KING DIAMOND
20 Years Ago: A Night Of Rehearsal
Metal Blade Records
www.metalblade.com

For those people not familiar with King Diamond, he came to fame with Mercyful Fate, a speed metal group touting decidedly Satanic beliefs. After going solo, King Diamond continued to voice his spiritual doctrines in his music. His unusual philosophy is similar to that of the legendary Anton Levay, and his music is usually fast and viscous with lyrics that scare most Christians. Essentially a bootleg of King Diamond's first band, Black Rose, this CD is actually an old rehearsal tape (as the name suggests). The quintet, quite unlike his modern bands, featured ample amounts of Hammond organ and Moog synthesizer. The style is closer to that of early Deep Purple or Vanilla Fudge than anything Euro-metal. King Diamond is already wearing his trademark facial makeup during this period, which is accentuated by the fact that the rest of the band members look like average Europeans. I doubt most King Diamond fans would like the style of music represented here, but if they are dedicated fans, this is a must-have. If your tastes lie with the likes of Kansas, Steppenwolf, and Rainbow, however, you'll probably find this music quite interesting. Overall, this is a bizarre release for Metal Blade, and they should be applauded for their willingness to explore heavy metal history. by Jeff Muendel