King Diamond - _Abigail pt II: The Revenge_
(Metal Blade, 2002)
by: Alvin Wee (9 out of 10)
Reviews of the past few King Diamond albums have been boringly predictable, and the same will no doubt go for this latest horror chapter: the new material just doesn't stand up to _Abigail_-era stuff, but can still blow half the current metal scene away. I'd go further for this sequel and say that it's easily the best KD album since _The Eye_. Past the captivating cover artwork lies the continuation to the most favored metal concept-story ever, with King's song-writing skills going at full tilt to produce some of his most memorable material in recent years. No lack of the typically twisted, spine-tingling passages here, choruses are delightfully melodic, and King's throat appears to be in fine form after all these years, effortlessly churning out his inimitable brand of grotesquerie. Don't look for any memorable, sing-along classics like "Abigail" or "Arrival": the sequel's far more theatrical style hardly lends itself to the relative straightforwardness of the earlier works, and relies on the potent atmosphere to carry the impressive work forward. Veteran axeman Mike Wead makes no bones about showing his considerable expertise and experience off, duelling remarkably with KD mainstay Andy LaRocque in a combination that's terrifyingly driven and blindingly beautiful by turns. All in all, an essential album for the genre this year if there ever was one, and truly old-school fans who pick up the amazingly beautiful vinyl edition (a nice change from the deplorable picture discs) can snigger at the lowly CD version.
(article published 3/7/2002)
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