Metal Hammer has issued a new feature on Danish metal icon, King Diamond, reflecting on a 2016 interview in which he looked back on supernatural encounters, near-death experiences, Metallica’s approval and run-ins with Gene Simmons.
In the following excerpt, King reflects on the time he was nearly sued by KISS:
It was also in 1988 that King was reportedly threatened with a lawsuit by KISS. At that time, KISS had been out of make-up for six years. But, KISS being KISS, had their image trademarked. On his 1988 album Them, King had his face painted in a design that bore a strong resemblance to that used by Gene Simmons.
“They might have wanted to sue me,” he says. “But lots of people used make-up before KISS, and they were not the ones that inspired me. It was Alice Cooper and Peter Gabriel. But I don’t hate KISS; I still listen to them.”
In the end the lawsuit never materialized. King believes he knows why. “I didn’t have much to be sued for,” he says, laughing.
Find the full feature at Metal Hammer.
King Diamond will embark on a long-awaited North American headlining tour this month. The Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920 trek will commence on October 15 in San Antonio, Texas and run through December 6 in Dallas, Texas. Support will be provided by Overkill and Night Demon. Additional backing vocals for the King Diamond set will be provided by the special guest, Myrkur.
Secure your tickets at kingdiamondcoven.com.
Tour dates:
October
15 - Boeing Center at Tech Port. - San Antonio, TX
16 - Bayou Music Center - Houston, TX
18 - Andrew J Brady Music Center - Cincinnati, OH
19 - The Factory - St. Louis, MO
20 - The Midland Theater - Kansas City, MO
22 - Murat Theatre At Old National Center - Indianapolis, IN
23 - The Louisville Palace Theatre - Louisville, KY
25 - The Eastern - Atlanta, GA
26 - Duke Energy Center for the Arts - Mahaffey Theater - St. Petersburg, FL
28 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
30 - Kings Theater - Brooklyn, NY
31 - Roadrunner - Boston, MA *
November
2 - MTelus - Montreal, QC
3 - The Theatre At Great Canadian - Mississauga, ON
4 - The Masonic Temple - Detroit, MI
6 - The Agora Theatre & Ballroom - Cleveland, OH
7 - The Chicago Theatre - Chicago, IL
8 - The Riverside Theater - Milwaukee, WI
10 - The Fillmore - Minneapolis, MN
11 - Vibrant Music Hall - Waukee, IA
14 - Mission Ballroom - Denver, CO
16 - The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT
18 - Orpheum - Vancouver, BC
20 - Edmonton Convention Center - Edmonton, AB
21 - TCU Place - Saskatoon, SK
22 - Grey Eagle Resort And Casino - Calgary, AB
24 - Keller Auditorium - Portland, OR
25 - Moore Theater - Seattle, WA
27 - Fox Theater - Oakland, CA
29 - YouTube Theater - Los Angeles, CA
30 - The Theater At Virgin Hotels - Las Vegas, NV
December
1 - Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre - San Diego, CA
2 - The Van Buren - Phoenix, AZ
4 - REVEL - Albuquerque, NM
6 - The Factory In Deep Ellum - Dallas, TX
* no Overkill
King Diamond is quite possibly the most recognizable and prolific personality ever in heavy metal. Revered by icons as big as Metallica and Pantera to inspiring newer upstarts globally, King Diamond, the man and the band, have left an indelible mark on the history, and now again, the future of heavy metal.
In August of 2008, King Diamond joined Metallica on stage at Ozzfest in Dallas to perform the Mercyful Fate medley made famous from the Garage, Inc. album. Additionally, King Diamond was featured alongside Motӧrhead's Lemmy Kilmister as a playable character in Guitar Hero: Metallica in 2009.
By 2012, King Diamond was prepared to return to the stage for a select number of shows. The band's triumphant return to the stage were the highlights of both the Hellfest and Sweden Rock festivals in France and Sweden. Fans at these festivals were treated to the largest and most involved stage production in the band's storied history. Horror concepts from multiple albums were used in the décor; fans can rest assured that this show will only get larger and more impressive at future performances.
King Diamond continued to hit the stage from 2013 to 2018 including performances at Rock Hard Festival (DE), Copenhell (DK), Graspop (BE), Metal Days (SI), Bloodstock Open Air (UK), Loudpark (JP), Wacken Open Air (DE), a 2014 North American tour with Jess and the Ancient Ones, Fun Fun Fun Fest (US), toured as a part of the 2015 Mayhem Festival in the summer (US), a fall 2015 North American tour with Exodus as special guests, Sweden Rock fest (SE), Hellfest (FR),and Psycho Las Vegas (US).
In 2019, after the release of the King Diamond'S first new single in twelve years "Masquerade Of Madness," the band hit the road with a series of live shows in Europe including stops at Summer Breeze festival (DE), Graspop (BE), Hellfest (FR), Rock Fest (ES), and with Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats and Idle Hands as special guests for nineteen dates across North America.
King Diamond's thirty+ year musical career is one of the most storied in history of heavy metal, but the tale is not yet over. The most recent release, 2007′s Grammy nominated album Give Me Your Soul…Please, stands as one of the most critically acclaimed albums in an already iconic discography. Future albums will feature entirely new horror stories, concepts, haunting orchestrations, and the band's signature brand of heavy metal from the mind of King Diamond and the talented group of musicians: guitarists Andy LaRocque and Mike Wead, bassist Pontus Egberg, and drummer Matt Thompson. King is currently in the studio working on the band's next album which will be released in 2025.
King Diamond live lineup:
Andy Larocque - guitar
Mike Wead - guitar
Pontus Egberg - bass
Matt Thompson - drums
Myrkur - additional backing vocals, keyboards
