KING DIAMOND — The Eye (review)

Album · 1990 · Heavy Metal

5/5 · 2023-02-09
UMUR

"The Eye" is the 5th full-length studio album by multi-national heavy metal act King Diamond. The album was released through Roadrunner Records in October 1990. It´s the successor to "Conspiracy" from 1989 and features one lineup change since the predecessor as drummer Mikkey Dee is replaced by fellow Swede Snowy Shaw.

With the conclusion of the two-album horror story which began on "Them (1988)" and ended on "Conspiracy (1989)", King Diamond opted to change the lyrical approach a little on "The Eye", which is a concept story influenced by real-life events which occured during the French Inquisition, 1450-1670 (the names of the involved parties are the names of real people who lived in those days) mixed with a fantasy story about a cursed necklace called "The Eye".

"The Eye" is not one story, but several stories (told by a narrator) with the cursed necklace being the elememt connecting the different stories into a combined concept story. The album opens with "Eye of the Witch", which tells the listener that if you look into the eye of the cursed necklace you will be taken back in time experiencing all the horrors or the Inquisition. The story than jumps to the trial and torture of accused witch named Jeanne Dibasson (told during the absolutely brilliant "The Trial (Chambre Ardente)") and her death by burning at the stake. Apparently Dibasson or another burned witch/woman had been wearing the necklace called "The Eye", because shortly after the execution two little girls are playing in the ashes and find the necklace. One of them is curious and looks into the eye, which leads to her death (or maybe insanity I´m not sure).

Then another story involving "The Eye" begins on "Into the Convent". It´s the story of the young French girl Madeleine Bavent, who after being rejected by the man she is in love with (which is how I interpret the lyric line: "Her Feelings were not shared") and apparently had sex with (there´s some lines about sin and shame, which leads me to conclude this), enters the Louviers convent to become a nun. Unfortunately for her Father David, who is the Chaplain of the convent repeatedly rapes her, until one day she finds "The Eye", puts on the necklace, and shows it to Father David, who looks into the eye of the necklace and dies.

So you would think the poor girl was now free to live her solitary nun life at the convent, but a new Chaplain (Father Picard) arrives with even worse intentions than the previous one. He drugs the nuns and under false pretence makes them participate in the kidnapping, and ritual torture and murder of childen. The French authorities arrest Father Picard and the nuns, and Picard is executed while the nuns (including Madeleine) are all charged with demonic possession and served to spend the rest of their lives in prison. After having lived a life of suffering Madeleine has gone insane but she is actually relieved, which is expressed very well in the final lyric line on "1642 Imprisonment", which says: "In the year of 1642, Madeline was leaving hell, in 1642 she Found freedom in her prison cell".

"The Curse" which closes the album is another track like "Eye of the Witch" explaining a little more about the necklace and the power the bearer of the necklace possessses, but also the horrors which are shown to the persons who look into the eye of the necklace will experience. So it´s definitely a different approach to writing a concept story than the more linear told horror stories of the previous three King Diamond albums. But it works.

King Diamond (the singer, not the band) is in fine form and his vocals are more varied than ever on "The Eye", singing more mid-range parts, although there are still plenty of high pitched screams and harmonies to enjoy. The instrumental part of the music is skillfully performed too. Sharp and heavy guitar riffs, harmonies, and ultra melodic guitar solos (the album is loaded with one brilliant solo after another), along with a strong playing rhythm section (and some atmosphere enhancing keyboards). The drums on the album have been the focus of a lot of controversy over the years, as many have insisted that Shaw didn´t play a single hit/beat on the album, but that the drums were instead programmed. According to King Diamond that´s not true though, as he claims that the arguably artificial drum sound is Shaw playing on drum pads (electronic drums). Personally I didn´t notice that anything was off about the drumming or the drum sound, back when "The Eye" was released, but reviewing the album in retrospect I understand the various conspiracy theories. I guess it´s one of those cases where you just have to listen for yourself and either trust King Diamond when he says it´s Shaw playing or chose not to.

While the drum sound may turn off some listeners, the sound production on the album is overall powerful, detailed, and well sounding, suiting the material perfectly. The soundscape is a bit more clear and polished than on the preceding releases, but never at the expense of power and heavy metal rawness. So upon conclusion "The Eye" is yet another high quality album release by King Diamond. It´s quite unique sounding and also stands out in the band´s discography and to my ears it´s one of the peaks of the band´s career. A 5 star (100%) rating is fully deserved.