King Diamond Brings Out All The Stops To The Vic
By Casey Moffitt in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 22, 2014 7:00PM
photo credit Natalia Stupnikova via King Diamond's Facebook page
It had been 11 years since King Diamond last toured the United States, but when he wrapped up his set to a capacity crowd at the Vic Theatre Tuesday night, he reminded everyone exactly why he is a heavy metal legend.
The curtain rose to display an elaborate set, adorned with demon skulls set upon pedestals, a staircase on each side of the stage with a catwalk above the drum set, and illuminated upside down crosses. It was hint of the theatrics to come, which started right away. As the opener "The Candle" began its instrumental introduction, a glowing red pentagram slowly rose from behind the set toward the ceiling of the theater, and the band launched into the song with fire and fury.
The theatrics didn't stop, as King Diamond's dear old granny wheeled onto the stage during "Welcome Home" for some interactive play with the man himself. A life-sized marionette came onto the stage during "The Puppet Master" which Diamond controlled. During the first encore, the band played "Cremation" while granny was stuffed into a coffin, and when it opened again an incinerated skeleton was inside. It was a goofy illusion, and a horrifying thing to do to your grandma but still was a lot of fun to watch.
Sure, the whole Satan worship gag might seem a bit tired and worn out in this day and age. But there was a time when it turned heads and scared suburban parents across America. Perhaps only the squarest of the squares will freak out over such imagery today but it still made for an amusing stage show.
The theatrics were the focal point of the show, next to the music itself. The stage lighting was tactful, washing red, blue and purple hues. It wasn't overly aggressive with strobes and outrageously bright flashes.
It has been a long road back to the stage for Diamond. He cancelled a scheduled 2007 tour due to back problems, and he underwent triple bypass surgery in November 2010 after a series of heart attacks.
But he looked fit on stage and his signature voice was in fine form. His trademark corpse paint was rather subdued, as well as his outfit, compared to his previous incarnations, but he looked great parading across the stage in a knee-length, trim fitting black overcoat, with knee-high black boots and adorned with a black top hat. He carried a cross of bones which doubled as his microphone stand.
Obviously he wasn't going to undertake a world tour without being in shape and able to deliver a highly theatrical show and his chops. He maintained the higher end of his range throughout the 90-minute set in an impressive manner. Diamond has spent the summer performing the European festival circuit and is halfway through his North American tour. At 58 years old and with his recent health history, it's pretty impressive to see him maintain such a high level of a performance.
His band was also firing on all cylinders. Longtime Diamond sideman Andy LaRocque and Mike Wead traded off incredible guitar licks, bringing back the forgotten art of unadulterated shredding. It's a rarity these days to see guitarists shred without any regard for key signatures, phrasing or (arguably) taste. Still, it is a hell of a thing to witness the fingers of these two men fly across their fretboards.
Diamond's set consisted of a nice cross-section of his career, playing tunes that date back to his debut solo album, 1986's Fatal Portrait, all the way to his latest release, 2007's Give Me Your Soul... Please. He also threw in a pair of Mercyful Fate nuggets, "Evil" and "Come to the Sabbath."
When the show was finished, Diamond stood on the stage by himself and walked from one end to the other thanking the crowd. He would point to people in the crowd and give a thumbs up, or put his hands together and say, "Thank you very much." It seemed like he would shake everybody's hand in gratitude if he could.
Shows like this, with its level of theater and skillful metal musicianship, don't come around very often, and for those who waited so long to see King Diamond perform again most likely didn't leave disappointed.