King Diamond's Most Underrated Record
Bradley Headstone | New York | 07/11/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Granted, the half length story is somewhat weak. But that is the only bad thing I can say about this record. This record is a solid indication that King Diamond was not to sell out the way Metallica and Megadeth and several others did. In the 90s era of grunge, rapp, and sell outs, King Diamond continued to do what he did best and he stayed loyal to his fans. One of King Diamond's strengths is that he does not allow himself to be swayed by current trends. 'From the Other Side' is a powerful opener that sets the tone of this record. Andy La Roque is sadly the only band member left from the "Fatal Portrait" - "The Eye" era. But the record still delivers. 'Killer' is a haunting song about a criminal that will soon face execution. 'Poltergeist' is an especially haunting song where King Diamond makes use of his frightening growls. 'Dreams' is not quite so intense, but it is a good song. 'Moonlight' has a real dark edge, thanks to King's ability to use whispers. 'Six Feet Under' is a somewhat thrashy horror story about a man who has been buried alive by his 'loving' family. And then begins the half length story of Harry's fear of spiders. 'Spider's Lullabye' begins with a creepy harpsichord, and if you suffer from arachniphobia, now would be a good time to stop. The harpsichord only makes it more frightening. (King Diamond seems to know that sometimes softer creates a more eerie effect.) In 'Eastman's Cure' Harry goes to Dr. Eastman to see if the doctor can cure him. 'Room 17' once again displays one of King Diamond's favorite things. (Characters going insane.) 'To the Morgue' kind of tells us how things turned out, and while King Diamond seems to hold back on the musical levels, this only seems to make the end more haunting. He makes especially good use of a technique that ends the record and sounds like an old fashioned record that was put on too slow of a speed. While this record is 2nd best to "Abigail," "Them," and "Conspiracy," it is still an excellent record that reflects King Diamond's best abilities. Some people have gone so far to say this was the last great King Diamond record, and if it had not been for "Abigail II," I would have agreed. Don't be stopped because this record is underrated. You'll miss out!"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1