Search - King Diamond :: Best of

Adequate overview of the early years

Brian Fischer-Giffin | Sydney, Australia | 12/03/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"With Roadrunner's catalogue becoming clogged of late with radio rock dross and lame nu-metal bands, it seems someone has decided to dig up some of the gems that once made this label one of the greats, and there would be few better places to start than with King Diamond. Unfortunately, while the King's material is among the best and most distinctive in the realm of metal (and who can argue with that voice?), most of his songs lose a good deal of their meaning when they are removed from the setting of the album they're a part of. King Diamond writes concept albums, and collecting individual tracks from several different records randomly like this is like trying to understand a novelist's body of work by only reading a handful of chapters from different books. Nevertheless, the songs are great, lifted from King's first five albums (the ones he recorded for Roadrunner) which are arguably his best period. It's an adequate place to start for someone just discovering the genius of King Diamond, but for those who already know him, it won't be an essential purchase."

Some idiot wonders where the Metal Blade Tracks are! DUH!

Brian J. Demascio | Novato, CA, USA | 01/03/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hey, to the little boy who complained in his "review" of this Best Of Kind Diamond set...DUH!!! Check out the label, you moron! Kind Diamond made 5 classic albums for Roadrunner/Roadracer throughout the 80's, and that's what this compilation is. Well, I guess he made "six" albums for Roadrunner/Roadracer, if you count the now out-of-print "Live 1987:Abigail" album.



As to the guys who noted that a Kind Diamond compilation is sort of an oxymoron since he does in fact write concept albums, this is only half true. When the King tours now, he basically performs songs from his entire career, no more "stage show" in the sense of impaling Abigail with seven knives, etc. Yeah, King still puts on a highly visual show, but the fact is he plays most of his "jamming" songs like "A Mansion In Drakness", "The Candle", "No Presents For Christmas", "The Loa House", etc. This is actually cool, because King Diamond has never really had the dough to put on a true theatrical presntation of the story lines of his various albums. Now it's more like a heavy metal show, kinda like Mercyful Fate, except Andy Laroque blows Denner and Sherman away!



As to the track listing, this is as good as it gets. BUT, if you REALLY want a "true King Diamond compilation", then I urge you to buy the awesome (and excellent sounding) "Deadly Lullabyes Live"....this will satisfy the nimwit who wonders where the Metal Blade songs are on theis Roadrunner release!



Thanks"