In a brand new interview with the Heavy Demons radio present, KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque spoke in regards to the band’s forthcoming horror trilogy, half one in all 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 numerous 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 things.”
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 potential with all the things — aside from the vocals, after all — however generally 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 just a little extra fundamental 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 just a little bit totally different, however it’s fairly full anyway, from his aspect. You completely perceive what he desires with the texture and the ambiance of the music. And as soon as that is completed 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 an excellent sound on all the things. Similar with the bass participant and likewise with Mike [Wead], the opposite guitarist — form of the identical process. And as soon as the drums are completed and we’re okay with all the things, 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 at any time when. So it is a fairly inventive process.”
KING DIAMOND launched its spring/summer season 2025 European tour on June 4 on the Sweden Rock Competition 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 not too long ago advised Finland’s Chaoszine in regards to the progress of the songwriting and recording classes 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 following few songs straight away,’ as a result of we’ve got 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, individuals have been sick for a very long time, after which the time simply ran out form 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’ll simply have a brief break after which return into recording the stuff.”
Requested if all of the lyrics for the following KING DIAMOND album have been written, Andy stated: “[KING DIAMOND frontman and namesake has] acquired all of the concepts in [his head]. A whole lot of lyrics are already completed. He is acquired all the things in [his head]. A whole lot of small Put up-it notes in all places 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 approach. And we have demos of numerous issues. I imply, I feel I’ve seven or eight songs form of already. Demo wants to vary, drums want to vary, a couple of issues, we might use that. However King additionally has numerous 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’ve got numerous 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 wish it to be. And we attempt to write it as full as potential once 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 generally it is form of full, aside from we’d like actual drums on it as a result of often on the demos it is like a programmed drum machine, issues like that. Generally I play the bass, and we wish [KING DIAMOND bassist] Pontus [Egberg] to play the bass, after all, however for the demos [I sometimes play the bass] to get the whole image of what we wish. And in addition I attempt to make as a lot of the keyboards as potential too. And similar with King. After which once we suppose that, ‘Okay, this is likely to be an excellent music,’ so we’ll ship it to one another. After which we begin doing association. King can name me and say, ‘I feel you must 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 music is absolutely good to play a solo on, so possibly we are able to use that as an alternative of what but have.’ Issues like that, arrangement-wise.”
Andy additionally talked in regards to the new KING DIAMOND songs “Electro Remedy” and “Spider Lilly” which have been first carried out through the band’s fall 2024 U.S. tour. He stated: “We have been form of completed 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.'”
Throughout the chat, La Rocque addressed his earlier remark that he needed the following 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 should do numerous “tweaking” within the studio to realize this sound, Andy stated: “Not likely. That is what we do not do that time round. We do not do numerous tweaks to it. It is natural additionally in the way in which of the taking part in is just not like copied and pasted, stuff like that. It is extra relaxed play. And there is likely to be some stuff you hear which might be like, ‘Oh, yeah…’ We’re gonna maintain that… As a result of that is what we had again within the ’80s too once we recorded an album. Every little thing wasn’t good — extra natural, and never all the things triggered and sound like everybody else. However we wish a extra acoustic, form of extra of the acoustic drums, and stuff like that, to make it just a little bit extra natural. It does not need to be good in all places. It is good, however some issues may not be 100%, solely 99.99, you understand what I am saying? However that is additionally to make all the things like a extra free or natural really feel to it. In fact 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’ve got to have it recorded earlier than Christmas. That is the plan we’ve got. 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’ve got. We’ve got to document all the things by Christmas. So meaning it is popping out subsequent spring.”
On the subject of KING DIAMOND‘s touring plans in help of “Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920”, Andy stated: “I do not know. Possibly 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 completed, 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 said in regards to the standing of the long-awaited new KING DIAMOND album: “Effectively, for starters, the unique title that we had picked was ‘The Institute’. Nevertheless, that has now modified to, ‘St Lucifer’s Hospital 1920’, for the reason that begin of the U.S. tour. There very nicely could also be a monitor on the album known as ‘The Institute’. We have been purported to launch the album this 12 months, and actually the album was purported to be utterly completed previous to the dwell exhibits, however I simply need to ensure that it is the perfect materials I’ve ever launched. Proper now, we’re gearing as much as movie the following video for the only ‘Lobotomy’, which will certainly be launched later this 12 months. Different songs which might be accomplished are an intro monitor known as ‘Below 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 at the very least 5 tracks, one in all 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 have 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 through the band’s 2024 North American tour, two days earlier than Halloween. It was solely King himself and actress Jodi Cachia who might 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 Middle at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas. The “Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920” trek ran by means of December 6 in Dallas, Texas. Help got here from OVERKILL and NIGHT DEMON. Extra backing vocals for the KING DIAMOND set have been offered by the particular visitor Myrkur.
In November 2024, the KING DIAMOND exhibits in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (November 20 at Edmonton Conference Middle),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) have been canceled because 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 advised 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] just a little backwards and forwards 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 “Finest 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” offered 4,500 copies in the US 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 Lifeless Dwell”, in January 2019 through Steel Blade Data. 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.
