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King Diamond - Songs for the Dead (2019) BD50
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There's only one King Diamond, and for over thirty years, the great Dane has produced classic albums and shows that fans will remember for the rest of their lives. The only downside of such an impressive catalog might be that there are just too many great songs that do not fit into a single set. However, it may be difficult to find even a fan who does not want to hear the seminal 1987 Abigail in its entirety, and Songs For The Dead Live catches it twice in very different locations. With eighteen songs per set, each of the two shows - Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting in June 2016 and Philadelphia's Fillmore in November 2015 - also features a number of classic King Diamond and Mercyful Fate tracks such as Welcome Home, Halloween and Eye Of The Witch before they start in Abigail. The all-star cast of the musicians, consisting of guitarist Andy LaRocque and Mike Wead, bassist Pontus Egberg and drummer Matt Thompson, are absolutely fierce and tight.
Captured on film by director Denise Korycki for Wild Wind Studios, she worked closely with King on all aspects of the film and finds herself again and again in the center of the viewer throughout the show. This also includes an inventive camera placement, such as entering the rear of the wheelchair when driving to Out From The Asylum at the beginning of the show, or the view from the coffin at the beginning of the Abigail opener, Funeral, adding another dimension to the process. Of course, the theatricality that has become synonymous with King Diamond is fully in place, providing an even more immersive experience. The gothic stage design and the involvement of actors depicting certain scenes that tie in with the songs definitely add to the drama and sense of total detachment from the shackles of reality, and keep the shows gripping from start to finish.

While the setlists are virtually identical, the drastic difference in the two venues creates distinctly different atmospheres. Grasspop's sprawling, epic scale and the virtual sea of ??howling Metalheads make for a particularly exciting spectacle, with the King having them all under control. The Fillmore show is immediately more intimate, and more like a mixed collection of Metal lovers who want to let it go on a weekend off. The audience is exclusively made up of King Diamond vocers who shriek every word and show their love for their hero. Songs For The Dead Live gives those who missed those shows the chance to experience them first-hand and so much more than a traditional live DVD.

Actor: King Diamond
Format: PAL, Blu-ray
Language: English (PCM Stereo)
Region: All regions
Aspect Ratio: 16: 9 - 1.77: 1
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Sony Music Entertainment Germany
Release date: January 25, 2019
Production year: 2019
Genre: Rock
Playing time: 165 minutes

Tracklist:
Live at The Fillmore in Philadelphia, PA [01:25:24]
November 25th, 2015
01. Out from the Asylum
02. Welcome Home
03. Sleepless Nights
04. Eye of the Witch
05. Halloween
06. Melissa
07. Come to the Sabbath
08. Them
09. Funeral
10. Arrival
11. A Mansion in Darkness
12. The Family Ghost
13. The 7th Day of July 1777
14. Omens
15. The Possession
16. Abigail
17. Black Horsemen
18. Insanity

Live at Graspop Metal Meeting [01:24:04]
June 17th, 2016
01. Out from the Asylum
02. Welcome Home
03. Sleepless Nights
04. Halloween
05. Eye of the Witch
06. Melissa
07. Come to the Sabbath
08. Them
09. Funeral
10. Arrival
11. A Mansion in Darkness
12. The Family Ghost
13. The 7th Day of July 1777
14. Omens
15. The Possession
16. Abigail
17. Black Horsemen
18. Insanity

Video: MPEG-2 Video / 27854 kbps / 1080p / 23,976 fps
Audio: English / LPCM Audio / 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit
Subtitle: -
Playtime: 2h:45min