So here it is, after 15 years(!) the follow up to King Diamond’s legendary ‘Abigail’ album. A legendary album yes, the first album to feature a full concept, King Diamond would carry on this ever since on all of his next albums. ‘Them’, the album that was recorded after ‘Abigail’ was also spread out on two albums (‘Conspiracy’ was the story’s part 2) and King Diamond re-invented the Horror Metal genre. It is risky to record a follow up after so many years; the band is different, except for Andy LaRoque and KD himself, studios have improved and so on, so the question is, can you capture the same atmosphere to fully continue 15 years later? The answer is yes, metal fans! KD’s previous album ‘House Of God’ proved already that the band is back on the right track and ‘Abigail II’ is the topping on the cake. King Diamond has really laid down the best work in 10 years, story and musically wise. His characteristic voices are back; growling, screaming, laughing, it’s him, definitely back! Mike Wead and Andy LaRoque are a great guitar team together, firing solos at each other and drummer Matt Thompson, the albums’ debutant (but already in the band on the last tour) lies down a powerful pounding sound, just what the KD band needs. Back in the band is bassist Hal Patino and he’s also back in true KD form. The story is complicated to explain and knowledge of the first Abigail story is essential. The family tree in the booklet of the “Abigail II” album is of some help to understand what is happening. The first track on “Abigail I”: “Funeral” was where the story of “Abigail I” ends. “Abigail must be nailed to here coffin with seven silver spikes; one through each hand arm and knee and that the last of the spikes shall be driven through here throat so that she never speaks again. Who shall be the first? I O’Brien of the “Black Horsemen”……”. Thus ends “Abigail I”. “Abigail II” starts with “Spare this live”, where O’Brien commands to spare the live of Abigail, which in fact is the reincarnation of his stillborn half-sister (this half sister is the Abigail that “died” after count De LaFay pushed his cheating wife of the slippery stairs in the basement (“Abigail I”)). Abigail II has grown up to look exactly like Miriam (who died giving birth to Abigail II, so she looks like her mother). Abigail II returns to the mansion, which keeps appearing in here dreams (as well as “LITTLE ONE” who later turns out to bee the restless spirit of baby Abigail I).

Jonathan LaFay still lives in the mansion together with his butler Brandon Henry. Jonathan can’t walk very well and is sitting in a wheelchair. Abigail II thinks up a plot to take revenge on Jonathan. But first she visits Abigail’s tomb in track 5: “Little One”. Nice detail is the necklace around the mummy of Abigail I, which looks exactly like “THE EYE” (another KD story from the past). Next Abigail II is being raped by Jonathan who has fallen in love with her. This incest takes place in “Slippery Stairs”, which is lyrically probably one of the most controversial songs of the album (a father raping his daughter), but musically also one of the best. In the track “Broken Glass”, another very catchy song, Abigail II puts something in Jonathans dinner (guess what; clue: look at the title). Jonathan is experiencing “More Than Pain” in track 9. He dies when Abigail II sets him on fire in “The Wheelchair”. This causes the whole house to catch fire and also Abigail II is burnt alive and thereby setting here spirit free as well as all the other spirits in the house, except one, in yet another great song “Spirits”. This finally brings us to the end….only the basement was free from the fire and the spirit that lives there is still looking for her mother...……but she “do likes it in the dark……………amen” (listen careful to the end of the last track: “Sorry Dear”). So far the story behind the tracks. Musically, the tracks have a lot of recognizable riff structures that resemble “Abigail I” for instance in “Slippery Stairs” where this is most predominant. Also the guitar solo’s from Andy often remind one of the sound he produced during the earlier mentioned album “The Eye”. As were tracks like “Spirits” and “Broken Glass” are musically more related to the album “House Of God” (HOG). In all this album contains the best of KD’s career: new and fresh like the “HOG” but still recognizable as “Abigail I”. This is no re-make but a new classic album, that reaches its full potential when played back-to-back with “Abigail I”. King Diamond fans will gracefully receive this album and ‘young’ metal fans that like Iced Earth should try this album to hear how true Horror Metal is made...18 is actually 9!! (Review co-written by Winston Arntz!!)