King Diamond is a Danish heavy metal band formed in 1985 by vocalist King Diamond, guitarists Andy LaRocque and Michael Denner, bassist Timi Hansen, and drummer Mikkey Dee. King, Denner and Hansen had recently disbanded their previous band Mercyful Fate, and decided to form a new band under the King Diamond moniker, as it was already known from the initial Mercyful Fate era.
History
Formation, Fatal Portrait and Abigail (1985–1987)
The band was formed in 1985 by vocalist King Diamond, guitarist Michael Denner, and bassist Timi Hansen. According to Diamond, when he, Denner, and Hansen decided to form a new band, they chose the name "King Diamond" to "get better deals", and because the name was already known from Mercyful Fate.
In July 1985, the band began recording their debut album at Sound Track Studio in Copenhagen. On 25 December, they released their debut single "No Presents for Christmas". Fatal Portrait, the band's first full-length studio album, was released on 14 March 1986, through Roadrunner Records. and spawned the single "Halloween", which was released on 6 June 1986.
In December 1986, King Diamond began recording their second studio album, once again at Sound Track Studio in Copenhagen. The resulting album, Abigail, was released on 29 May 1987, and is the first concept album based on an original story by vocalist King Diamond. The album was supported by its sole single "The Family Ghost", for which they also shot their first music video, and it went on to chart at number 39 in Sweden, number 68 in the Netherlands, Following Abigails release, Denner left the band due to touring strains.
"Them" and Conspiracy (1988–1989)
Following the completion of the Abigail tour, guitarist Mike Moon and bassist Timi Hansen were replaced by Pete Blakk and Hal Patino, respectively. Another concept album, "Them" charted at number 38 on the Swedish album chart, number 65 on the Dutch album chart, making it King Diamond's highest charting album in the U.S. to date. Another music video was also shot, this time for the single "Welcome Home". On 1 November, the group released The Dark Sides EP, a collection of previously released material as well as one unreleased track.
Following the completion of the supporting tour for "Them", Mikkey Dee left King Diamond. number 64 on the Dutch album chart, A continuation of the storyline from "Them", Conspiracy was the first King Diamond album to be recorded in the United States; it was tracked at Rumbo Recording Studios in Canoga Park, California. A music video was also made for the track "Sleepless Nights".
The Eye to House of God (1990–2000)
In June 1990, King Diamond began recording its fifth studio album The Eye at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was released on 30 October 1990. The drums on the album were performed by drummer Snowy Shaw using drum pads. It debuted at number 179 on the Billboard 200. However, the band did not tour in support of the album due to the lack of label support. Following The Eye, Hal Patino and Pete Blakk were replaced by Sharlee D'Angelo and Mike Wead, respectively. However this here line-up ended up not recording any material, as vocalist King Diamond reunited with Mercyful Fate in 1992 (he would balance recording and touring with both Mercyful Fate and his eponymous band for the remainder of the 1990s). With the line-up of King Diamond, Andy La Rocque, as well as guitarist Herb Simonsen, bassist Chris Estes and drummer Darrin Anthony from the Texas band Mindstorm, the band spent September through October 1994, recording their next album. In March 1996, King Diamond began recording their seventh studio album at the Dallas Sound Lab. Released on 1 October 1996, The Graveyard saw King Diamond return to writing concept albums. After the album's release, drummer Darrin Anthony was forced to leave the band due to a car accident and was subsequently replaced by former Chastain drummer John Luke Hebert. and at number 55 on the Swedish album chart. After the album's release, guitarist Herb Simonsen was replaced by Glen Drover. When Mercyful Fate was put on hold in 1999, King Diamond began recording the album House of God at the Nomad Recording Studio in Carrollton, Texas, with their new bassist Paul David Harbour, who had replaced Chris Estes. Released on 20 June 2000, After the album's release, guitarist Glen Drover, drummer John Luke Hebert and bassist Paul David Harbour were replaced by Mike Wead, Matt Thompson and Hal Patino, respectively. Released on 29 January 2002, Abigail II: The Revenge is a sequel to 1987's Abigail. Despite this, the album went on to peak at number 24 in Finland and at number 42 in Sweden.
On 21 October 2003, King Diamond released their eleventh album The Puppet Master, which charted at number 36 in Sweden. Besides featuring the band, the album also featured additional vocals from Livia Zita, who is also King Diamond's wife. In April 2006, former bandmate Mikkey Dee (currently with Scorpions, formerly with Motörhead) made a guest appearance at King Diamond's sold-out gig in Gothenburg, Sweden. On 26 June 2007, King Diamond released their twelfth album Give Me Your Soul...Please. The album went on to peak at number 25 on the Finnish chart, number 28 on the Swedish chart, and at number 174 on the Billboard 200. The track "Never Ending Hill" also garnered a Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance" (the group's first). A music video was also made for the album's title track.
thumb|left|250px|King Diamond (left) and [[Andy LaRocque (right) performing in Moscow, 2006]]
In late November 2010, King Diamond was rushed to the hospital after having several heart attacks. There it was discovered that three of his arteries had been blocked, which meant he had to undergo triple bypass surgery. On 27 January 2012, Diamond made a special appearance at the "5th Annual Nomad Recording Studio Throwdown", performing three songs: "The Family Ghost", "Evil" and "Burn". They were also joined on stage by Michael Denner, Hank Shermann, Mikkey Dee and Volbeat's Michael Poulsen.
On 19 July 2014, the band announced that Patino had been relieved of his duties, for reasons very similar to why he was fired from King Diamond in 1990. He was replaced by Pontus Egberg, formerly of Lion's Share and the Poodles. In October, King Diamond announced a new compilation, titled Dreams of Horror, which was released in November through Metal Blade Records, covering the band's entire career. In December, Egberg became an official member of the band.
King Diamond took part in the 2015 Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival along with bands such as Slayer (who was chosen as the headliner), Hellyeah, The Devil Wears Prada, Thy Art Is Murder, Jungle Rot, Sister Sin, Sworn In, Shattered Sun, Feed Her to the Sharks, Code Orange and Kissing Candice. The tour ran from 26 June through 2 August. At the 8 July 2015 show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, King Diamond was forced to perform without his signature face paint due to a severe eye infection, in which doctors advised against the use of any makeup. He said that there was no negative feedback from the fans. The band then embarked on a U.S. tour from October to December 2015 with Exodus, where the Abigail album was performed in its entirety.
Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920 and planned future albums (2018–present)
thumb|King Diamond performing in Ballenstedt, Germany, 2025
By 2018, King Diamond had begun work on its thirteenth studio album, which would be divided into two parts to connect with its theme. The first part of the series was later revealed to be titled The Institute; the title has since been changed to Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920. Originally intended for release in 2020, it faced multiple delays before its planned release in 2026, due to frontman King Diamond taking his time on perfecting new material by both the King Diamond band and the reunited Mercyful Fate. The first single from the album, "Masquerade of Madness", was made available for streaming on 8 November 2019. On 25 January 2019, the band's first-ever live DVD/Blu-ray, Songs for the Dead Live, was released. The band then embarked on a North American tour with Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats and Idle Hands.
On 15 October 2024, during a performance at the Port Authority of San Antonio, King Diamond debuted two new songs called "Spider Lilly" and "Electro Therapy". On this tour, which was supported by Overkill and Night Demon, the band was joined by Myrkur on keyboards, and she appears on the studio recording of "Spider Lilly", which was released as a single on 17 December. It is also the debut single from the band's forthcoming "Horror Trilogy", with the first part titled Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920.
In November 2025, vocalist King Diamond was honored by the Danish Arts Foundation and was given the lifetime honour for his "very special efforts and contributions to Danish art and cultural life." In addition, Diamond will receive a yearly 189,000 Danish Krona (about $26,000) grant from the foundation for the rest of his life.
Artistry
Although King Diamond is primarily a heavy metal or extreme metal band, their works have seen the band combine elements of thrash metal, speed metal, black metal, and groove metal,
The band is known for their massive production during live performances featuring fog in order to create creepy on stage theatrics. The lead singer King Diamond is also known to use a microphone stand consisting of a femur bone and a tibia bone in the shape of a cross, while also dawning his signature Corpse paint. CBS News described him as a "menacing figure live".
Members
Current members
- King Diamond – vocals, keyboards <small>(1985–present)</small>
- Andy LaRocque – guitars, keyboards <small>(1985–present)</small>
- Mike Wead – guitars <small>(2000–present)</small>
- Matt Thompson – drums <small>(2000–present)</small>
- Pontus Egberg – bass <small>(2014–present)</small>
Discography
- Fatal Portrait (1986)
- Abigail (1987)
- "Them" (1988)
- Conspiracy (1989)
- The Eye (1990)
- The Spider's Lullabye (1995)
- The Graveyard (1996)
- Voodoo (1998)
- House of God (2000)
- Abigail II: The Revenge (2002)
- The Puppet Master (2003)
- Give Me Your Soul...Please (2007)
- Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920 (2026)
Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Nominee / work
!Award
!Result
|-
|2008
|"Never Ending Hill"
|Best Metal Performance
|
|}
Loudwire Music Awards
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Nominee / work
!Award
!Result
|-
|2015
|King Diamond
|Best Live Act
|
|}
Decibel Hall of Fame
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Nominee / work
!Award
!Result
|-
|2015
|Abigail
|Decibel Hall of Fame
|
|-
|2021
|"Them"
|Decibel Hall of Fame
|
|}
Danish Arts Foundation
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Nominee / work
!Award
!Result
|-
|2025
|King Diamond (the vocalist)
|Lifetime award
|
|}
Metal Hammer Germany
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Nominee / work
!Award
!Result
|-
|2017
|King Diamond (the vocalist)
|Legend Award
|
|}