikkey Dee – drums. The track listing for Abigail is as follows:

1) Funeral
2) Arrival
3) A Mansion in Darkness
4) The Family Ghost
5) The 7th Day of July 1777
6) Omens
7) The Possession
8) Abigail
9) Black Horsemen

The remaster includes 4 bonus tracks: “Shrine”, “A Mansion In Darkness” (Rough Mix), “The Family Ghost” (Rough Mix) and “The Possession” (Rough Mix) and King released a video for the track, “The Family Ghost”.

King Diamond had some health issues in recent years including several heart attacks and had to have triple bypass surgery in 2010. After his health scare, King quit smoking and lives a healthier lifestyle as of late, but continues to prove that the King will live on forever.

CHECK OUT THE SONG “ABIGAIL” BELOW

KING DIAMOND – ABIGAIL – METAL REWIND

L to R: Andy LaRoque, Timi Hansen, King Diamond, Mikkey Dee, Michael Denner

Pictures courtesy of High Roller Records and Indy Metal Vault

Happy Friday Metalheads. Today we take a trip back to 1987 to the second album from King Diamond called “Abigail”, released on Roadrunner Records.

This was the first concept album by King Diamond, which tells the story of a young couple, Miriam Natias and Jonathan La’Fey, who move into a mansion that La’Fey inherited in the summer of 1845. As they arrive, they are warned by seven horsemen not to move into the house, but they ignore the warning and move in. During the first night, Jonathan meets with his deceased relative, Count La’Fey, a.k.a. the Family Ghost. The ghost shows him a casket where the corpse of stillborn child, Abigail, rests and informs him that Miriam is carrying the spirit of Abigail inside her. The Count tells Jonathan that Abigail will soon be reborn and wants Jonathan to kill Miriam to prevent the rebirth. As the story unfolds we learn more about the Count and his wife. Abigail was born on the 7th day of the seventh month, July in 1777. The Count threw his wife down the stairs, causing her neck to break and in turn also killed Abigail, who was his illegitimate daughter.

The next day, we find out that Miriam is pregnant and as the fetus develops quickly, Jonathan contemplates throwing her down the stairs. Miriam, instead throws Jonathan down the stairs and soon after gives birth to Abigail. Miriam does not survive the birth, and Abigail is left all alone. The seven horsemen once again return, planning to kill Abigail.

“Abigail” has been reissued several times and has sold over 175,000 copies in North America alone. The lineup for Abigail includes: King Diamond – vocals, Andy La Rocque and Michael Denner – guitars, Timi Hansen – bass and Mikkey Dee – drums. The track listing for Abigail is as follows:

1) Funeral
2) Arrival
3) A Mansion in Darkness
4) The Family Ghost
5) The 7th Day of July 1777
6) Omens
7) The Possession
8) Abigail
9) Black Horsemen

The remaster includes 4 bonus tracks: “Shrine”, “A Mansion In Darkness” (Rough Mix), “The Family Ghost” (Rough Mix) and “The Possession” (Rough Mix) and King released a video for the track, “The Family Ghost”.

King Diamond had some health issues in recent years including several heart attacks and had to have triple bypass surgery in 2010. After his health scare, King quit smoking and lives a healthier lifestyle as of late, but continues to prove that the King will live on forever.

CHECK OUT THE SONG “ABIGAIL” BELOW

KING DIAMOND – FATAL PORTRAIT – HALLOWEEN

Happy Halloween Metalheads!! Hope your day is filled with spooky treats and ghoulish activities. What better way to celebrate the day with a blog post from the one and only King Diamond. The album – FATAL PORTRAIT and the song – HALLOWEEN!!

Released in 1986, this is the first album by King Diamond after Mercyful Fate disbanded in 1983. While the album is not a conceptual album, five of the songs on the album form a short story (“The Candle”, “The Jonah”, “The Portrait”, “Dressed in White” and “Haunted”).  The narrator sees a face in every candle that he burns and this face speaks one word to him: “Jonah”.  He finds an old book, speaks a rhyme and frees the spirit from the candle. It’s the spirit of a little girl named Molly, who tells him her story that happened seven years before. Mrs. Jane kept her 4-year-old daughter Molly locked in the attic until she died. Mrs. Jane decides to paint Molly’s portrait and put it above the fireplace, so that she would be forever immortal.  Molly, however makes the portrait speak to her, so she would know about the pain she went through while in the attic. Mrs. Jane speaks a rhyme and burns the portrait. Now a free spirit, Molly returns to haunt her mother until she goes insane.

The album cover art by Thomas Holm and Torbjorn Jorgensen of Studio Dyzan depicts Molly had she been able to grow up. Holm and Jorgensen have done several covers for King Diamond and Mercyful Fate including “Melissa” , “Don’t Break the Oath” and “Abigail” to name a few. The lineup for Fatal Portrait is: King Diamond – vocals, Andy La Roque and Michael Denner – guitars, Timi Hansen – bass and Mikkey Dee – drums. 

Make it a safe and Happy Halloween and let’s start the “All Hallows Eve”‘celebration with King Diamond’s Halloween:

And of course the album that started it all – Fatal Portrait: