King Diamond & Paradise Lost - Academy, Manchester (30/6/25)

Due to working late I miss Unto Others which is a shame because they were excellent supporting Green Lung earlier this year. The first song I catch by Paradise Lost is the catchy 'Enemy'. It doesn't seem particularly loud until the crushing mid-section. A brooding and elegant 'No Hope In Sight' is much heavier. The powerful riffing of 'Pity The Sadness' is excellent. 'The Last Time' reminds me how staggering 'Draconian Times' was at the time, with its marriage of doomy, gothic metal with anthemic choruses. 'Ghosts' is pure goth rock, with Nick Holmes summoning his inner Andrew Eldritch. 'Embers Fire' is epic gloom. The classic stadium goth rock of 'Say Just Words' closes the set in an emphatic fashion.

After the theatrical introduction of 'Funeral', 'Arrival' sounds like rolling thunder with King Diamond's high pitched vocals floating over the top. A rollicking 'A Mansion In Darkness' sees Abigail appear, holding a lantern and stalking the stage. 'Halloween' is driving and powerful. The King sounds like he is in good voice tonight. The percussion on 'Voodoo' adds a bit of extra texture to the metal assault, giving strong Alice Cooper vibes (think 'Goes To Hell' meets 'Welcome To Your Nightmare'). 'Spider Lilly' mixes in thrash with its trad metal attack and reminds me of the first Annihilator album. There are a number of taped interludes where the theatrical elements of the show come into play. The complex 'Welcome Home', with its twists and turns, sees Grandma make an appearance. It's hokey as hell but good fun. The stage set is probably the most elaborate I've seen in the Academy with two staircases and a recreation of an old prison all crammed onto the stage. 'Masquerade Of Madness' is dynamic, and King sounds superb on it. 'Eye Of The Witch' is powerful yet creepy. The band are a tight unit and this allows the King to hold court. Hel Pyre (it was originally meant to be Myrkur) is a bit underutilised at the back on keyboards and vocals, and you can't hear the backing vocals particularly well anyway. A high energy 'Burn' closes the regular set. King closes the show with the timeless 'Abigail'. I don't really travel for shows anymore, and given that he'll normally play Bloodstock or a London headline show rather than a full tour, I never thought I'd get to see King Diamond live but it really was an experience.

King Diamond ****

Paradise Lost ****