Metal Blade Records - 1995
7/10
After kicking out five albums in literal back to back years, King Diamond would finally take a small break to focus on reforming Mercyful Fate, capping off the so-called classic era. Halfway through the '90s, yet another lineup tweak cementing only himself and La Roque as the main duo would also go back to the "half of a concept album" format that worked so nicely on the debut. Instead, The Spider's Lullaby throws the narrative to the back four tracks, dropping standalones in the front. With all of these wheels moving, we get what's seemingly a shift in direction, despite later years never making clear what that direction was.
In a way, The Spider's Lullaby reaches a "back to basics" type of axiom that shies away from the poppy synths and theatrics that grew as the band developed, focusing mainly on harsher riffs and mean vocal snarls. It certainly isn't completely void of the toppings and theatrics, which stick most heavily to the final four songs, but their less-than-obvious presence along with an overtly raw makeup gives things a rustic feel that can feel forced at times. Many of the tracks deal in deeper distortions for added flare to the songs that actually feel as heavy as they boast. "Six Feet Under" is a favorite of mine, along with the pummeling drive of "Eastmann's Cure". I'm also of the belief that the mid-'90s aura had a bigger effect on this than anyone will ever admit, but it matters little.
But the overall picture results in a mixed bag, consisting of mostly decent-enough tracks that don't stick together as well as likely intended, ranging from phoned-in to surprisingly fun. Despite the harsher aura, a lot of songs rely on a catchy chorus, the former being present in opener "From The Other Side," a decent number. Others have a tendency to lean into this too hard, with "Dreams" erring on that phoned-in side that misses the magical transitions and power that made King's earlier singalongs so great, thanks to overly ambitious repetition. Like stated at the top, some still sprinkle in your occasional keyboards, aiding in the likes of the title track and the nearly epic "Room 17" for a balanced sound, but unfortunately does nothing to boost others like "Moonlight," another one that feels far too flat to be saved by anything.
Ultimately, I can say that this is a record full of solid ideas that haven't realized their potential, or at least don't feel as organic together as they could. King Diamond's first release in half a decade falls right in the purgatory of nothing special, landing below the masterful craft that made up the classics, but could have been (and later was) far worse. It's one I haven't any strong opinions on, but makes for a fun revisit on special occasions. Perhaps it's a stretch to call it forgettable, but for any newcomers to the occult outfit, I'd suggest starting elsewhere.
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