The Complete Roadrunner Collection 1986-1990

This box set contains King Diamond’s first five albums in their entirety. Together they constitute one of the single greatest runs in heavy metal history. While many hard rock bands had for years turned to horror stories for inspiration, King Diamond took it to a whole new level by crafting albums that in their vividness and imagination surpassed even movies. Each of these five albums—Fatal Portrait, Abigail, Them, Conspiracy, and The Eye—contains its own unique story, outlined by the eponymous vocalist King Diamond, who inhabits every character in each story and also takes on the role of guide through the spirit world. The band’s genius is that they didn’t just slap pieces of a story onto preexisting riffs; each album writhes with creative energy, moving through the tempestuous elaborations in each individual narrative. The albums contain some of the most complex songs in heavy metal history, but the band storm through every sharp turn without missing a note. Aside from King’s brilliantly shrill vocals and the fulminating guitar work of Andy LaRocque, the secret hero of these albums is drummer Mikkey Dee, who provides the furnace that keeps these intricate anthems burning.