King Diamond summons horror and majesty at London’s Roundhouse

After nearly a decade-long wait, London was finally treated to a royal night of horror regalia, darkness and theatrical grandeur courtesy of King Diamond.

For an artist who only descends upon the capital once every ten years – Kentish Town in 2016, Electric Ballroom in 2006 – this Roundhouse performance was a rare and special occasion. ‘The Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920 Tour’ promised the macabre, the metal and the dark mischievous. And it delivered in full.

On one of the warmest nights of summer, Roundhouse filled with fans awaiting the grandmaster of conceptual heavy metal. Alongside King Diamond, his longtime collaborator guitarist Andy LaRocque, Mike Wead (guitar), Matt Thompson (drums), Pontus Egberg (bass), and ethereal guest vocalist Myrkur (Amalie Bruun).

King Diamond commanded a stage designed like a three-tiered gothic nightmare – embellished with lanterns, Victorian esthetic and atmosphere dripping with eerie menace.

Emerging from the shadows in top hat, face paint, and a devilish grin, King Diamond stood before a coffin as the night’s ritual began. His iconic falsetto – undimmed by the time – pierced the air as the band tore through a career-spanning set.

Fans were treated to early classics ‘The Candle’ and ‘Halloween’, ‘Welcome Home’ and ‘The Invisible Guests’ from Them and the timeless drama of Abigail with ‘Arrival’, ‘A Mansion in Darkness’ and the encore’s thunderous title track. Mid-era gems such as ‘Burn’,  ‘Two Little Girls’ and ‘Voodoo’ surfaced alongside the most recent ‘Masquerade of Madness’ and the latest ‘Spider Lilly’.

For fans who waited nearly a decade, the evening was more than a concert – it was an immersive horror play, a heavy metal ritual and a celebration of one of the genre’s most unique performers. As the lights rose and the Roundhouse emptied, one thing was clear: when King Diamond visits, it’s never just a concert.