Abigail

Some albums transcend the mere boundaries of numbers or ratings and occupy the highest possible pantheon where they remain supreme and unshakeable in their ever-dominant stature. Abigail is one such album - breathtaking, awe-inspiring and one of the most unique musical experiences you can be a part of. Being the band's second album, it takes inspiration and incorporates elements from Fatal Portrait but raises the bar so high it makes the latter seem rather ordinary. Essentially, it’s a heavy metal album that’s played at such a frenetic pace it almost borders on being speed metal, especially evident on songs like A Mansion in Darkness, The 7th July of 1777 and The Possession. With The Family Ghost and Black Horsemen being on the proggy side of things and an overall evil demeanour reminiscent of black metal, even though the sound and execution are far from it, it's as eclectic as eclectic comes.

It's a concept album, of course, and the story is set in the mid-nineteenth century, so the guitars have a strong neo-classical vibe to them that befits the story and atmosphere all the same. Being a King Diamond album, it’s melody-heavy, but nothing sounds crammed in or forced this time, a small complaint I'd from Fatal Portrait; the guitar solos fit flush with the riffs and their neo-classical sound is a pleasure to listen to - the soulfulness isn't lost in pursuit of being multi-layered and fast. The riffs shape up songs rather quickly, progressing naturally and beautifully and save for the elongated dark and beautiful acoustic intro on Black Horsemen and a shorter heart-rending one on The 7th July of 1777, slower sections are seldom present. There's even a weird, almost chilling, dissonance observed on some of the riffs, which sounds haunting and very, very creepy.

You'll hear synths and keyboards on multiple songs that help form mysterious-sounding passages. That, and the super-ominous Middle-Eastern influences on the title track make it a very atmospheric album - a thick dark cloak of ever-pervading gloom with an ever-present tinge of evil and discomfort, as though Abigail's yellow eyes (I hope that's not spoiler enough) have their constant gaze schemingly and slyly fixed on you. It's spooky for sure, and gets aggravated by the nicely written lyrics. Where Fatal Portrait struggled with being atmospherically convincing, considering how much emphasis they placed on the same, Abigail is all about atmosphere. The songs are much more in sync with each other and flow like the many hues of an evening sunset sky - constantly changing but beautifully so and never failing to captivate your senses.

Mikkey Dee is, yet again, phenomenal with his drumming, so much so that I can stick out my neck and say this album wouldn’t be what it is if it wasn’t for his performance. Be it wafting along the length of The 7th July of 1777 or going balls-out ballistic in the closing sections of Black Horsemen, his drumming patterns are so complex and powerful, and burst with such relentless energy, it's easily one of metal's most memorable drumming performances. The mix is typical of the ‘80s - subdued and low-fi. But every instrument is clearly audible right down to the bass. If Timi Hansen maintained a restrained approach on Fatal Portrait and burst only in short packets of abandon on that album, he's pure gobsmacking territory here. Always complementing the other instruments and treading along the length of the album, his basslines sound crisp and tasty and never invade the magnificence of anything else.

The vocals, too, are absolutely perfect in their overall heft in the mix; King's falsettos that sounded experimental and kind of over the place on Fatal Portrait are absolute perfection here. He hits the highs and maintains the lows without so much as breaking a sweat and whenever he does the occasional gruffy growl or a high-pitched shriek, the switch is much smoother and awe-inspiring. The constant vocal melodies he resorts to on song choruses and in the final sections of Black Horsemen sound haunting and mesmerising, also adding a ton to the atmosphere. His masterful modulation to suit the different scenes in the story, the different characters in those settings and their reactions in real time is what makes the story work so well. This is peak King Diamond vocal performance in my opinion, equalled only by his performance on The Eye.

Abigail may have been haunting us for what seems like an eternity but not a single solitary bit on it has lost its sheen. What adds to this perpetuity is simply excellent music played by excellent musicians at the absolute top of their game who knew exactly what they wanted to create - all these years and absolutely nothing sounds quite like it and nothing probably ever will. As I saunter my way through this review, now seemingly at its end, I'd like to think I have commentated a decent bit on what elevates it to top-tier status, but the nagging feeling that I could have written so much more forever persists; it's such a supererogation to bring to writing the unhindered and infinite sensations and emotions one feels when listening to this album. It’s a surprisingly palatable first-time listen and not as punishing as you might think. Sure, there’s a strong undertow of layered guitar work and multiple other elements to gingerly unravel but the overall effect isn't that of a wall of sound but rather a cosy embrace that tightens its grip on you with every passing listen.

In my opinion, Abigail is the best King Diamond album and the ideal starting point to get into the band. That it's one of the greatest ever as well only sweetens the deal.

I've been struggling over this one for a while, over the indisputable masterpiece of King Diamond's (the band's) early career. In many ways, I think Abigail is to blame for some of the negative features that have dogged KD later on: you know, the sometimes overdone drama, the endless concepts, the occasional use of atmosphere at the expense of musicality. No, I'm not a fan of musicals, and most KD albums could be counted as "rock operas". So why is Abigail to blame? Not the undead baby of the story - even she can't be blamed for this - but the album, which in my view did everything a little too well to be replicated. This 1987 offering is just complex enough to need full attention, just catchy enough for every track to be memorable but still surprise, just gripping enough to make the story come to life, just cheesy enough to make it a lot of fun. Crucially, Abigail doesn't feel overworked, as the following couple of releases do, and doesn't feel oversimplified like some of the later ones.

I'm not an intros man, honestly, but 'Funeral' hits just the right tone: creepy narration, a big enough chunk in the story to matter but not drag things out, a bit of actual music to set the mood. (And, by my ears, an influence on the last 3 decades of Cradle Of Filth interludes - 'Gates of Midian' anyone?) 90 seconds later, we're away. That's the way to do it, and no more narratives and cut scenes later, except for those that King actually fits into his lyrics by switching voices. Since we're on the topic, King had come into his own by this time, no longer wavering in pitch in ways that had previously hurt to listen to, knowing just which voice to put where, and generally bossing the songs without getting in the way all the time. Unlike a lot of other twisting vocal-led albums, I can't tell whether the lyrics or the music was written first, because they fit with each other snugly. As brilliant as Mercyful Fate songs like 'The Oath' were, King was often singing at angles across the great riffs that his bandmates were throwing down, while here he works like a true lead instrument by keeping harmony with the other players while working within his own idiosyncratic mix of squeals, screams, croons, growls, and moans. Yes, he does all the voices, and oh boy does that narrator have schizophrenia pretty fucking badly. Thus his performance is ever-changing, like long complex guitar leads draped across the contours of every song.

But of course we have long complex guitar leads too, plus the riffs have a habit of switching between rhythmic patterns and more detailed offerings that sound like lead melodies too. Thinking carefully about it, the guitars do work in just the same way as the vocals, since the whole style of King Diamond seems quite melodic compared to the previous work of Mercyful Fate, both the vocalist and the La Rocque/Denner duo floating with light tones at times and then adding frissons of distortion at other times. Consider the effect of the smooth croon of the title to 'The 7th Day of July 1777' as parallel to the creamy final solo in 'Omens' (with keyboards overlaid) and the shriek of the chorus part in 'Omens' the equivalent of the overdriven effect-soaked 2 note motif of '7th July'. I'm oversimplifying this a bit, but you can see how they play alternate roles in key moments of the mentioned songs. However, what really solidifies the lead performances as excellent here lies in the structural sense they are used as well as the compositional sense. A chorus is essentially a repeating lead part in a song, just what the guitarists do with the guitar themes on a few tracks; yet both elements go further. King's vocal patterns can be held onto pretty easily because of the intense fluctuation in rhythm, pitch, and timbre, so even repeating the verse format with new lyrics achieve this end, more so when switching back and forth between 2 different ploys, as with the verse in 'Abigail' where he alternately growls out lines and inserts little "ooh-oh-oh-oh" motifs at differing pitches. Same goes for the lead I mentioned in '7th July', because eventually that's used as a springboard to break out into a full solo, in this case intriguing by changing the regular pattern. Countless examples of this kind of play occur across the 40 minutes.

I don't want to talk all the time about the outstanding work of the instrumentalists, because a lot goes right besides fascinating lead choices and goddamn catchy rhythms from Hansen and Dee, who provide way more of the hooks than they are given credit for. Here I need to explain that I see a few levels of heavy metal success, which go something like: appreciation, participation, excitement, emotion. By this, I mean that the better kinds of heavy metal not only make you want to mosh or sing or headbang but really get your heart beating faster and your breath coming shorter. The best kinds can make your chest contract for a moment and your throat close or your eyes fill up. Not many bands can claim to do this, so just to give a generally accepted benchmark think about the time when you were struck by Iron Maiden's 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' moving from delicate poetry to the most rousing soloing and rending wails. Abigail does this to me a couple of times, and it's no coincidence they come near the end of the album, just as with Iron Maiden. More remarkably, both such moments feature the skills of Roberto Falcao, who uses his keyboards to elevate the emotional climaxes of the title track and 'Black Horsemen'. Not the chorus of the former song (however fantastic that is, with King's highs really getting the hair up on my arms) but actually the final high note off the last one, where the keys peel away in a classical gothic whirl of malice as the note fades out and the implications of the story all come out. 'Black Horsemen' offers a rather more expected pay-off in the form of the chorus's breathtakingly delicate blend of a yawning high hold from King and the keyboard's starlit wonder. If this were the kind of song musicals included, I'd think quite differently about them.

I ought to point out that I can't hope to catalogue all the wonderful features of Abigail, and it only seems fair to leave some for you to discover. I will say that this isn't an instant kind of listen, partly because the album is densely packed with things happening and can seem a bit messy on first impression, partly also because it has a rather special tone, which would be called "soft" if that word carried any positive connotations in heavy metal. "Lush" is another good word to throw at Abigail, though not in a modern progressive manner, more in that bygone era of wonderfully balanced production, analogue smoothness, and well-developed songs. To put it another way, these guys paint with brushes on vellum, not scratch with rocks on wood. If even the thrilling main riff of 'A Mansion in Darkness' can't convince you of that, I don't know what will. Rocks on your brain, probably, because the quality of Abigail becomes more and more blatant every time I listen to it. Should I deduct a point for the "deathcore" solo smack in the middle of 'Arrival'? Like arse I should.

Beautiful yet dark harmonies combined with a dynamic variety of tempos, epic songwriting, otherworldly shrieking, and conceptual lyrics about a demonic dead baby coming to life and possessing a relative? Sounds like perfection to me. Or rather, it sounds like Abigail, King Diamond's second full-length album and easily one of the very best traditional heavy metal albums of all time. Throughout its nine-song running length, this masterpiece never ceases to amaze or impress, and it succeeds in nearly every way imaginable.

Abigail is an all-encompassing album; it has the melodies of power metal and traditional heavy metal, the dissonant riffage of death metal, and the dark lyrics of black metal. Although it features all of these elements, there's no mistaking what it truly is: A straight-up classic heavy metal album with a grim conceptual storyline and a dash of outside musical influences that help contribute to the creepy atmosphere that dominates the entire record. Guitarists Andy LaRocque and Michael Denner subtly infuse the music with a combination of harmonic minor and Middle Eastern scales that must have, at the time, been quite unlike anything that had ever been heard before.

Ah, when it comes to the instrumentation, where does one begin? Probably with the guitars, which are instrumental (no pun intended) in crafting the sound of every great metal album. The rhythm guitars have a chunky sound, though they also ring out quite clearly. The leads are filled with interesting note choices that would go on to influence the sound of every band that wanted to sound "Satanic." There is some odd, dissonant harmony scattered throughout the album's many solos, a sound which LaRocque would later use once again in his magnificent shredding on Death's "Trapped in a Corner." Since Abigail is a concept album, the guitarists managed to make their parts sound like the actual soundtrack to each part of the storyline.

The album also shows off the drumming prowess of Mikkey Dee, best known for his 23-year stint in Motörhead, which began five years after the release of Abigail. Though his percussion never really takes the spotlight, his choice of patterns matches the riffwork of the guitars excellently.

Now, of course, King Diamond as a band is named only after the frontman, despite having contained another two Mercyful Fate band members at the time of this album's release. It is King's iconically haunting screech that truly solidifies Abigail as an essential metal classic; the way he effortlessly switches from a near-guttural voice to a piercing falsetto instantaneously is ingenious, and the main reason his style is so instantly recognizable. At some points, such as in "The Possession," he executes these dissonant vocal harmonies that, while technically crappy, contribute to the "something's not quite right here" theme that dominates the lyrics of the song and the preceding "Omens."

King Diamond's Abigail has been remembered as an all-time classic of traditional metal for nearly 32 years, and one listen is all it takes to reveal why. One of the greatest concept albums of all time, each milestone of the storyline is accentuated by fittingly dark guitar riffs and one of the greatest voices in all of metal. While not exactly perfect when examined closely, especially from a modern production standpoint, when you take a step back and look at it as a whole, there's really nothing that could possibly have made it even slightly better. It's really an amazing record.

Kim Petersen, the man behind King Diamond, is no stranger to success. In a world where most bands can be considered mediocre and irrelevant, few bands ever cross the chasm from average to great. Fewer still become true, established legends with unquestionable credibility and prowess. The King has done it twice. He could have retired from metal for good in 1984, and he still would have been largely responsible for two of the best albums of all time in Mercyful Fate's Melissa and Don't Break the Oath. However, not resting on his laurels, he continued to make music for over two decades, including a handful of superb albums in his own eponymous band.

That brings us to Abigail, an album that I feel is the quintessential King Diamond album. Every hallmark associated with the band is on full display here in their most perfect forms: an eerie story that, if made into a movie, would fit in well with the campy horror classics of the 50's and 60's; phenomenal songwriting rarely matched and never surpassed; Andy LaRocque's lecherous melodies and riffs; and, of course, King Diamond's shrieks and howls that emanate from the speakers, scattering a chill through the room like a freezing wind. Those shrieks and howls are easily the most defining features of any work he has ever been a part of, and much has been said about them over the years. Earlier, I mentioned that the stories would fit in well with the campy horror classics of the 50's and 60's, so I think it fitting that I put King Diamond's singing in the same class as legendary horror actor Vincent Price's own iconic voice--you either love it or you're wrong.

Over the course of just my lifetime, technology has improved at a rapid, almost horrifying rate, and yet scientists have still been unable to create a microscope powerful enough to find a flaw in this album. There's no fat on this bacon, no flab on this ass. From the perilous prelude "Funeral", to the melodic madness of "Arrival" and "A Mansion in Darkness", to the crushing choruses of "The Family Ghost" and "The 7th Day of July 1777", to the galloping glory of "Omens" and "The Possession", to the frenzied ferocity of "Abigail" and "Black Horsemen", it's clear that every song on this album is essential. There's no second wasted, no note unnecessary.

Though, if I was forced to pick highlights of the album, then I would point out the breathtaking acoustic intro of "The 7th Day of July 1777." I would declare "Black Horsemen" as the greatest song on the album and perhaps one of the best metal songs of all time. It masterfully displays how to properly build a long, epic song that incorporates narration, acoustics, and swift tempo changes without overstaying its welcome or feeling unnecessarily bloated.

"Abigail, I know you're in control of her brain..."

Regardless of where you side in the never-ending debate of which of his bands is better, anybody who is even vaguely familiar with the metal canon knows that King Diamond has a reverence surrounding his name that is virtually unheard of in the metal community (and probably any other community). King Diamond is as close to universally respected by the fans of the music that he has devoted much of his life to as one can be, and it's neither an accident nor a conspiracy. He's simply that damn good. He's simply unparalleled.

When you speak of quality music you speak of this. No? You probably haven't listened to it then. King Diamond's sophomore album is one of the most mesmerizing, spine-chilling and downright amazing musical experiences I've ever had. When the intro 'Funeral' is over your hair will be standing straight. And then comes the real thing. About 40 minutes of melodies, harmonies, acoustic guitars, amazing soloing and a tremendous rhythm section. You cannot simply go wrong with these in your arsenal but those lads took in on a whole new level...

And then there's King. The one and only King. His voice is always amazing. It never gets old. And yet, here he is in one of the rarest moments of his career. Here, he ensures a place among the most valued musicians of the 20th century. Exaggeration you say? You probably haven't listened to it then. I'm literally sitting here trying to put in words what King's performance on this album means to me and I fail. I fail miserably. It's not only the falsettos or the growls and the lunatic shrieks. It is the way he shifts between them (sometimes in a heartbeat!) and the way he delivers every syllable. King has a natural talent in vividly narrating the stories he writes BUT we'll get to the story later.

Musical wise, this is a masterpiece. Do you want to focus on the bass and the drums. Mikkey Dee is the only drummer who could sit behind the kit and record such a marvelous performance. As for the bass, just listen how it runs along the guitar lines and in someway completes them... The guitars are of the some fashion and even more amazing! When distorted, they usually are fast and melodic while there are some acoustic passages most notably in 'The 7th Day of July 1777' and 'Black Horsemen'. And when those acoustics strike, oh my do they sound heavenly... Then there are those solos which are very well structured and not just mindless shredding on various scales. The harmonies are crucial here too. Just observe how most of the solos and leads are complimented by an extra lead. Most of the young and old bands would sell their souls (all of them) just to have some of those riffs under their belts. Now some additional instrumentation such as bells and strings is inevitably here and I wouldn't trade it away for all the money in the world.

Vocal and lyrical wise, this is a masterpiece as well. It is time now, to speak of the concept... Why the fuck isn't anyone turning this into a movie? It would scare way more people than most of today's horror flicks. But it's not only about the horror and the gore, no... It is about the elegance in which this is delivered. The album is classy and anyone with an ear (you don't even need both) would agree. Just imagine baby Abigail devouring her previous body... Or a possessed Miriam pushing Jonathan down the staircase... Or the Black Horsemen performing their ritual and driving silver nails through a demonic infant's body in the woods... This is the material nightmares are made of. And even further; this is what your best dreams sound like. Seriously I would do anything to see this in a cinema.

All in all this is a total fucking MASTERPIECE. I could go on forever praising it and it still wouldn't be enough. I pity those who haven't listened to it yet. There comes a time when this album becomes a daily need and you can't do anything but listen to it again and again. So stop anything you're doing and listen to this NOW!

Favorite tracks: You don't understand do you? All tracks are equally amazing to me. So yeah, all of them.

100/100.

So after the debut, Fatal Portrait, which was nothing less than perfect in it's execution, King Diamond is faced with the task of making another album that is just as good if not better. Released in October, 1986 we have the follow up, Abigail. Abigail was the first in a long line of concept albums that King came to be known for. This one is an eerie tale about the spirit of Abigail La Vey who was still born 68 years prior to the events of the album. The spirit of the still born child takes over the body of Miriam Natias who happens to be the wife of Jonathan La Vey, a descendant of the man who killed Abigail's pregnant mother thereby killing her. So not only is King creating a concept here, but a rather elaborate one at that. But what is more important is the music. King took what he accomplished on Fatal Portrait and expanded on it. How can you perfect perfection?

The album begins with a brief but eerie intro, "Funeral", with some keys and some spookie sounding spoken words. The intro goes right into "Arrival" and from the start of the song you can tell that you are in for something truly groundbreaking and special. The production is much better than the debut with the guitars further up front in the mix and the keys mixed just right to set the atmosphere. Where King mostly used his falsetto on Fatal Portrait, he begins to use his voice here to create the characters. He has not abandoned his falsetto but there is more of a balance in his voice on Abigail. The song is riff laden and complex with tempo changes and many facets to it. Once again, we have the same line-up as the debut so the guitar work is outstanding.

The remainder of the album is more of the same, absolute genius. This is the album that set the bar for all heavy metal albums to follow. Songs like "A Mansion in Darkness", "The 7th Day of July 1777", and "The Possession" being the true precursor to what would be considered to be power metal today. These songs are speedy and powerful complex songs with fast riffing and huge melodies. Of course the soloing is just godly with Andy La Rocque and Michael Denner showing their prowess once again. Of course, songs like these also rely heavily on the rhythm section and Mikkey Dee and his ridiculously good drumming and Timi Hansen on the bass get the job done perfectly. Then you have straight up metal riff fests like "The Family Ghost". "Omens", and "Abigail" that just grab you by the throat and do not let you go. And if you think this album is perfect at this point, the best is yet to come.

The album closer is without a doubt the best heavy metal song in existence, "The Black Horsemen". This song is so epic I don't even know where to begin to give a proper description. It begins with a beautiful acoustic passage and after about a minute some eerie sounding voices come in along with King's beautiful falsettos harmonized. Then come the riffs and this huge sound with guitars, acoustic guitars and symphonic keys just creating music as such I've never heard before. This is classical music, just plugged in. It's heavy, beautiful, complex and melodic all at once. As I said, any heavy metal song made after this has this song as it's standard. Them some heavy shoes to fill!!

As the song says, "That's the end of another lullaby...." and by the time this album is done you find yourself in amazement as to what you just heard. I got to see King play these songs live when he was touring for this album and atmosphere and feeling were the same as if I was part of the album. Abigail is an album that comes along once in a lifetime. It will never be topped nor has there been an equal. If there is any album you must have in your lifetime, this is it.


http://elitistmetalhead.blogspot.com/

In addition to being my twins' first birthday, this (June 15, 2012) is the 25th anniversary of King Diamond's Abigail. It's not just a favorite of mine, but one of the most beloved metal albums of all time. As evidence, you need only look at the Metal Archives review average: 13 reviews with an average score of 96%. Browsing around and looking at the usual suspects, I could find only one other album with at least a dozen reviews and an equal score (Sad Wings of Destiny).

I should have named my twins Jonathan and Abigail.

Timi Hansen, Michael Denner, and the incomparable King Diamond had all been involved in two of the greatest metal albums of all time. After the break-up of the great Mercyful Fate, they formed the band King Diamond. 1986 Debut Fatal Portrait didn't make a drastic departure from their old band's style, and only partially qualifies as a concept album. But Abigail represents the moment that King Diamond (the band) truly came into its own.

Even absent the brilliant combination of Denner and Shermann, everything about it works. To be fair, the chilling/exhilarating, loping riff style is still quite similar to MF, but KD became a more narrative, more polished, and hookier version of its predecessor.

While many albums are rated on the "killer" to "filler" ratio, that same standard can't be applied to a concept album. Instead, the quality of the central songs must be considered first and foremost. In particular, "The 7th Day of July 1777" and the title track are both among the best heavy metal has to offer, while a handful of others on here are fantastic as well. There is simply no questioning the "hits" of the album and how those hooks can stew in your brain, coming out months after the last time you heard the song in the form of an unprovoked, "Abigail, I know you're in control of her brain. Abigail, oh-ooh-oh-oh."

The other aspect to consider with a concept album is the flow. After a short intro, the stellar "Arrival" instantly draws you in. Where the tracks do lag in quality, they make up in how they fit into the whole: Keeping the pace, keeping things dynamic, and completing the story. The story, of course, is what defines a concept album. And the story of Abigail is compelling, to say the least. An evil stillborn child's ghost . . . well, you already know it. If you don't, you need to. But this record stands high above others in its greatness with or without the story.

There is good reason Abigail is so beloved. It has some of the best songwriting and performances of any metal record, ever, by everyone involved. And a creepy horror story to go along with it.

originally written for http://fullmetalattorney.blogspot.com/

Heavy metal has broadened immeasurably through the years and yet some records will eternally outshine others and retain their status as landmarks for a very long time. King Diamond's second album "Abigail" is such a record.

What sets it apart from the heaving mass of conceptual works is its timely and precise sense of drama, its graceful and masterful yet abundantly metallic musical delivery, and of course, King Diamond's fabulous horror tale of a haunted mansion, a ghost of a stillborn child itching to be reborn and the inescapable tragedy of the new inhabitants that unravels faster than you can say "DIE!" All delivered in the screeching, yearning, howling, shrieking, belting, cackling, bellowing and crooning tones that make the voice of the King. He doesn't hold himself back on this record and yet doesn't go so far as to scale the heights of absurdity. Perfect timing governs "Abigail".

King puts up a hell of a performance but he doesn't over sing, Andy LaRoque and Michael Denner put out an arsenal of worthwhile riffs and utterly terrifying licks but never quite indulge in any unnecessary pleasures. Songs like "A Mansion In Darkness", "The 7th Day of July 1777" and "Black Horsemen" are incredibly guitar heavy but the perceptible tones of the leads ensure that LaRoque and Denner keep themselves in check. The result is that you have one of the best guitar albums in metal where the players exhibited a canny grasp of song values and showed that simple threads can weave a complexly beautiful and eternally entrancing tapestry of sound. Mikkey Dee's drumming is thrilling and great big loads of fun from start to finish. He is boomy and theatrical on the proggier parts of songs like "The 7th Day of July 1777" and "Omens" and downright maniacal on the speed metal slabs that are "The Family Ghost" and "Arrival". Mostly though, he does a commendable job of giving each song fine structure and definition. The more percussive riffs of Denner and LaRoque when held down with Timi's superior bass tones take on smooth flight when Dee pounds on the kit.

The album clocks in at only about forty minutes and little more than a quarter leaving you decidedly hungry for more. There's no room for filler, no crazy unwarranted experimentation and no distressing interludes that have made many a concept record tearily unbearable. The album maintains a"oneness" of sorts, the story itself doesn't drift off into annoying subplots and is seen right through to the gloomy end. But I always wished there was more to the Abigail story and it would be awhile until the King dared open the gates to that fatal mansion. But he finally did in 2002 with a sequel that had been something worth waiting for. The original however can never pale in comparison and remains both a heavy metal classic and probably the best King Diamond album.

After releasing a solid debut album, former Mercyful Fate vocalist King Diamond would soon show the world that he is capable of releasing legendary music on his own. Well, not on his own with the help of fellow Mercyful Fate brethren Timi Hansen and Michael Denner on rhythm guitar and bass, and new faces like the awe inspiring Andy LaRocque and equally skilled Mikkey Dee on lead guitar and drums. The band does a tremendous job displaying skillful and complex playing that back-up The King's vocals and story perfectly. Unlike his first album The King really experiments on this album with very complex songs and a fantastic conceptual story line that spans over the whole album.

The legendary King Diamond brings his theatrical falsetto magic into this record like its nobody's business. The King's voice is very crisp, clear and and always on pitch. Falsetto's might not be for everybody and that is understandable, but The King's voice takes a lot of talent to pull off, especially in metal. The Kings has about 4 different voices, give or take. Theres super high falsetto as hear on "Omens", just plain high vocals has hear on, Black Horsemen" and then there is mid range and low grunting vocals like that on "The Family Ghost". These variety of voices make the album very interesting with something always new being presented in the story or through The King's voice. The title track, "Abigail", has some shining moments for The King. The whole, I AM ALIVE!!!, bit really shows King's skill and power as a singer. Aside from the voice, the words are just as great. Telling a great story of a husband and wife moving into a haunted house and then realizing that there is an evil stillborn little girl by the name of Abigail living there. I won't spoil the story but it is rather interesting and written very well. There is even a nice twist ending that is presented in a tasteful manner.

Andy LaRocque and Michael Denner are on guitars and do an amazing job. Denner is great at keeping the rhythm while LaRocque displays his godly skills. The riffs are fantastic heavy riffs like that on, "Abigail", "The Family Ghost", and "Omens" that bring some variety because of the melodic based music. This album is also full of mostly melodic riffs and interludes like the intro to "A Mansion in Darkness" and "Black Horsemen" the are perfectly accompanied by The King's voice and Dee's tight drumming. LaRocque's solos are nothing but perfect. On, "A Mansion in Darkness" and "The 7th Day of July 1777" ,for example he fine displays his skills with an interesting and memorable solos without becoming too wanky, which is hard to find these days with these pure wank masturbation guitars that just sweep the scales. Some acoustic guitar is also peppered in this album in a very tasteful manner. Like on the acoustic break of "The Possession" or the intro to "Black Horsemen" that give them haunting atmospheres that fit with the albums theme. All around the riffs are very memorable, melodic and complex which work perfectly for this album. His tone is great and clean with a nice crunch and smooth middle and electrifying high which is easily some of the best guitar work displayed in metal.

Timi Hansen from Mercyful Fate provides bass work for this album and brings the almost 'lead bass' style from Mercyful Fates "Don't Break the Oath" but makes it more controlled. Timi is pretty audible on the album and displays his skills accordingly. "Arrival " has a great and subtle independent descending line in the intro that can be overlooked but makes the intro really awesome. "The Possession" is really where Hansen shines, with a bass opening and simple riff under the solo that make this song really interesting and progressive. Overall Hansen's bass work and clean tone is in the vein of Mercyful Fate's "Dont Break the Oath" which is a great addition to the album.

Some of the best displayed skills are from drummer Mikkey Dee. Dee is a drumming god and is very accurate and makes come complex rhythm and breaks. The opening track, "Arrival", has amazing beats by Dee that are tighter than a nun's cunt. His drumming just fucking blows me away every time. The title track also shows his ability to do poly-rhythms and it shines amazingly. It's amazing how Dee is able to keep the songs going with such complex beats and fills that you don't really see in music that much anymore."The Possession" has a great break in the middle that is really catchy and shows his skills greatly in a quick 5 second fill. Dee's kit has a great clean tone with theatrical like cymbals that makes the album feel very well produced and mixed. Overall Dee's drumming is godly and works wonders with LaRocque and the rest of the band.

In the end, this is the rebirth of The King. Taking the ideas of his first album and expanding them and exploring the idea a theatrical story line. With some god-like drumming and guitar playing with the addition of The King's amazing voice this is a must have for any metal fan and any fan of complex and theatrical music.

It took me long to decide myself and giving the rating number to this release. 99 or 100. Finally, I decided to give it the highest score and I shall explain, as long and as far as I can, why this rating and why I consider this album the greatest one ever crafted in heavy metal history.

While in Mercyful Fate, King Diamond still was attached to some classical sounds and influence, yet, the band managed to create some new forms in the genre, black metal and even some glances of thrash. The couple of initial albums by the band are classics on their own and they don't need explanation. But, for some reason, we all knew that King Diamond's hidden power was not unleashed, it was there to be exploited, to recieve the full throttle. He felt it, as well, and without leaving Mercyful Fate, started an alternative project.

But he also wanted to make this something beyond a "solo project". He created a whole new band, with a whole lot of new members to shred some heavy metal power. There is where we meet a guy who does not simple matches with King Diamond's requirements, but a total genious: Andy LaRocque. This couple starlted a bloodline of records with a stainless reputation, alongside several other magical names like Mikkey Dee, Pete Blakk or Michael Denner, to name some of them.

After "Fatal Portrait", a nice starting effort, they needed to achieve a major identity. Here, the stars got lined and "Abigail" gets born (or stillborn?).

The whole simple conception of the record is beyond possible description. The story is a masterpiece, King could easily live writting scripts for horror movies and he would actually dim the light of the rest of the writers. But, regardless of the storyline (and poetry), which adds, obviously, for talent reasons, more points to the record, the big deal here is the music.

'Funeral' is a creepy introduction to the magic and deadly scenario in Abigail's realm. 'Arrival' is simply a living entient. The guitar intro, the soloing, the riffs, the powerful duet between the bass lines and the drumming, everything excells. And above all this, Mr. Diamond's vocals. Yeah, we know, that's controversial and I respect your opinion, if you think he is annoying, anyway. But as far as I know, Ian Gillan or Rob Halford created this style and no one complains. Of course, between Ian, Rob and King there are differences, but if something can be added here is that he is the epitome of falsetto singing, you like it or not.

'A Mansion in the Darkness' and 'The Family Ghost' are two of a kind, both with facemelting riffs, striking singing and the most frantic rythmic lines ever. LaRocque and Denner take all the points with the guitar work in this majestic couple. Timi Hansen deserves lots of credit with his work in the bass, specially in the first three songs.

After this rollercoaster of heavy metal punches, a slow down was unavoidable. Yet, the songs are excellent, good enough to keep you tuned. The storyteller '7th Day of July, 1777' is revealing for the lyrics, essential for understanding the plot and somo solos are beyond conception. 'Omens' does the same thing, is straightforward, simple but full of energy. Then, 'The Possession' with unmatched theatrical shred of singing and lyrics. King never achieved the same effect in other songs, while most of them are pretty good ones as well. These three songs are the pathway for the major moment.

'Abigail' has a legendary reputation. Visionary, revolutionary, beyond its time, the song is a field of magic powers from every member of the band. To say the opposite is to not understand the true beauty of heavy metal. Everything is perfected, crafted with the most subtle work and whatever quote you would like to give it to explain something beyond explanation. 'The Black Horsemen' is the epic conclusion for the thing, from other world, from another realm.

King Diamond amazed us with many new and great releases after this album, but no one reached the ammount of talent and perfection that can be found in 'Abigail', and well, the thing is that "Abigail is in control of our brains, Abigail, AAHHH!!" (Yeah, whatnot).

Though his entire catalog from 1986-1990 was unstoppable, Abigail is one of two flawless masterpieces King Diamond produced in the career of his 'solo' band. Boasting a creepy tale of ghostly visitations and potential infanticide, the follow-up to Fatal Portrait is the perfect, rich grounds for King to stalk about with his shattering falsetto and wicked tales of omens and classic horror. But the true wealth of Abigail is its abundant riffing: every chord, every note carefully laid into the fabric of the narrative, and King's best ever backing lineup in place to deliver perfection (Timi Hansen, Mikkey Dee, Michael Denner, and of course the guitar god Andy La Rocque).

"Funeral" is a portentous inauguration for the record, with King doing numerous whispered voices above some synths that swell into a classical formation before the chomping chords of "Arrival" march into the dark European landscape, grounding the wailing, ghostlike melodies that cavort into the moonlight. The song is like a circus of WHAT TO DO RIGHT WITH A METAL SONG. Though loaded with riffs and beautiful leadwork, it still allows for Diamond's vocals to lead the festivities, multi-channel falsettos erupting like caroling, malevolent spirits. If the man's voice bothers you, your opinion isn't going to change with this album, and you can fuck off. "A Mansion in Darkness" offers graceful speed metal with a majestic bridge, bathed once more in unforgettable riffing and dense moonlight. The leads are beyond elegant.

"The Family Ghost" is one of the best remembered tracks from the album, and for a good reason. It's an ever shifting narrative track with some groove laden rhythms, including THAT riff, the one at 2:53, the one that has ruined a good many pairs of shorts in my lifetime. "The 7th Day Of July 1777" begins with beautiful acoustics, something King's band has always excelled at with every work, and transforms into a raging elegy of homicidal horror. "Omens" creates a colossal, but hollow groove through which the mischief of spirits and portents floats through like a nexus, and "The Possession" has some fist shaking, angry rhythms below Diamond's eccentric poetry.

'On the very next morning
When the mist was eaten away by the sun,
Miriam grew hour by hour, and Jonathan he cried.
He knew the ghost had been telling the truth.'

"Abigail" is another classic imprint into the King's discography, with more of La Rocque's unforgettable riffing and a rather complex, winding structure that helps progress the story. "Black Horseman" is the album's final piece (not counting bonus tracks for the CD editions), intro'd with a fine acoustic elegy before the powerful, glorious rhythm guitars enter, once more beneath the moonlit melodies.

This is how you build a metal record, and it's difficult to find any fault unless you're an avid despiser of the falsetto vocals employed. There are more quality riffs on this single album than most bands can produce in their career, and it's but one in a long change of masterworks produced by this creative individual and his rock solid backing band during the latter half of the 80s. Even if you're listening to the original release, before any remasters, the album is beautiful, and impeccable. Though I slightly prefer 1990's The Eye for King's as the masterpiece of his career, Abigail is a reasonable argument, more than worthy of the honor.

Highlights: Press Play. Once the disc has stopped spinning, press Play again.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

With the same line-up and encouraged by the acceptance that Fatal Portrait received from the fans, King Diamond released in 1987 one of the best, if not THE best, albums of their career, by the title Abigail. This is their first whole concept album and it tells of a horror story, of those that King particularly loves. A true nightmare unfolds through the lyrics and King’s “insanity” is fully revealed. The music that dresses the album, besides from being one step ahead from its predecessor, claims a theatrical character as well. Every side of the story comes alive through the inspired performances of King and the paranoid guitar riffs of Denner/La Rocque, whose role has been upgraded, something that straightly reflects in the music content of Abigail.

The small Funeral intro is the beginning to this nightmare. The first riff of Arrival enters and the song develops into a heavy storm with the guitars changing place at the front line. King diamond changes his singing tones so often and with such great ease from low to high and the atmosphere is simply horrifying. A Mansion in Darkness follows at a faster tempo with sharp guitars and clever breaks, so confusing and luring at the same time.

The Family Ghost is another heavy track, no so fast but steady and firm. Its solo is one of the best in the album, brilliantly composed and excellently played. The 7th Day of July 1777-now that’s a strange title-begins with acoustic guitars but shortly after the metal riffs fill the air as King unveils the plot of the story. Mickey Dee has always been a skillful drummer and he strongly proves it here with his hard drum playing. It is one of the top moments of the album both in context of music and lyrics.

Omens is THE song of the album. “Deadly omens” screams King with his shrieky voice while the guitars, bass and drums bomb your brain with heavy melodies as the killing goes on with each song. I think it is among the best five compositions of the band and one of the best in heavy metal. The Possession comes next with strong and firm bass and drums, but it loses points due to a break in the middle that sounds a bit strange. It’s just a tiny flaw compared to the perfection of Abigail…

…Which is the title of one more masterpiece in the album. The oriental intro is kind of surprising but SO damn good and inspired. The guitar work is just amazing here. It is as if the duo has been playing together for years. There is also a wonderful keyboard section that is basically the songs fade-out which has fitted in perfectly. The closing song is called Black Horsemen and, how strange, is a fantastic epic of 7:30 minutes. Many changes in rhythm, breaks, solos the lot, is to be found here. It’s a musical maze and only when it ends can you find your way out.

Abigail is a perfectly well balanced album with all the songs being way above average. It set very high standards for their future albums and it established King Diamond as a band. Every fan of Mercyful Fate responded to its’ unholy call creating a solid fan core for them. This is their best release by far.

The first King Diamond song I ever heard was "Give Me Your Soul", off his album "Give Me Your Soul...Please". I saw the music video for it on Headbanger's ball (same way I first heard In Flames) and laughed my ass off at how pathetic the video (and everything about it) seemed. I researched his music, and wondered how anyone could enjoy such terrible music. Eventually however, I grew to respect King Diamond to some extent after I had a quick lesson in traditional metal with Dio's "Holy Diver". Eventually I decided it was time to give a King Diamond album a shot, so I downloaded one of his albums (the way I usually get into a band I'm not sure about as money is extremly tight for me at the moment), the classic "Abigail".

The first thing I heard was a creepy keyboard opening behind a creepy old woman's voice. Very cool. Then we hear a Emperor-like symphonic keyboard melody. The song immediatly launches into a metal track called "Arrival", which's opening riff is utterly classic. Then we hear King saying something like "That must be it!" followed by a really cool guitar solo. Finally, in comes King's vocals. His lower vocals sound identical to Attila of Mayhem (always a plus), and his high vocals are some of the most epic falsettos ever. King also helps pioneer extreme metal vocals here, with black metal shreiks and some Chuck Schuldiner circa "Scream Bloody Gore"-esque death growls commonly appearing on the album (the former being far more common than the latter) in songs like "Omens", "Abigail", "Black Horsemen", and many more. I don't know about you, but the fact that he uses all my favourite vocal techniques (death growls, creepy deep singing, and falsetto) really gets me attached to this. He's no Mike Patton, but he's not far behind.

The guitarists on the album are Andy LaRocque and Michael Denner. I have no fucking idea who Michael Denner is, but Andy LaRocque played guitar on Death's "Individual Thought Patterns", which if I remember correctly, contained some of Death's coolest riffs and not to mention some kickass solos. Here it really shows, too. His solos and riffs never get old. For instance, the main riff to "The Family Ghost" is the perfect traditional metal riff (and the solo later in that song is really cool too), and the intro to "7th Day of July 1777" (stupid name for a song though) is pretty sweet, and the solo later in that song shows some really cool neo-classical influence (always a plus for a solo).

The main problums I see here are the fact that nothing really stands out exept for the vocals and the guitars. The drums and bass can be heard without much strain, but neither ever does anything truly interesting or noteworthy (making it a musical problum, not a production problum). The music is still good though, even if it's a little biased towards what people typically focus on in music, with little extra. There are also keyboards, which supply a very symphonic element to this album. I'm reminded of Emperor's classic "In the Nightside Eclipse" on this album, the way the keyboards were

This is a concept album, obviously. Oddly enough, it was King Diamond's first concept as a solo artist (if you could really call this his solo carrer). Odd because the concept is very unifying, and every song easily ties together and there's not a million different ideas lying around on the table that all go into completly different places, yet the ideas all sound fresh and new, like the band had a shitload of inspiration when they wrote this, which takes alot of time to master.

Overall, although slightly overrated, King Diamond's "Abigail" is a suprisingly solid work of what I like to call "blackened traditonal metal". It's not only good, but also very fun, and good to listen to on a dark night when it's storming, or at a halloween party.

Best tracks:

"Abigail" (for it's awesome neo-classical riffs in the beginning and awesome use of black metal vocals and keyboards, probably the best track here)
"Omens" (for the crazy falsetto vocals in the chorus where he sings "Deadly...OMENNNNSS" and the heavy opening riff)
"The Family Ghost" (for it's overall catchiness in all aspects)
"7th Day of July 1777" (for it's epic sound)
"Black Horsemen" (for the really cool intro, and the amazing acoustic guitar solo)

9.1/10

...King Diamond may have done it in '87. In 1985, the year metal masters Mercyful Fate split up due to Hank Shermann's antics, King Diamond shored up Timi Hansen and Michael Denner from the broken Fate, found Andy la Rocque and Mikkey Dee, and last but not least, got to work. The next year, King Diamond released Fatal Portrait, a great solo debut even if it was inferior to its Mercyful Fate predecessors. This time though we get a wonderful concept in full form, starting a chain of fully-conceptual King albums.

Abigail is undoubtedly one of the greatest albums of all time. The first thing I want to call attention to here is the picture perfect song writing. The first two King Diamond albums are more straightforward than his later technical, a style which I personally prefer from King albums. Like Fatal Portrait, though, it still has it's progressive, ever-changing songs, which is actually a good thing. The album wouldn't be quite as classic if it was just an unintelligent, straightforward romp, would it? So what we find here is the perfect balance: less simplistic than Fatal Portrait, but nowhere near as technical as the sometimes overbearing "Them". Don't get me wrong, though, nothing is plain and simple here!

The vocals of Kind Diamond are as astonishing as usual, perhaps even more so than on their debut. The tendencies on vocals are probably half high-pitched notes and half demonic, low growls, which is more reminiscent of the Mercyful Fate days than on Portrait, which is mostly dominated by higher pitched vocals (that was fine though, considering how freakin' awesome both of his styles are.) Placement of vocals varies, using his amazingly wide range on all tracks. In other words there won't be a song where all he uses is his low vocals, or vice versa. The King's vocals seem to be either hated or loved, no in between, which comes as no surprise to me; why would anyone have an open mind, anyway?

Guitar is performed flawlessly. The tone is always right for the music written, which is a sort of dark and gritty sound. The galloping rhythms don't take the King's vocal spotlight, which is mainly due to the incredible quality of the production. Solos and leads are awesomely played, and they prove that you don't always need to be breaking the speed of sound to come off as heavy. And trust me, there are plenty of solos to be had here; an average of 2 or 3 per song, to be exact. Bass is performed adequately by Timi Hansen, and you can hear it in all the right places, the nooks and crannies between vocal and guitar rhythms and parts where there's not much else going on axe-wise.

The drums on Abigail marks Mikkey Dee's best performance with King Diamond. What makes them so great is not so much that the drums sound extremely good due to the production value (which they do), it's the placement of the drums, specifically where they are. Every cymbal, every beat is crafted and placed with care. Chalk another one up to the expert writing of King Diamond. He really never fails. As for production, I've already alluded to the fact that it is excellent in pretty much every way. Every instrument has the right tone and the perfect volume. Now for the tracks...

Funeral is the standard King Diamond intro, and it's remarkably similar to the one on Fatal Portrait. It does open up the story pretty nicely, however. Arrival is the first real track. It opens up with a rather long intro of fast and flashy guitar solos in quick secession. Arrival introduces the excellent vocal verses on the album, which are always catchy and smartly written rhythmatically. A Mansion in Darkness is one of my favorite King tunes, and keeps that catchy verse streak going. It is one of the more simplistic, classic metal songs on the album. The Family Ghost is the first of two completely progressive songs on Abigail. In fact, the only repeating factor of the song is the vocal rhythm of two lines, and that is only used thrice in the song.

The 7th Day of July 1777 is a memorable song lyrically, but musically it's nothing exceptional. Nice guitar work, though. Omens is an awesome song, and it is very forcibly performed. You can really feel the raw metal power radiating off of this masterpiece, which can be said about the album in it's entirety, I suppose. The Possession is the shortest real song, and it is also the album's most simplistic. There's definitely some haunting material in there. Abigail (the song) is pretty progressive, and it goes along a similar formula that Arrival takes. It is also nearly the same in length. The closer Black Horsemen is a masterwork, and it is progressive through and through. The slowest and most atmospheric of the album, Black Horsemen clocks in at about eight minutes, and it's the perfect way to end the album.

Newer versions (most notably the Roadrunner 25th anniversary edition, which includes a bonus live DVD) include original b-side Shrine, and like Fatal Portrait's b-side The Lake, it's of extremely high quality and I can't believe it didn't make the original album. The 25th Ann. also includes rough mixes of A Mansion in Darkness, The Family Ghost and The Possession, which are so close to the final mix it is impressive. It's all a very good package, either if you get the newer rerelease or the original copy.

Well, there's almost no topping this album, really, it's just too incredible. I don't just hand this score out, after all. Abigail is undoubtedly the best King Diamond album, and in my opinion, there is some really big competition among his catalog, making best King album an incredible distinction. The vocals and all instruments are just performed brilliantly and written expertly. Abigail is not only a must for King Diamond and Mercyful Fate fans, but it is essential to any metal fan. Just sit back, enjoy the music, and headbang!

While I don't worship or love Mercyful Fate (nor King Diamond's voice), I was very interested in this record, mainly because its concept. I love occult themed stories and such, so witches, corpses, ghosts, spirits, etc. are good subjects to talk about on an album, in my opinion. The incredible average rating of “Abigail” here on the Archives (NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT) also persuaded me to give some spins to the record, after all, an album with so much positive review must be good or, at least, decent, isn't it?

First of all, I have to praise King Diamond for not including stupid, pretentious interludes on “Abigail”. The biggest reason why many concept albums are so bad is because of those pointless little tracks that are just there to show more things about the story to the listener; in my opinion, a good concept album doesn't need stupid interludes, what really matters are the SONGS, the real songs. Again, this record deserves some extra points just for that fact. The lack of interludes also give to the real songs more, how can I say it, “individual power”; basically, you can listen to this record as a whole or individually, and the listening experience remains great, which is a thing not very common on other concept albums.

Although not being a special King Diamond fan, I must say that his performance here blows away his works with Mercyful Fate. While I think his falsetto is a bit annoying, I admit that his voice is powerful, fitting the music very well. His lyrics, while not speaking anymore about funerals and Satan (fortunately!), are great on this record, they are very clear and tell the story perfectly. And what is the story about? Basically, it speaks about Miriam and Jonathan, who are married and inherit a mansion. In that mansion died Abigail, one of the main characters of the concept... Ahh, and I won't spoil the story further, so better listen to the album or read the lyrics, right?

Another superb thing about this record is the strong guitar work, there are amazing solos and riffs on this piece, giving to this album a very special power metal flavour at times (check out the beginning of “A Mansion in Darkness”). The drumming is also top notch, Mikkey Dee being the sticksman and what a drummer he is! Dynamic, energic and technical at times, a very good musician indeed - if he was bad he wouldn't be with Motörhead now, right?

Highlights? A small (and creepy) intro, driven by some keyboard lines, leads us to “Arrival”, one of the best songs of the album. I simply love the lyrics, with King Diamond's vocals complementing them perfectly well. This song has a very special atmosphere too, it's like we are really living the story, it's just amazing. “A Mansion in Darkness” follows and is another tremendous song, the beginning of it wouldn't sound out of place on a power metal album. “The Family Ghost” is decent, being the next tune. “The 7th day of July 1777” is my favourite song, though, it begins very softly, with some good acoustic guitar lines (later repeated on the last track, “Black Horsemen”), progressing then to a headbangable metal section, complemented by a majestic King Diamond, singing the somber lyrics. The chorus is pretty addictive too (“And he push her down the stairs... too diiiiieee! NO! She crieeeeeeeed!!”).

And now the low points... “Omens” is the worst of the bunch, an aimless song that carries one of the most annoying chorus ever. God, that's horrible. “Abigail”, the title track, is decent and so is “The Possession”. Both are extremely forgettable though. “Black Horsemen” tries hard to be an epic number but it fails, being a solid track but not the masterpiece that many say it is. It has an excellent middle section and outro though, so it's far from a filler.

This last part of the record is what really kills it. The whole listening experience is extremely harmed by it and so is the durability of “Abigail”. Nevertheless, this album is a good purchase for any power metal/heavy metal fan out there and if you like King Diamond's vocals... Even better!

Best Moments of the CD:
-the middle section of “A Mansion in Darkness”.
-“Beware of the slippery stairs... You could easily FAAAAAAAAL and break your neck!”.
-The chorus of “7th day of July 1777”.

One last word to the remastered version of this record: I recommend to get it instead of the original version, not only has some bonus tracks but also has a better sound and the music really benefits from it. A recommended record, get it and enjoy this creepy journey.

“And that's the end of another lullaby... Time has come for me to say goodnight...”

King fucking Diamond. Who doesn't know this guy? In addition to fronting the original Satanic messengers of metal, Mercyful Fate, he started using this solo outlet to weave his powerful, dark, and horrifying conceptual tales, all while providing some rightfully boot-to-ass heavy metal along the way. This was his sophomore album, and my very first experience with the King's work.

Abigail is a concept album, as many of King's solo efforts would turn out to be. It carefully weaves a story of betrayal, deceit, and demonic possession into the speedy, occultish heavy metal trappings the music boasts. Every time I get into one of King's stories, I always think they'd be such great horror flicks in comparison to the tripe we're force-fed today by Hollywood. All of them are intricately woven, with a surprising sense of storytelling mastery in the lyrics, which is very impressive, considering most other lyricists in the metal world couldn't even dream of bringing a story to life like King does here. Once "Arrival" cranks up, you're drawn into the 18th century, where an evil spirit is about, lurking in the shadows...and then there's really no drawing out until the final notes of "Black Horsemen" recede into the night.

Musically, this album is fiendishly consistant. A short intro piece to lead in the assault, and then the destruction begins, 8 solid tracks of hard-hitting, melodic and dark heavy metal, backed by King Diamond's instantly recognizable falsetto. You won't find a single weak track here, since this is short, fast, and powerful. There isn't really any room for fillers or duds, since this is a mere 40 minute album, and King's songwriting prowess was more than enough to keep it going. Although he could've certainly kept it up for another 20 minutes and I'd never get bored. And while the solos and riffs are certainly there, enhanced with a sleek and melodious production, they don't overwhelm the songs at all, nor do they fade into the background to let the story shine, as they sometimes would on later offerings. No, King had created a wholesome album full of rock-solid songs that will never grow old in the least.

I mentioned King's vocals, but I feel that I should go a bit more into depth on them. For the un-initiated, his voice is really not like anyone else's in the metal scene. It's unmistakably King Diamond, and anyone else who even tried to sound like this would most likely be labeled as a poser or a pale imitator. While in the Mercyful Fate days, he utilized both a deep growl and a shrieking, window-shattering falsetto, here he mainly sticks to his falsettos, throwing in a few multi-tracked vocals and harsh, demonic rasps for variety and extra effect in the storytelling. It works, too, for no other voice on the planet would ever work belting out the lyrics contained here. I must mention that Andy LaRocque was already a master soloist, shredding like there's no tomorrow. His solos always did give me a power metallish vibe, although it's very vague on this disc. The riffs are crunchy and well produced, even thrashy at times, and always headbangable. The drums, courtesy of Mikky Dee, are absolutely world class, keeping up the beat with energy to spare, and they sound great. So musically, this is no slouch either.

This album is indeed rock solid with no real flaws. But I can't help but view this as a sort of...stepping stone, for King's later works. It's a blazing, screaming assault of heavy metal mastery, and everything is very well played, but I don't think this is the zenith of King's profession. His music still had a lot of room to grow on this album, and his storytelling would also mature quite a lot. This album to me sounds like a youthful explosion of energetic metal, just like most of the rest of the 80s was, and it was only King's sophomore effort, which makes it even more impressive. Most bands can't make such solid albums 10 years into their career, and here was King showing them all up with class and style along with the aforementioned metal mastery. However, as I stated, King had a lot of room to grow. I don't consider this the best King Diamond release, for later he'd become an even more prolific songwriter, with more varied and musically proficient songs, better vocals, and improved storytelling grandeur. But it's still essential, so, go get it already.

As most of us can admit, King Diamond’s debut album, ‘Fatal Portraits’ wasn’t that good. In fact, it quite disappointed me. But then, a year later, it was made up. Abigail was released, becoming an instant classic. No one can deny that ‘Abigail’ beats ‘Fatal Portraits’ by miles. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that ‘Abigail’ beats any King Diamond album. This album has it all.

Firstly, let me state that this album has a huge lack of fillers. From beginning to end the songs are great. Some weaker than the others, but all highly above average. For instance… this album boasts the two unforgettable King Diamond classics, ‘A Mansion In Darkness’ and ‘The Family Ghost.’ Both these tracks are two out of three of my favorite King Diamond songs. (The third one being ‘Welcome Home’ from King Diamond’s “Them” album).

King Diamond’s vocals are unmatchable. His high falsetto voice fits in with the shrieking guitars perfectly, and when the atmosphere has the need for it, he can sing very well in his lower range as well. His choruses are catchy as hell, and don’t seem to be in the least bit annoying. I say this because before I heard King Diamond’s voice and someone described it to me, being as high as it is, I imagined something along the lines of Mickey Mouse on helium. That is definitely not the case here. If there’s one thing that’s perfect on here, that would be the vocals.

But no, that wouldn’t be right. Vocals are definitely not the only thing that is perfect on this album, as the guitars sound fucking amazing as well. Andy’s guitarplaying improved by far since ‘Fatal Portraits’ and throughout all of the ‘Abigail’ album we are given unforgettable riffs and amazing sophisticated solos. I have to stress this fact, the sophistication of the riffs and solos. They never get boring, no matter how much you listen to them. That is one of the most amazing things about this album. No matter how long you listen to it, it grows on you some more each time.

Of course, the production is amazing as well. Crystal clear vocal; perfectly mixed guitars and percussion. It all works together very well. No one part is too loud of too quiet, which I find happens often on older metal albums. But not here. Amazing production creates the amazing listening experience that is King Diamond.

Lastly, there is the story line. Because yes, I think I forgot to mention, this IS a concept album. I won’t go into details about the plot, so let me just summarize. King Diamond tells the story of Abigail, who was born dead on the 7th Day of July, 1777. She was nailed to a coffin and guarded by the Black Horseman so she may never cause evil again, until a couple, Jonathan and Mirian LaFey, relatives on the dead baby, unknowing of the horrors which took place in the mansion, decide to move in. The plot, although not specially sophisticated, it IS interesting and I always find it a nice addition to the album.

So why not the perfect score? There is one small thing about the album that I do not like, but I simply cannot put my finger on what it is exactly. Don’t get me wrong; it’s an amazing album. It’s just that when you listen to the whole album beginning to end, although each song by itself is a classic, something doesn’t seem to fit in. Either way, it’s a great album, and a worthy purchase: King Diamond’s best work to date.

-Marcin C.

Considered by many to be King Diamond’s first great release, Abigail is a tour-de-force of concept based CD’s. Most of you know probably know, or are familiar with the basis of the story for Abigail, but in case you are not, it tells a horrific story involving possession and betrayal set in a 18th century Mansion. I won’t go into specifics to spoil the story if you’re not familiar with it, but rest assured it is very interesting.

The first thing that is apparent when listening to Abigail is the guitar work. Andy LaRocque and Michael Denner absolutely smoke on every song, especially LaRocque. Just listen to the riffs and leads on “Arrival” and “A Mansion In Darkness”; the guitar work on these songs contain some of the catchiest and dark melodies of their time and still hold up well today. Other songs are very good from a guitar stand point as even a slight technical flair can be heard on “Omens” and present on almost every track is at least two or three leads, some which feature Denning and LaRocque taking turns. Denning is a very good player but even LaRocque one-ups Denning with his melodic and shredding solos and riffs. Meanwhile backing this all up is Timi Hansen and Micky Dee who make for one hell of a rhythm section. Hansen provides with some very catchy and audible bass work while Micky Dee pounds away with well-done double bass and semi-technical patterns. Of course, this is all delivered with some excellent production. I’m not sure how the remaster sounds but the original is not bad at all. The sound is a little muted like most 80’s release but the bass is audible and the mix is very good.

Song arrangement wise, Abigail mixes more progressive and technical tracks with a couple of songs that are a little more straight forward, but not simple. Typically speaking these songs are up-tempo, especially “The Possession” which probably features the most double bass, along with pounding riffs. Meanwhile the closing track “Black Horsemen” is a well-crafted progressive track with an acoustic break in the middle. Like him or not, there is no denying that King Diamond’s vocal delivery is truly unique. The King uses his falsetto a lot on here and it works well since most of the lyrics are spoken dialogue by a character in the story, so this helps add a haunting and ghostly presence to the CD. And that’s one of the highlights here: the atmosphere. Whether or not you’re reading along to the lyrics, the songs give off an aura and atmosphere that fits the topic perfectly. It’s a combination of the dark riffs/melodies and Diamond’s vocals which do this and they work in conjunction with each other on a very high level, which goes to show the clever song writing that is present.

Overall the strong point of this CD is the song writing and arrangements, not in one particular individual aspect such as the guitars or vocals. It is the combination of everything that just fits so well. Every change up and break is placed well and each song has something to offer which makes listening to Abigail multiple times enjoyable. That’s not to say that the leads aren’t amazing, or that vocal phrasing doesn’t fit very well, but the song writing is the main thing here because without the quality song writing the story and atmosphere wouldn’t be able to come to life, which in my opinion would ruin the whole King Diamond experience.

Low points are few and far between, "The 7th Day Of July 1777” is probably the weakest song though it does have a memorable chorus, and there are a couple of vocal lines that don’t fit well together, but Diamond still did an excellent job singing the dialogue in a way that fits the music. This is one of those releases that Heavy Metal fans should definitely own because it offers a lot on many different levels.

Song Highlights: Arrival, A Mansion In Darkness, The Family Ghost, Omens, The Possession, and Abigail.

I just recently managed to get my hands on this masterpiece of an album. I've been listening to King Diamond/Mercyful Fate for a while now, and out of all the albums I've heard, Abigail is the best so far.

With the line-up above, the band couldn't do anything wrong. Mikkey Dee left to join Motorhead, but the Diamond-La Rocque combination was all that was needed to keep the band intact.

You may be thinking that due to this album being released in the 80s, that it is a cheap, cheesy metal affair - on the contrary! This album is 100% cheese-less. The guitar work is clean cut (on the remastered CD) and many of the riffs have been "borrowed" by other bands since this album was released.

To classify King Diamond as simply Heavy metal is not possible. Throughout the album, there are melodic vocals and guitar work, along with dark, atmospheric moments. It's hard to pick a favorite track, because they are all excellent. "The Possession" or "Black Horsemen" are probably at the top of the list for my favorite tracks on the album. Both have clean guitar work, along with some heavy parts - makes for a lot of headbanging!

However, I feel I cannot give this album a perfect score. There are some parts that just don't seem to fit in. Still, it is a classic metal album that you should check out.

After the fairly weak debut Fatal Portrait King came back with the godly Abigail. One of the best metal albums of all time, Abigail is King's first full concept album. Abigail tells the story of a stillborn child that must come back to make things right after her mother is murdered before she is born. That's all I'll say because you really need to learn it for yourself. Andy LaRocque really grew between the two records. His performance hear is godly, tons of shredding neo-classical solos and great melodies. Michael Denner is also improved since FP though this is his last King Diamond album. Mikkey Dee is also much better then on Fatal Portrait. His great double bass and killer fills are now in full form. Timi Hansen's thumping basslines are also more pronounced. After the very creepy intro, Funeral, Abigail kicks off with one of the songs on the album, Arrival. Similar songs, Mansion In Darkness, The Family Ghost, and The 7th Day of July 1777 also kick massive ass. The albums epic closing track, Black Horsemen, rounds things out on this great album. But the story doesn't end with Black Horsemen, we all know it continued on Abigail II:The Revenge. The RoadrunneR reissue features a great song not on the album, Shrine. It didn't fit the story so it was left off. It also has rough mixes of Mansion In Darkness, The Family Ghost, and The Possession. You must own this album, if you don't then may King have mercy on you.