It was also when I got my first full-time job and started collecting CDs. I bought the three classic Mercyful Fates and a couple of King Diamonds too, namely Abigail and Them. I still listen to the Mercyful Fates once in a while but when it comes to the solo albums, it's another story altogether.

Abigail especially, when I listen to now, is still musically pretty much flawless. Andy LaRoque is one of the best guitarists Sweden ever produced. King's vocals au contraire, remind me of two gay monsters, one that gets pounded in the ass and the other that pounds it in the ass, having an intense argument about their relationship in turmoil. The album beginning with the effiminate monster telling the other one, "omg! you don't love me anymore" and so on.

2007 sees our main man release his first studio album in 5 years.

His voice has aged a bit so he stays safe in the grunt-heavy midrange metal singing but fucks it up still with the immensely appalling-and-weak high-pitched singing during choruses and harmonies. Not as much as before, when he'd give Gustavo Kuerten and Monica Seles playing a marathon battle-of-the-sexes match a run for their money with his squeals, but still enough to annoy me. The album, titled funnily "Give me your soul...please" still boasts the regular King Diamond - nifty dramatic metal songs with writing credits shared equally between Andy and King, great riffs and lead guitar-work from both Andy and Mike Wead along with crisp production. I don't care for his concepts but if you do, I hear this is about two kids that are murdered by their father.

This is good stuff, like that teenaged girlfriend you had but not as good as it should be. I'm talking, of course, about her mother. In fact, I prefer "The Puppet Master" over this. If you're alright with his vocal style, you'll definitely enjoy the shit out of this album.

Label: Metal Blade
Year of Release: 2007