KING DIAMOND — The Spider's Lullabye (review)

KING DIAMOND — The Spider's Lullabye album cover Album · 1995 · Heavy Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
2.5/5 ·
Warthur
King Diamond set about recording this album almost as soon as the sessions for Mercyful Fate's Time were concluded - and to be honest, it sounds like a rather half-hearted collection of ideas which weren't good enough for that excellent release. With occasional slips in the production (in particular, the drums seem to be really strangely mixed to my ears), the album also lacks the narrative cohesive which listeners have come to expect from King Diamond albums, with only the last few songs forming a narrative (and not a particularly compelling or interesting one at that).

On the whole, the lack of verve, flair, and strong compositions on the album makes me wonder precisely why it was recorded. Was it a contractural commitment? Was it deemed necessary to keep the King Diamond brand in the public mind whilst the Mercyful Fate reunion went from strength to strength? Did the recording of Time get wrapped up sooner than everyone expected, leaving King with some studio time booked out that he didn't want to let go to waste? Was it merely an attempt to put on record some rejected songs from the Time sessions? I find myself compelled to speculate, because it certainly seems to me that this album was not recorded because King found the material on it particularly inspiring or worthwhile. Listening to this and Time next to each other, it's hard not to come to the conclusion that the Mercyful Fate reunion was King's top priority at this point in time and his solo band was relegated to mere side project status.
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