King Diamond is a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen. Formed in 1985 by vocalist King Diamond, guitarist Michael Denner, and bassist Timi Hansen after the breakup of their former band Mercyful Fate. The first lineup of the group also included guitarist Andy LaRocque and drummer Mikkey Dee. [1] The band currently consists of Diamond and LaRocque alongside guitarist Mike Wead, drummer Matt Thompson (both since 2000) and bassist Pontus Egberg (since 2014).
Denner left King Diamond after the release of the band's second album Abigail in 1987, [2] with Mike Moon taking his place for a European tour at the end of the year. [3] Hansen also left after the tour, with Hal Patino joining alongside Moon's replacement Pete Blakk. [3] [4] By the end of the year, Dee had also left King Diamond. [3] [5] Dee was briefly replaced by Chris Whitemeier, [6] before he was asked to return as a session drummer for the recording of Conspiracy the following year. [3] Snowy Shaw joined as Dee's replacement prior to the beginning of touring for the album, shortly after his 21st birthday. [7]
Following the release of The Eye , the band went into a five-year period of silence. The band would reform in 1994, adding guitarist Herb Simonsen, bassist Chris Estes, and drummer Darrin Anthony for the album The Spider's Lullabye , released the following year. [8] [9] Due to injuries suffered in a road traffic accident, Anthony was forced to leave the band shortly after the release of the 1996 follow-up The Graveyard , with John Luke Hebert taking his place. [3] [10] Simonsen left after the release of 1998's Voodoo , with Glen Drover taking his place. [3] Paul David Harbour took over from Estes for 2000's House of God , [11] after which Drover, Harbour, and Hebert all left the band. [3]
Harbour, Drover, and Hebert were replaced by returning Hal Patino, and new additions Mike Wead and Matt Thompson, respectively in 2000. [3] This lineup of the band remained stable for over 13 years and three studio albums, before Patino was fired in July 2014. [12] He was replaced by The Poodles bassist Pontus Egberg. [13]
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Diamond (Kim Petersen) | 1985–present |
| all King Diamond releases | |
| Andy LaRocque (Anders Allhage) |
| |||
| Mike Wead (Mickael Vikström) | 2000–present | guitars | all King Diamond releases from Abigail II: The Revenge (2002) onwards | |
| Matt Thompson | drums | |||
| Pontus Egberg | 2014–present | bass |
|
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mikkey Dee (Micael Delaoglou) | 1985–1988, 1989 (session) | drums |
| |
| Timi Hansen | 1985–1987 (died 2019) | bass |
| |
| Michael Denner | 1985–1987 | guitars |
| |
| Mike Moon | 1987 | In Concert 1987: Abigail (1991) | ||
| Hal Patino |
| bass | ||
| Pete Blakk | 1988–1990 | guitars |
| |
| Chris Whitemeier | 1988–1989 | drums | none | |
| Snowy Shaw (Tommie Helgesson) | 1989–1990 | The Eye (1990) | ||
| Chris Estes | 1994–1999 |
|
| |
| Herb Simonsen | 1994–1998 | guitars | ||
| Darrin Anthony | 1994–1997 | drums |
| |
| John Luke Hebert | 1997–2000 |
| ||
| Glen Drover | 1998–2000 | guitars | House of God (2000) | |
| Paul David Harbour | 1999–2000 | bass |
| Period | Members | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 |
| none – rehearsals only |
| July 1985 – June 1987 |
|
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| June – Late 1987 |
|
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| Early – Late 1988 |
|
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| Late 1988 – 1989 |
| none – rehearsals only |
| 1989 |
|
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| October 1989 – October 1990 |
|
|
| Band inactive October 1990 – September 1994 | ||
| September 1994 – September 1996 |
|
|
| October 1996 – February 1998 |
|
|
| February 1998 – February 2000 |
| none – live performances only |
| February – June 2000 |
|
|
| June 2000 – July 2014 |
|
|
| July 2014 – present |
|
|
Mercyful Fate is a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen, formed in 1981 by vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann. Influenced by progressive rock and hard rock, and with lyrics dealing with LaVeyan Satanism and the occult, Mercyful Fate was part of the first wave of black metal in the early to mid-1980s, along with Venom and Bathory. The band is also cited as a formative influence on many then-up-and-coming subgenres of heavy metal, including thrash metal and death metal, as well as the Norwegian black metal scene.
HammerFall is a Swedish power metal band from Gothenburg. The band was formed in 1993 by ex-Ceremonial Oath guitarist Oscar Dronjak.
Conspiracy is the fourth studio album by Danish heavy metal band King Diamond, and the second part of a story that began on the album Them. Conspiracy was released on 21 August 1989 through Roadrunner Records, and is the last album to feature drummer Mikkey Dee who left the group but recorded the album as a session member.
Fatal Portrait is the debut album by Danish heavy metal band King Diamond. It was produced by Rune Hoyer and released on 17 February 1986 through Roadrunner Records. Guitarist Andy LaRocque joined the album recording sessions at the last minute, as the band's second guitarist at the time "wasn't working out" in the studio. As a result, it is the only King Diamond album which does not feature any writing credits from LaRocque. Recording a solo for "Dressed in White" functioned as his audition for joining the band. Along with The Spider's Lullabye, it is one of the band's only albums which is not a whole concept album.
U.D.O. is a German heavy metal band founded by lead vocalist Udo Dirkschneider in 1987.
The Spider's Lullabye is the sixth studio album by Danish heavy metal band King Diamond, released on 6 June 1995. Unlike other King Diamond albums, it is not a full concept album; only half the songs form a single plot.
The Eye is the fifth studio album by Danish heavy metal band King Diamond, released on 30 October 1990 through Roadrunner Records. It continues to feature a major storyline like other King Diamond albums, though it is told differently. The Eye is the only album to feature drummer Snowy Shaw and the last to feature guitarist Pete Blakk and bassist Hal Patino, until the latter's return on Abigail II: The Revenge.
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 departed the group 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. Since the band's inception, there have been over fifteen musicians in and out of King Diamond, with the only two mainstays being Diamond and LaRocque. Their current lineup consists of Diamond, LaRocque, guitarist Mike Wead, drummer Matt Thompson, and bassist Pontus Egberg.
House of God is the ninth studio album by Danish heavy metal band King Diamond, released on 20 June 2000. It is the only album to feature guitarist Glen Drover and bassist Paul David Harbour, and the last to feature drummer John Luke Hébert.
Abigail II: The Revenge is the tenth studio album by Danish heavy metal band King Diamond, released on 29 January 2002, and is plotwise a successor to the 1987 album Abigail. Abigail II: The Revenge is the first album to feature guitarist Mike Wead, drummer Matt Thompson, and the first to feature bassist Hal Patino since The Eye.
Shawn Drover is a Canadian drummer, best known for his work with the American heavy metal band Megadeth.
Deadly Lullabyes Live is the second live album by Danish heavy metal band King Diamond, released on 21 September 2004 through Massacre Records. It was recorded during The Puppet Master promotion tour. It spans two discs. The album features only recordings from the United States part of the tour.
The discography of King Diamond, a Danish heavy metal band, consists of twelve studio releases, three live albums, five compilations, six singles, and four music videos. King Diamond was formed in 1985, after the dissolution of the group Mercyful Fate, by vocalist King Diamond, guitarists Andy LaRocque and Michael Denner, bassist Timi Hansen, and drummer Mikkey Dee. The following year, the band released their debut album Fatal Portrait on 14 March 1986 which charted at number 33 in Sweden. King Diamond's second studio album, Abigail, was released on 15 June 1987 and reached number 123 in the US, number 39 in Sweden and number 68 in the Netherlands. Following some line-up changes, the group released the album "Them" on 20 June 1988, which peaked at number 38 in Sweden, number 65 in the Netherlands, and at number 89 in the US, making "Them" King Diamond's highest-charting album in North America. The following year, the band released the follow-up album Conspiracy, which charted at number 111 in North America, number 41 in Sweden and at number 64 in the Netherlands. In 1990, after more line-up changes, King Diamond released the album The Eye, which only charted at number 179 in the US, which makes The Eye King Diamond's lowest-charting album in North America.
Give Me Your Soul...Please is the twelfth studio album by Danish heavy metal band King Diamond, released on 26 June 2007. The album's concept and cover art are both based on a painting titled "My Mother's Eyes". The black cat featured in the album is based on King's own cat, Magic. This was the last album to feature bassist Hal Patino, who was fired from the band in 2014.
"Them" is the third studio album by Danish heavy metal band King Diamond, released on 20 June 1988 through Roadrunner Records in Europe, and 13 September 1988 through Roadracer Records in United States. It is the first album to feature guitarist Pete Blakk and bassist Hal Patino.
Feeding the Machine is the eighth studio album by Swedish heavy metal band Wolf, released on 13 March 2020 via Century Media Records. It is the first album featuring band's new members, Johan Koleberg on drums and Pontus Egberg on bass guitar. The album is being produced by Wolf's Simon Johansson at SolnaSound Production and mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordström of Studio Fredman.
