ACTIVE: 1985-
Kim Bendix Petersen is a Danish rock musician and singer who used the stage name King Diamond years before he formed the band with the same name.
This happened right after he left Mercyful Fate (only to revive it a few years later). Many might argue that there’s a huge difference between these two bands, but as I’ve explained before, I consider them to be two sides of the same coin — and the difference isn’t even that wide.
My first encounter with the band was in 1990, when the album The Eye was released. A crewmate of mine, Tango, got his hands on the album and thought he’d found something I’d appreciate. And he was right. I’ve been a fan ever since. To this day, I consider King Diamond to be one of the few “older” bands that still keep the elements of theatrics and drama in both their songwriting and their stage shows. Successfully even. Well, their stage shows are exactly that — shows, not just concerts. I’ll link to a few clips from their Songs for the Dead live show from 2021. The guy sings nearly better at the age of 65 than he did in the 80’s. Check out my favourite part, the classic song Sleepless Nights! Unbelievable!
Now, in 2026, it’s been 19 years since their last studio album, but they still tour actively. The follow-up album has been in the media for years, but so far, it hasn’t hit the stores. Their long-time guitarist and co-songwriter Andy LaRocque has even left the band. So we’ll see if — or when — there’s an album’s worth of new music coming out. I think they’ve released a total of three new songs over the last decade, so it’s possible.
KING DIAMOND | pencil & fineliner on paper | 2022