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King Diamond. The King. Uno dei migliori esempi di devozione alla propria arte ed al proprio genere. Chiunque abbia familiarità con uno dei suoi lavori sa perfettamente cosa aspettarsi. Portabandiera di un sound esclusivo e imprescindibile (attualmente senza rivali), lo storico leader dei Mercyful Fate decide, centrati in pratica tutti gli ambiziosi traguardi che si era prefissato, di tornare a sfidare l'opinione pubblica rimettendo mano ad uno dei concept più belli che la storia musicale ricordi: Abigail ovvero l'esoterico al servizio della psiche.
Siamo nel 2002, sono trascorsi ormai 3 lustri da quello splendore e, se è vero che il Re danese non ha mai rinnegato la propria fede ostinandosi a offrire un Heavy Metal passionale, per molti versi tradizionalista, si potrebbe facilmente insinuare che un titolo roboante come ''Abigail II - The Revenge'' nasconda dietro di sè una specie di bluff orchestrato furbescamente a scopo finanziario. Per fortuna così non è, dal momento che i tredici pezzi qui inclusi riescono, quasi del tutto, a tenere testa all'adorato caposaldo, ancora oggi in cima alle classifiche di gradimento di molti fan (nonchè mie).
A partire da ''Spare This Life'' (una rabbrividente intro a base di tastiere, suoni cupi e voci torve degne di un film dell'orrore) fino al pianto addolorato della conclusiva ''Sorry Dear'' vengono splendidamente ricreate le lugubri e spettrali atmosfere che rappresentano il marchio di fabbrica di King Diamond. Ed ecco allora melodie vincenti, chitarre nutrite e corrosive (fantastici gli assoli della coppia Andy LaRocques/Mike Wead), sezione ritmica sempre all'altezza delle circostanze composta da Hal Patino al basso e da Matt Thompson alla batteria; in questo contesto si colloca la superba ugola di King la quale, a dispetto del trascorrere degli anni, non solo non lascia intravedere alcun segno di logorio, ma, al contrario, sbalordisce ogni giorno di più per la sua innata adattabilità ai vari registri.
Non c'è spazio per le ballad propriamente dette, ma soltanto una caterva di roboante e massiccio metallo scaricato sull'ascoltatore con naturalezza e padronanza; una vero e proprio addestramento all'Heavy Metal, capace di rinfrescare l'abbondanza del passato senza per questo spingerci a vivere di solitarie quanto patetiche reminiscenze nostalgiche. Canzoni come la fulminea ''The Storm'', i magnifici cori di ''The Whellchair'', il mid-tempo mozzafiato di ''Mansion In Sorrow'' o le scheggie impazzite ''Miriam'' e ''Spirits'' dimostrano come l'Heavy Metal non debba avere necessariamente bisogno di essere adornato di strutture sinfoniche elaborate per apparire, ai giorni nostri, con tutta la sua proverbiale energia.
Ennesimo grande album per King Diamond. Ascoltarlo e rendegli omaggio è solo il minimo che si possa fare.
Elenco tracce testi e video
03 Mansion in Sorrow (03:36)
Mansion in Sorrow, mansion in the dark
Maybe tomorrow the Devil's mark
The gates were locked from the inside
And Abigail was sure to die
Then Little One went straight through her body
And the gates, they opened wide
And Little One went up the stairs to the old oak door
Mansion in sorrow, mansion in the dark
Maybe tomorrow the Devil's mark
Mansion in sorrow, mansion in the dark
Maybe tomorrow the Devil's mark
Lightning was striking the trees all around
Abigail still in shock, awoken by the sound
Run better run, run better run after Little One
Run better run, run after Little One
But Little One had gone, gone to the beyond
Mansion in sorrow, mansion in the dark
Suddenly the door was open, "Where have you been my dear?
I'm Brandon Henry and I serve the master here"
Through a maze of gloomy hallways and candles black
Safe from the storm she followed the man with the shaved head
They went in... in to a room... that was like a shrine
Jewelry and dresses too... in cabinets made of glass
Portraits on the walls, 18 in all
A strong scent of old perfume, and then there was THE HAIR
Long... black... lifeless hair
04 Miriam (05:10)
Curtain of black were inside the room
Shutting out the light, the light that always hurt his eyes
There was nothing bright in the entire mansion, no..no
Except for the candlelight...the light...and the fire that burned real slow
Oh Miriam...why did you have to go and die?
Curtains of black were inside the room
Abigail was not alone, there was someone else in here too
Come closer my dear said the shadow in the wheelchair
Stand by the fireplace so I can better see your face
Oh Miriam...why did you have to go and die?
The shadow could not believe the likeness in her face
It looked as if Miriam had come back from the grave
I am Count De La Fey and you are
Abigail she whispered and shirvered to the bone
Can I.. he said Can I call you Miriam?
Miriam or Abigail is fine
You can even call me Lucy for it is just a name
He struggled out of the wheelchair
Since his fall many years ago
Now he could only walk by a cane, what a shame
Don't move, stay where you are and then he was ight behind her
Touching her lon black hair, he was breathing much harder now
Then he grabbed her head
In pain she screamed as he
Yanked out a lock of that beautiful hair, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear
He quickly struggled across the floor to another cabinet
Behind the glass doors it said: To My Beloved Dear
It was then he started to comapre, and she saw the other hair
In his twisted mind she was back but why?
I must retire my dear in order to prepare
You should do the same, tommorow an heir
09 More Than Pain (02:31)
In the dark she was so beautiful and white
Abigail was glowing like a diamond in the night
[J:] "I love you Miriam
...Oh my God... my stomach
... That hurts... there it is again... oh what pain
It's like someone's cutting me with a knife
...This is more than pain"
[A:] Ah ha ha, I put broken glass in your dinner dear
It's only getting worse from here
Time has come to say hello to fear
No more hiding from the sun, count the minutes as they run
Run away with life itself"
[J:] "What's wrong with you Miriam?
I'm hurting, please help me"
[A:] "Ah ha ha, NO NO, you're gonna die
This is so much more than pain, feel the Devil's rain
No more hiding from the sun, count the minutes as they run
Run away with life itself"
[J:] "I can't believe you're doing this... to me
...My God... I'm bleeding through my mouth...
...What was that? ...Oh No"
11 Spirits (04:57)
Jonathan is dead
And Abigail is watching his wheelchair burn
The flames lick the wooden floor
Spreading to the curtains, and then the draperies on the wall
Higher and higher they go
"I am the fire... I'm eating everything
I'll bring this mansion down, through me they all must come"
Spirits flying through the air
Spirits crossing over to the other side
To rest in peace and never die again
And to be with long gone friends
The ghosts of those who lived here in the past
They will use the flames to leave this EVIL house
Abigail is watching the spirits and the flames
Dancing hand in hand around her long black dress
Oh around and around they go, until they touch
Abigail is on fire
[Solo: Mike]
Spirits flying through the air
Spirits crossing over to the other side
To rest in peace and never die again
And to be with long gone friends
[Solo: Andy]
There is no pain as Abigail is eaten by the flames
Her body starts to fade, emptiness is growing inside
Slowly she's leaving her body behind
And the spirits are right by her side
[Solo: Andy]
Oh no here she goes, her spirit is in the air
The others guide her to the flames where they all will disappear
Spirits flying through the air
Spirits crossing over to the other side
To rest in peace and never die again
And to be with long gone friends
[Theme: Andy
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