Metal Blade Records - 1996
7/10
At this point, King Diamond would be balancing his time between the solo career and Mercyful Fate full-time, with the first half of the decade seeing a lot of emphasis on the latter. Thus, it only makes sense that the second half would force Fate into sharing the spotlight. Regardless, that didn't stop the Denner/Sherman duo from returning with King quickly enough to give us a third record in the reunion era, surpassing the output from the classic run in terms of full-lengths. Following arguably the greatest record put out between either project outside of the 1980s, Into The Unknown had a hell of a pair of shoes to fill.
Stylistically, we don't see it divorced too much from the two prior records, however it did let go of the spookier, haunting, and eerie aura that coated most of the songs on Time. On the other hand, it does feel more swift than In The Shadows, finished off with a smoother surface that allows the instrumentation to fall into place nicely when backing the signature vocals. You could conclude that an identity helps it stand out, however I would be lying if I said the songwriting really held onto the momentum we've seen thus far. There isn't a lot to complain about, but I do think that the use of repetition is a bit underwhelming this go around. Moreover, a few songs like closer "Kutulu (The Mad Arab, Part II)" and "Listen To The Bell" sound a bit tired in delivery, with a step down in vocal presentation. The title track was also a little underwhelming, meant to be the long(er) centerpiece that doesn't doo too much, a fate some other tunes share.
If there is something that Into The Unknown has strength in, it's the ability to utilize a fiercer assault in terms of the riffs. "The Uninvited Guest" whips out one of the hardest openers the band has ever used, and I also love the aggressive center of "Fifteen Men (And A Bottle Of Rum)." Songs like the latter admittedly rely a bit on the element of fun, as at times it can feel a little campy, but the lyrics and the bassy outro on that are very memorable. You could probably make the same argument for "The Ghost Of Change," one that I'll never deny classic status with its catchy chorus and beautiful execution. Hell, I'll even bat for the catchy chorus and fun flow of "Holy Water," once again leaning on being fun rather than being objectively strong.
Perhaps this is a record I find myself returning to less often than others, as some of the magic that made the band great is void. However, I do think it has its own little charms, and revisiting it is still an enjoyable time. A little more direction absolutely would have done wonders for it, and tweaking the formula some more likely would have added greater flavor. It's a decent record that feels flat sometimes but is helped with a few tracks to make it serviceable enough. Had King not been balancing two full-time projects that he's the front-man in, it may have allowed room for that focus. I recall this era in the solo career also being rather botched as well.
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