Metal Blade Records - 1998
5.5/10
Continuing forward with both full-time projects on full-time display, King Diamond would power on as he reaches the last couple years of the '90s. Following the charming but somewhat underwhelming Into The Unknown, Mercyful Fate came back to further the story they've been telling through a different lens since the band's reunion. Dead Again would see a slight change in lineup, an attempt at even more extended songwriting, on a foundation no different than what we've heard. Could this be a time for swinging at something different?
The short version is, no. I've said before that sometimes more is less, and Dead Again is a very fine example of that. For much of this disc's runtime, we're served the same spooky traditional metal we've been getting for years, topped with the signature vocal wails, bouncy riffs, and dark overtones. The only difference is that repetition is brought out more than we've seen for the majority of the tracks, and we get what seems to be a callback to "Satan's Fall" with the title track being a thirteen minute epic. Unfortunately, this doesn't even come close to packing the same punch, as uninspired playing, unremarkable writing, and all sorts of repetitive effects and nonsense make it an absolute chore to get through. Its attempts at soft and spoopy meeting doom metal and pummeling speeds did not land, and it reaches a point where you forget you're still on the same damn song. On that note, you'll occasionally find the slower, quiet ominous section in other tracks meant to invoke discomfort, such as the beginning of "Since Forever," but it feels flat compared to the standard we've come to love.
I won't pretend that this is void of anything worthwhile at all. The issue is, even the better songs overstay their welcome. "The Night" has a pretty compelling chorus with a strong solo, bringing in energy that's easy to move to considering its catchy grooves, but it did not need to be nearly six minutes long. "Mandrake" had a lot of potential with its driving structure, but lands void of anything that sounds inspiring, going on for too long as well. Others just miss the smooth transition between directions similar to the title track, giving the writing a disjointed feeling. Bassy tones and howling catchiness found in "The Banshee" are all sorts of fun, but still, I'm not certain I'd point to this tune as an example of strong writing.
Mercyful Fate's sixth full-length isn't worth scoffing at, as I wouldn't say any of it is overly bad, however you would expect more from its nearly hour-long runtime being from such a legendary act. There's very little to discuss in terms of dynamics, and once again I imagine it has something to do with King running on fumes with both bands on full-throttle. Should you feel so inclined, it's worth perhaps a spin, as some of the chops can scratch a light itch. With that said, don't expect it to work for anything more than decent background music that's perhaps fitting for a Halloween event.
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