Abigail II: The Revenge

Artist: King Diamond
Label: Metal Blade
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 039841437928
EAN: 0039841437928
ASIN: B00005UQFD

Release Date: 2002-01-29

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Listmania:

King Diamond Discography
GET INTO KING DIAMOND!!!
Into the Coven: Mercyful Fate/King Diamond
KING DIAMOND
Power/Thrash/Speed/Progessive/Meldoic Metal
Mercyful Fate / King Diamond : This Is My List
MetalRules.com: Top 30 of 2002 (16-30)
The "King's" Mercyful Fate Top 10!.......a few solo included
If you hear THIS on the radio, I'll be surprised.
Underappreciated Metal

Tracks:

Spare This Life
The Storm
Mansion In Sorrow
Miriam
Little One
Slippery Stairs
The Crypt
Broken Glass
More Than Pain
The Wheelchair
Spirits
Mommy
Sorry Dear

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House of God
Voodoo
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The Graveyard

Customer Reviews:

Uninspired music from the King.......2006-11-14

Wow, I cannot believe that so many people have called this a great KD album.....believe me when I say it is not! I am a big KD fan, and love most of his work, except this album. King focuses too much on the lyrics and the story, leaving the music in the background, with no memorable hooks or riffs, throughout the album I feel as if king is reading a book with music supporting him....this is what distinguishes his albums, the music. Abigail and Conspiracy where great because the story supported the music, not the other way around.

Buy this cd at your own risk...I did, and it was a big dissapointment.

While Not As Good As The Original, Abigail 2 Deserves Attention........2006-04-17

There is only one reason why I gave this 4 stars. THe album as a whole is great, but the last 2 or so songs are a bit pointless in some ways.

Ok, this album is a sequel to the amazing Abigail, one of the best albums in metal history. Musically, it's different than the original. If you're expecting the same thing as the first release, then you'll be surprised. This is nothing like Abigail other than the characters in it. You have to take into consideration that the main reason this was release was because so many fans requested it from King, so I think it's only respectful to give it a try. While not a bad album by any means, it is dragged down by a few 'weaker' tracks. This time around, the story is much more detailed than the original. Abigal is back, and it is time to exact her revenge on the person that tried to kill her insider of her mother years ago. The plot constantly unravels before you, showing Abigail as she drifts deeper and deeper into madness from her obsessions of vengeance. A big let down on this album is how 'uninspired some of the lyrics can be. There are a few songs that would better off not being on the album. Musically, there is no disappointment. It's a different approach, lot's of sound effects, keyboards, haunting cries and wicked female laughter in the background. The best song on the album in my opinion is "Slippery Stairs", with amazing solos by both Mike Wead and Andy LaRocque, some of which from Mike Wead sound so fast it's a wonder his strings didn't catch fire as he was recording them. All in all, this album is pretty damn good despite a few 'weak' tracks at the end. Though it could certainly have been better, it could just as easily been worse. Still, it's one of the few solid metal albums to be released in the 2000's that doesn't involve any 'nu-metal' qualities to it. If you're a fan of King Diamond, or just a fan of good metal in general, do yourself a favor and pick this title up.

He Is Still the King! .......2005-07-25

I'll begin with a brief rundown of where I stand. I share the common opinion that 'Abigail,' 'Them,' and 'Conspiracy' are the best. I think the healthy runnerups were 'Spiders' Lullabye' and 'The Graveyard.' For those of you who gave this record low ratings, I'm guessing you were expecting the same magic of 'Abigail.' I'll go so far as to say the 1st 'Abigail' was probably one of the closest things Mr. Diamond did to a perfect record. (Where story and music are concerned) We have to remember though that Mr. Diamond DID NOT originally plan to make this record. (Else it would have been made a lot sooner after the first 'Abigail.') Rather, he did it because so many of his fans wanted it. So, being that Mr. Diamond did it mostly in response to us, we do owe the record a chance. All of that said, onto the subject at hand. Andy La Rocque and Mike Wead may not get the attention that Jim Hendrix, Steve Vai, or Eddie Van Halen get. In my opinion, this is proof that being popular doesn't mean you're better than someone who is more obscure. The return of Hal Patino on bass is most welcome. While one will probably notice a musical difference between this new record and the original 'Abigail,' there is still a notable effort to hold on to the fine qualities of the 80s. (A trait sadly given up by Metallica and others.) King's vocals are top notch as almost always. If his impact of horror was slipping on 'Voodoo,' it more than recovered with this album. Without ruining the story, I will say 'Spare This Life' is a great opening with King's famous growls; the music and sound effects on 'Storm' are well done; the wording on 'Mansion In Sorrow' is captivating; 'Slippery Stairs' has some nice riffs; 'Broken Glass' could have been written by Edgar Allen Poe; (The keyboards are the perfect touch.) If I say much more, I will probably ruin the story, and I'd rather not do that to you. But it will suffice to say that in the spirit of King Diamond, revenge DOES NOT LEAD to a happy ending. (I think Hollywood still needs to figure this out, but we won't go there.) I know some people complained about 'recycled riffs,' but let's be fair. No matter how good a writer is, there will come a point in his career where it's either bring back some old ideas or risk having nothing at all. (Look at how the animated Batman series brought back some ideas from the 60s Adam West series.) All in all, if you are expecting the same magic of the 1st 'Abigail,' then you are probably setting yourself up for a disappointment. IF, on the other hand, you are willing to accept that King Diamond made this record in response to our request for it, that King's vocals are in tip top shape, that Andy La Rocque and Mike Wead may have been in better shape, but are still in great shape, that the great bass work of Hal Patino is back, and that King Diamond NEVER, REPEAT NEVER abandoned his style when Metallica and several others DID, then BY ALL MEANS, pick this record up. King Diamond may not get the applause that Metallica, Jim Hendrix, Britney Spears, Eddie Van Halen, and several others get. BUT, ask yourself: 'Who consistently made record after record that DID NOT drop in quality?' 'Who held onto his style while others looked for quick hits?' 'Who stayed true to himself and never sold out?' If your answer is King Diamond, then get this record.

A FANTASTIC ALBUM!! A FANTASTIC GHOST STORY!!!!!!.......2005-02-09

King Diamond has managed to once again put a a really TERRIFIC album!!! The songwriting and the guitar work are AMAZING!!(they ALWAYS are though!!)A GREAT follow-up to the original 1987 release(which is MY Personal favorite!!) This album is BEST heard with headphones(there are alot sound effects to add to the SPOOKY atmosphere of the album)This is one of those albums that gets BETTER each time you listen to it!! The production on this CD is great!! If your a BIG King Diamond fan,I don't think you'll be dissapointed in this purchase. To NEW listeners I recommend that you should listen to the first "Abigail" before listening to this album( so you can experience the FULL story).Be sure to check out King Diamond's entire catalog of music for other Fantastic Stories and Music!! This is a great album to listen to in THE DARK!! LONG LIVE THE KING!!AND LONG LIVE METAL!!! (PS):GREAT COVER ART TOO!!

What an album!.......2004-10-05

I seriously cannot understand the one star reviews (Especially if you're a "fan")!! First: there's about a 15 year gap between Abigial I & II - how could they possibly sound the same?! Second: why would you want them to? That would be repetitve and boring. Maybe the real reason for some of the low (and hostile) reviews of this cd is because it reminds them of a time when they were young. A time they can never return to and ultimately a reminder/realization that they can't live they way they did as a reckless youth and have become bitter and cynical...but why take it out on poor King?! Saying Abigail II is not as "good" as the first Abigail is like being angry that Iron Maiden hasn't written another "Run to the Hills" or AC/DC not recording another "Back in Black" album... Abigail II is a present to his fans and as a fan I appreciate the gesture. I realize that not everyone is going to like A2 but I don't think it should be given a one star - especially by a fan!
Now that I got that out of my system...
What makes Abigail II so enjoyable (for me, anyways) is the detail of the story is more intricate than the original. And the music was much more sinister this time, helping to create great visual effects in one's mind. There are plenty of great themes and melodies throughout the entire cd. A previous reviewer stated the contrary but maybe he wasn't paying enough attention. The songs do take a few listenings to really grow on you (pretty much like most of his work) but the reward is there for those willing to keep an open mind.
King really put a lot of thought and effort into this project and I'm very pleased with the results. I recommend this release to any and all King Diamond fans. Definately an album you shouldn't be without!

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