The Graveyard (Remastered)

Though it was recorded in 1996, The Graveyard has all the markings of a classic King Diamond album from the '80s. The production is trim and tight—a perfect facsimile of the thrash metal aesthetic circa 1985. And the album encompasses one of King Diamond’s most elaborate and original narratives. A first-person tale about a war between a crooked mayor and his devilish employee, the story delves into kidnapping, decapitation, and premature burial. It’s an action-packed narrative with a momentous unity not seen since King Diamond’s canonical concept albums from the late '80s. Among the classic songs are “Trick or Treat,” “Heads on the Wall,” and “Waiting,” three of the swiftest, meanest works of speed metal this band ever wrote. It’s as though they'd overheard the grumblings among fans and critics that their more recent work had become too florid and responded with this reaffirmation of fundamental heavy metal. Even when they turn down the volume—as on “Heads on the Wall,” a ballad that morphs into a merciless attack—the results are fearsome and focused.