King Diamond Brings Theatric Flare to Fillmore

Sunday brought old school theatrical horror to the Fillmore in Minneapolis! Danish scream legend King Diamond brought two bundles of heavy metal madness with them – Night Demon and Overkill – as well as one of the most over-the-top and beautifully indulgent live shows that I have seen in a very long time!

California’s Night Demon made an immediate impression as the opening notes of “Outsider” rumbled out, all-time-great-named singer-bassist Jarvis Leatherby’s commanding voice demanding attention straight out of the gate. “Outsider’ is a perfect example of what the band is all about – irresistible hooks, catchy guitar lines and the heavy metal dialed all the way to 11. The penchant for holding guitars aloft and running around the stage meant the energy was as high as it could go, and the audience responded – a circle pit emerged right away and kept going for their whole set as they rushed through a half hour of rollicking metal goodness.

New Jersey’s thrash foundation Overkill brought the heat next, the ear-piercing falsetto rasps of Bobby Blitz a stranger to no one at the show as they opened their set with “Scorched” . Overkill were unfortunately without Derek Tailer this show, who had to step away just for this evening, but this made largely no difference in their overall performance as these masters of the craft threw it down with the professional quality that you only get after being in the business for well over 4 decades. They have the kind of precision that you dream for, with razor tight execution, elevating their riff-forward and headbang-friendly sound to heights that other bands can really only dream of. Continuing the thread of making an impression that would carry forward into the next set, the thrash legends’ set ended with a cover of “%&$! you” by The Subhumans, with Blitz ensuring the crowd was fully invested in the simple and effective chorus before launching into the rendition.

A short delay and a casket later, ominous keys opened to King Diamond holding his lifeless victim on stage, a knife to its throat over a casket marked “Abigail”. While that song wouldn’t come for some time, it’s the theatrics that count – Diamond has always known that and always played into it, so why not start the set that way?

One sacrifice made, the band descended down the two enormous two-story stairways that sat akimbo the stage, which ran up to catwalk that I would have to say was probably just a little too tall for the short-statured Fillmore ceiling, but they made it work. Strobes bathed each of the band’s silhouettes in commanding light as they joined their king on the base of the stage, and “Arrival” began, an arresting opener that set the scene for what was to come for the next few hours – Diamond’s unmistakable vocal delivery, exaggerated guitar theatrics, and a whole lot of lights and fun.

Joining them in this massive array of steel and light was a bonus feature for those black metal enjoyers in the crowd – guest vocals on this Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920 tour were done by Danish musician Myrkur, in addition to a host of stage performers to flesh out the experience as not just a band playing music, but a production being put on scored by one of metal’s most timeless and effective performers. 

Diamond would spend much of “Arrival” ascending and descending his set, screaming into his wireless microphone strapped to two bones forming a cross – a ‘subtle’ image for the Dane’s sentiments – as his rock solid backing band kept things grounded but also reserved – this was the king’s show, after all – letting him cast about the stage and grimace, mean mugging the crowd with every opportunity he had. 

This was all just one song – but this was also the whole show. Each and every song had some performative element to it, a dedication to a craft that is admirable, and one that creates the lasting impression of true masters – when you go and see King Diamond, you are not just going to hear some of the most foundational heavy metal, you’re going to have an absolute blast and be entertained the whole way through.