King Diamond: Songs For The Dead Live – Philadelphia Concert Review
King Diamond has been through hell and back. It all started after the release of Give Me Your Soul…Please. In 2007, a painful herniated disc left the legendary vocalist immobilized. The North American tour was cancelled. Patient fans wished him well and waited for signs of life from the King Diamond camp.
More bad news came in 2010. Several blocked arteries necessitated triple bypass heart surgery. The invasive procedure was agonizing and the extensive recovery time left many wondering if King Diamond would ever return to the stage.
Signs of life came in 2012 with a brief appearance at Metallica’s 30th anniversary concert. The following year King returned with a pair of European festival appearances. A small headlining tour visited select cities before several amphitheater performances with the Mayhem Festival tour in 2015. King Diamond was back!
As a lifetime worshipper of the mighty King Diamond, I was ecstatic when finding out that he would perform Abigail in its entirety. News that a concert would be filmed in my hometown sweetened the deal. I immediately bought tickets and endured the countdown until November.
The Fillmore was a brand new venue in Philadelphia. My initial impression was that it was too NICE for a metal show. Comfortable lounges with leather couches allowed patrons to sprawl out and gaze at high-tech LED screens. The venue is miles apart from the dive clubs that nurtured the original metal scene.
Exodus opened the show with “Zetro” on vocals. They immediately launched into the classic “Deranged.” Exodus knows the way to a true metal head’s heart. Play vintage, under-represented songs and you will please the hardcore fan base.
After Exodus, I retreated upstairs to enjoy the fancy leather couches. I’ve been doing this my entire life. Rather than wait in a sweaty crowd for the headliner to begin, I’d enjoy a beverage upstairs. When the main act came on, I’d push through the crowd, dive headfirst into the pit, and wind up within the first 10 rows.
Moments before King Diamond appeared I returned to the dance floor. My jaw dropped. The venue had filled to capacity during my short reprieve. There was barely standing room on a floor that was double the size of where King Diamond performed in the 90’s. Clearly his absence had enhanced demand.
Another observation took me by surprise as I glanced around the packed dance floor. The audience was distinctly older than anticipated. Although I’m not old enough to have seen the original Abigail tour, Conspiracy was the current album when I discovered metal. It was strange to ponder that I was possibly the youngest King Diamond fan in Philadelphia.
As the lights grew dim, the familiar sounds of “Out From the Asylum” transported us all back to 1988. Tonight was about Abigail, but Them remains my favorite album. I anxiously waited the opening drum fill to fight my way up front.
Moments later the band launched into “Welcome Home.” I was in shock. Even as King Diamond screeched “GRANDMAAA,” there was absolutely no movement on the dance floor. There would be no mosh pit in Philadelphia.
From my vantage point in the rear, I settled in and watched Kind Diamond rip through classic songs of my youth. Fatal Portrait, Them, Conspiracy, and The Eye were all represented along with two Mercyful Fate songs.
Once the recording of “Funeral” filled the PA, the main event had arrived. Each song from the 1986 classic was performed with an accuracy that matched every nuance of the studio recording. November 25th, 2015 proved to be a night to remember for Philadelphia metal fans.
Upon leaving the venue, I contemplated how lucky we were to have such a phenomenal concert professionally documented. The upcoming DVD would be a souvenir of heavy metal bliss. Just like when you buy concert tickets months in advance, the waiting game had begun.
2016 came and went. No DVD. 2017 also passed without a release date. Then 2018 faded away. The years were literally passing by and there was STILL no DVD. Given the setbacks and inactivity of the previous decade, one wondered what was happening behind the scenes. Would the DVD ever be finished? My assumption was the project had been abandoned.
In January of 2019, the concert was FINALLY released as Songs for the Dead Live. As a bonus, the Blu-Ray and DVD contained an additional show filmed at an outdoor Belgium festival.
Setlists from both shows are identical. The only value here is presenting King Diamond in different settings. Although King Diamond DESERVES to play the world’s largest stages, his dark persona is better suited to darkened indoor theatres. Philadelphia is clearly the better show.
Metal Blade has presented the concert in a variety of formats. Fans willing to forgo the visual element may opt for a double live LP on colored vinyl.
The three-disc package may be the best way to own the live rendition of Abigail. In addition to a DVD, two CDs document both recorded shows. Anyone that resists the allure of vinyl will receive the best of both worlds with a DVD/CD purchase.
King Diamond is currently working on new music. Given the snail’s pace of planned projects, it’s wise to not to expect another King Diamond record anytime soon. Precedent suggests that we will be waiting a very long time. Fortunately, the King Diamond faithful now have Songs for the Dead-Live to ease the wait.
