In a brand new interview with the Heavy Demons radio present, KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque spoke concerning the band’s forthcoming horror trilogy, half considered one of which is titled “Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920”. He stated (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “We began to document issues earlier than the final U.S. tour. And we nonetheless have a variety of issues to document, so we’re engaged on that too, and we’re gonna proceed with that as quickly because the European tour is over. So, we have been actually busy with all the pieces.”
Elaborating on the KING DIAMOND songwriting course of, Andy stated: “[I] just about [come up with] an entire demo with a programmed drum monitor and a few keyboards on and a few rhythm guitars. And I attempt to make my demos as full as attainable with all the pieces — apart from the vocals, after all — however typically even with some solos that we are able to use on the album even, and the suitable guitar sounds, and hopefully the suitable keyboard sounds too. In the case of King‘s [Diamond, KING DIAMOND‘s namesake frontman] stuff, he is somewhat extra primary with a couple of of the issues. For instance, the guitars — he lets me re-record the guitars. After which I put solo on, after which Pontus [Egberg], the bass participant, places the bass on and all that stuff. So it is somewhat bit totally different, however it’s fairly full anyway, from his facet. You completely perceive what he needs with the texture and the ambiance of the track. And as soon as that is accomplished and we’re okay with the association and stuff, we ship that out to the opposite members within the band to allow them to begin recording. For instance, Matt [Thompson, KING DIAMOND drummer] has his personal recording studio in Dallas, the place he lives. So when he will get the demo from us, he simply mutes the drums, put his drums on, and sends it to me so I can repair the drums and arrange a superb sound on all the pieces. Identical with the bass participant and in addition with Mike [Wead], the opposite guitarist — sort of the identical process. And as soon as the drums are accomplished and we’re okay with all the pieces, King is doing the vocals. In order that’s about it. After which, after all, we are able to go in and alter a couple of issues too. If one thing must be added or modified — a rhythm half on the guitar or solo; no matter must be modified — we are able to do this each time. So it is a fairly artistic process.”
KING DIAMOND launched its spring/summer season 2025 European tour on June 4 on the Sweden Rock Pageant in Sölvesborg, Sweden.
The band’s lineup for the present trek consists of King Diamond on lead vocals, Andy La Rocque and Mike Wead on guitars, Pontus Egberg on the bass, and Matt Thompson on drums. Greek feminine vocalist Hel Pyre, who beforehand performed bass for NERVOSA, is dealing with backing vocals on the trek.
La Rocque just lately instructed Finland’s Chaoszine concerning the progress of the songwriting and recording periods for KING DIAMOND‘s subsequent LP: “Proper after the [fall 2024] U.S. tour, we talked about, ‘Okay, let’s simply take a brief break and we begin engaged on the subsequent few songs straight away,’ as a result of we now have a lot of the songs like a demo factor of a lot of the songs. However then we had some points with… I am not gonna go into that, however there have been some illnesses, folks had been sick for a very long time, after which the time simply ran out sort of factor. After which we needed to begin planning the European tour [for the summer of 2025]. It is, like, ‘Wow.’ We now will, after going again from this European summer season tour, we are going to simply have a brief break after which return into recording the stuff.”
Requested if all of the lyrics for the subsequent KING DIAMOND album have been written, Andy stated: “[KING DIAMOND frontman and namesake has] acquired all of the concepts in [his head]. Loads of lyrics are already accomplished. He is acquired all the pieces in [his head]. Loads of small Put up-it notes in every single place with lyric strains and stuff like that. The entire story is just about there. So we simply want to start out recording the music in a correct manner. And we have got demos of a variety of issues. I imply, I feel I’ve seven or eight songs sort of already. Demo wants to vary, drums want to vary, a couple of issues, we may use that. However King additionally has a variety of concepts and songs. So we’ll see what number of of my songs will find yourself on the album — possibly three, possibly 4. I do not know. We’ll see. However we now have a variety of music, that is for certain.”
Elaborating on the KING DIAMOND songwriting course of, Andy stated: “I might say me and King write the music. That is how we would like it to be. And we attempt to write it as full as attainable after we current it to one another. Generally it is not full — it is like a guitar riff, possibly a click on monitor or a drum machine. And typically it is sort of full, apart from we want actual drums on it as a result of normally on the demos it is like a programmed drum machine, issues like that. Generally I play the bass, and we would like [KING DIAMOND bassist] Pontus [Egberg] to play the bass, after all, however for the demos [I sometimes play the bass] to get the entire image of what we would like. And likewise I attempt to make as a lot of the keyboards as attainable too. And identical with King. After which after we suppose that, ‘Okay, this is likely to be a superb track,’ so we’ll ship it to one another. After which we begin doing association. King can name me and say, ‘I feel it’s best to simply take that half out or double that part as a result of that is actually good.’ In order that’s how we work out issues. And possibly I can inform him, like, ‘That solo part or that part of the track is de facto good to play a solo on, so possibly we are able to use that as a substitute of what but have.’ Issues like that, arrangement-wise.”
Andy additionally talked concerning the new KING DIAMOND songs “Electro Remedy” and “Spider Lilly” which had been first carried out throughout the band’s fall 2024 U.S. tour. He stated: “We had been sort of accomplished with these songs. That is why we determined to attempt to play them dwell and see the way it works out. And that is what we did. So, for instance, ‘Spider Lilly’ is gonna be on the album. And we play that dwell. And it is also launched on video. So, yeah, that is how we do it. We do not have to attend for an entire album. We thought, ‘We have to put out one thing now for the followers.'”
In the course of the chat, La Rocque addressed his earlier remark that he wished the subsequent KING DIAMOND album to have a extra natural sound, just like the way it was on among the band’s early efforts. Requested if he and his bandmates must do a variety of “tweaking” within the studio to attain this sound, Andy stated: “Probably not. That is what we do not do that time round. We do not do a variety of tweaks to it. It is natural additionally in the way in which of the taking part in isn’t like copied and pasted, stuff like that. It is extra relaxed play. And there is likely to be some belongings you hear which are like, ‘Oh, yeah…’ We’re gonna maintain that… As a result of that is what we had again within the ’80s too after we recorded an album. All the pieces wasn’t excellent — extra natural, and never all the pieces triggered and sound like everybody else. However we would like a extra acoustic, sort of extra of the acoustic drums, and stuff like that, to make it somewhat bit extra natural. It does not should be excellent in every single place. It is good, however some issues may not be one hundred percent, solely 99.99, you recognize what I am saying? However that is additionally to make all the pieces like a extra unfastened or natural really feel to it. After all it is gonna be good. We do not launch something that we’re not proud of.”
As for when “Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920” would possibly see the sunshine of day, Andy stated: “We’ve got been speaking about we now have to have it recorded earlier than Christmas. That is the plan we now have. Then if somebody will get sick or no matter occurs, then if that is not the case, we’ll see. However that is the plan we now have. We’ve got to document all the pieces by Christmas. So meaning it is popping out subsequent spring.”
On the subject of KING DIAMOND‘s touring plans in assist of “Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920”, Andy stated: “I do not know. Perhaps subsequent fall [we will be back on the road]. I do not know but. We do not actually have any plans with that but. We’ll see. When the album’s accomplished, we’re gonna begin engaged on a brand new cycle, so that features touring. However hopefully, sure.”
In a separate interview with Fistful Of Steel journal, King acknowledged concerning the standing of the long-awaited new KING DIAMOND album: “Properly, for starters, the unique identify that we had picked was ‘The Institute’. Nonetheless, that has now modified to, ‘St Lucifer’s Hospital 1920’, because the begin of the U.S. tour. There very properly could also be a monitor on the album known as ‘The Institute’. We had been alleged to launch the album this yr, and actually the album was alleged to be fully completed previous to the dwell exhibits, however I simply wish to make it possible for it is the perfect materials I’ve ever launched. Proper now, we’re gearing as much as movie the subsequent video for the only ‘Lobotomy’, which will certainly be launched later this yr. Different songs which are accomplished are an intro monitor known as ‘Underneath The Floor’, ‘The Institute’, ‘The Nun’, ‘Faceless’ and, after all, ‘Spider Lilly’. There’s one other monitor, which I am unsure goes to be on the album but, known as ‘Deep In The Darkness 1920’. Andy has been engaged on a minimum of 5 tracks, considered one of which has as monster refrain that we plan to document with a choir. The plan is that this album would be the first of a trilogy, and I have already got all three album titles.”
Final December, KING DIAMOND launched a studio model of “Spider Lilly”. It was a first-time mixing collaboration with Arthur Rizk, who additionally mastered the monitor. The music and lyrics had been written by King Diamond.
The official music video for “Spider Lilly” was directed by My Good Eye Visuals. A part of the clip was filmed on the very haunted Pennhurst Asylum exterior of Philadelphia on a journey day throughout the band’s 2024 North American tour, two days earlier than Halloween. It was solely King himself and actress Jodi Cachia who may take part on that particular day, along with producer David Brodsky, Allie Woest and their crew.
KING DIAMOND carried out “Spider Lilly” dwell for the primary time on the kick-off live performance of the band’s 2024 North American headlining tour, which launched on October 15 at Boeing Heart at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas. The “Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920” trek ran by December 6 in Dallas, Texas. Help got here from OVERKILL and NIGHT DEMON. Extra backing vocals for the KING DIAMOND set had been offered by the particular visitor Myrkur.
In November 2024, the KING DIAMOND exhibits in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (November 20 at Edmonton Conference Heart),Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (November 21 at TCU Place),Calgary, Alberta Canada (November 22 at Gray Eagle Occasion Centre),Portland, Oregon (November 24 at Keller Auditorium) and Seattle, Washington (November 25 at The Moore Theatre) had been canceled as a consequence of “unexpected circumstances”.
In October 2023, KING DIAMOND launched a music video for the 2019 single “Masquerade Of Insanity”. The clip was directed by David Brodsky and Allison Woest of My Good Eye Visuals.
A month after KING DIAMOND launched “Masquerade Of Insanity” in November 2019, La Rocque instructed The Steel Voice that he got here up with the music for the monitor first earlier than passing it off to King, who “wanted to rearrange a couple of issues and alter only a small few issues for making it work along with his vocals. After which, after all, he wrote the lyrics for it,” the guitarist revealed. “So we [went] somewhat forwards and backwards till he felt like, ‘Okay, that is cool, man. That is the suitable key to sing in,’ and all that.”
KING DIAMOND acquired a Grammy nomination within the “Greatest Steel Efficiency” class for the monitor “By no means Ending Hill” off the band’s final album, 2007’s “Give Me Your Soul … Please”.
“Give Me Your Soul … Please” bought 4,500 copies in america in its first week of launch to debut at place No. 174 on The Billboard 200 chart.
KING DIAMOND launched a DVD/Blu-ray, “Songs For The Useless Stay”, in January 2019 by way of Steel Blade Information. The set captured 1987’s seminal “Abigail” album in its entirety, twice, and in very totally different locales: Belgium’s Graspop Steel Assembly in June 2016 and Philadelphia’s Fillmore in November 2015. The performances featured KING DIAMOND‘s present band, comprising of guitarists La Rocque and Mike Wead, bassist Pontus Egberg and Matt Thompson.
