Deadly Lullabyes Live

New year so lets pick up after a long overdue absence with some good ol' fashioned Theatrical Metal. I speak of course of the legendary King Diamond. Perhaps best known for bringing Black Metal into play in the early 80's with Mercyful Fate and then later continuing on with his solo band. King has always brought the macabre and wonderful storytelling into his bands. His solo work of course consists solo of concept albums. In that sense Live records can be a bit difficult, but King has managed to put two out during his long career.

2004 marked the release of the double Live record 'Deadly Lullabies Live'. A disc record collection that showcases King's solo work from 'Fatal Portrait' up to 'The Puppet Master'.  This release is a far cry from the previous Live effort in 1990's 'In Concert 1987: Abigail' which pulled heavily from the masterpiece 'Abigail'. Here we see material from albums, 'The Eye' and 'Abigail II: The Revenge' being played for the first time. The songs are pulled from the '03 Puppet Master Tour, King's first US tour since the '00 House Of God trek.  This is what a Live record should be. Full of hits, great sound, and not a whole lot of wasted space with stage banter.

I was lucky enough to catch the opening night of this tour in Los Angeles. It was my first time catching King live and I was lucky enough to talk with the band before the show and King was even nice enough to sign my 'Fatal Portrait' CD. There's one thing that King doesn't do for Live shows and that's phone it in. Even in a small club you get the full theatrical experience. Always worth the cash to see a King show.

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