King Diamond is the band that King Diamond formed after the split up of Mercyful Fate - following the departure of Hank Sherman. He was joined by most members of the then defunct Mercyful Fate. The style has lost most of its proto- black metal style and became a progressive metal band. The Satanic focus was replaced by a focus on horror stories. Apart from two albums, each of the albums contained a story told throughout the songs; some stories span more than one album. Only Fatal Portrait and The Spider's Lullaby deviate here, in that only half of the songs form a story while the other songs are independent.
The band was first launched with the album Fatal Portrait, which featured the guitar talents of Andy LaRocque, who would become King Diamond's longest running collaborator. In 1987, the King Diamond band released Abigail, which is often considered his best solo work. The album tells the tale of an 18th century house that is inherited by a young couple who soon discover its dark secrets. Abigail was followed by Them and its sequel Conspiracy, which also told of a demon possessed house, this time maintained by a demented old woman who drinks tea made from human blood.
Following the departure of drummer Mikkey Dee (who would later join Motörhead), King Diamond released The Eye followed by The Spider's Lullaby and The Graveyard and Voodoo. Though these albums were well received, they were somewhat in the shadow of King's reunion with Mercyful Fate.
In 2000, King Diamond recorded a concept album solo entitled House of God concerning religious symbolism and emotional manipulation. In 2002, by popular request, Abigal II: The Revenge was released, and though it was loved by critics and fans alike, alleged loss of profits due to file sharing kept the band from touring.
