Customer Reviews

Spider's Lullabye (Reis)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Because of negative reviews on this record, I was hesitant to buy it. Finally, I decided to take a chance. Being unable to find it locally, I took a trip to F.Y.E. One of those 'you name it, we got it' places. (...) Granted, this is not King Diamond's best. It is not exactly "Them," "Abigail," "Conspiracy," or even "In The Shadows." But let's be fair about this. No matter how good any artist is, not every single record they make can be their best. There are elements that make this record worth listening to. It has Andy's great guitar techniques as well as King Diamond's creepy harpsichord techniques. The lyrics are fairly intense, and the record flows well. Granted, King Diamond has written better stories than Harry's fear of spiders. But one thing that is not missing (even in this weaker story) is King Diamond's captivating technique of showing his characters losing their sanity. (...)If you are a King Diamond fan, you will not want to miss this record. Alright, maybe you only want King Diamond's best. (Well, they are 'Abigail,' 'Them,' 'Conspiracy,' and 'In the Shadows.') But I suggest that if you are hesitant to spend the money, that you at least borrow this record and test it, rather than ignore it. This is truly an underrated record that you will miss out on if you are moved by the negative reviews. (...)

Four years later after "The Eye", King & Andy with new members of the band dish out "The Spider's Lullabye", an a-typical Diamond album, which might be the strangest story line King has put out. Musically, it sounds very similar to many different Diamond songs. Herb Simmonsen's guitar playing wouldn't catch my attention until "Voodoo", and La Rocque is brilliant as ever. Not an epic album, most of the songs, with the exception of the last four, are all self contained stories. But I always felt that "Lullabye" was a follow-up to "The Eye". The "eye" is mentioned in "From the Other Side", which leads me to believe all the songs are related experiences of other people, just like "The Eye". I'm sure a lot of Diamond fans might have been disappointed, but it really isn't that bad. Certainly not to be overlooked!

This is awesome, why do so many people say it is the weakest KD cd ever?? Maybe if they were true KD fans they would realize he sounds just like he did in the 80's. I consider myself one of the biggest KD fans in the world, i have almost all of his cd's,(i cant seem to find SHAPE anywhere.) Oh well, this cd rocks. It only has a story on tracks 7-10, but the first 6 rule too. My favorite song is Six Feet under but all of the songs rule. King Diamond is the god of Power Metal. Buy this along with any other King Diamond cd...
...AND GO BUY THE PUPPETMASTER IN OCTOBER!!

Granted, the half length story is somewhat weak. But that is the only bad thing I can say about this record. This record is a solid indication that King Diamond was not to sell out the way Metallica and Megadeth and several others did. In the 90s era of grunge, rapp, and sell outs, King Diamond continued to do what he did best and he stayed loyal to his fans. One of King Diamond's strengths is that he does not allow himself to be swayed by current trends. 'From the Other Side' is a powerful opener that sets the tone of this record. Andy La Roque is sadly the only band member left from the "Fatal Portrait" - "The Eye" era. But the record still delivers. 'Killer' is a haunting song about a criminal that will soon face execution. 'Poltergeist' is an especially haunting song where King Diamond makes use of his frightening growls. 'Dreams' is not quite so intense, but it is a good song. 'Moonlight' has a real dark edge, thanks to King's ability to use whispers. 'Six Feet Under' is a somewhat thrashy horror story about a man who has been buried alive by his 'loving' family. And then begins the half length story of Harry's fear of spiders. 'Spider's Lullabye' begins with a creepy harpsichord, and if you suffer from arachniphobia, now would be a good time to stop. The harpsichord only makes it more frightening. (King Diamond seems to know that sometimes softer creates a more eerie effect.) In 'Eastman's Cure' Harry goes to Dr. Eastman to see if the doctor can cure him. 'Room 17' once again displays one of King Diamond's favorite things. (Characters going insane.) 'To the Morgue' kind of tells us how things turned out, and while King Diamond seems to hold back on the musical levels, this only seems to make the end more haunting. He makes especially good use of a technique that ends the record and sounds like an old fashioned record that was put on too slow of a speed. While this record is 2nd best to "Abigail," "Them," and "Conspiracy," it is still an excellent record that reflects King Diamond's best abilities. Some people have gone so far to say this was the last great King Diamond record, and if it had not been for "Abigail II," I would have agreed. Don't be stopped because this record is underrated. You'll miss out!

I've been a fan since the first days of Mercyful Fate, and it's a shame this CD doesn't get the praise it deserves. The storyline draws you in, and the songs are killer! If you call yourself a KD fan, do not miss "From the Other Side", "The Poltergeist", "Six Feet Under", the title track, and "To the Morgue". Outstanding production as well. One of King's best! Don't be swayed by bad reviews, you'll miss out!

This album has some of the best atmosphere on any King Diamond album. Just listen to songs like "The Poltergeist" and "In the Moonlight". The mini-story is a bit silly, maybe a bit cliched, but King Diamond has never been a poet lauterate or anything (ironically his stories got better after falling a bit on this one and I'd say his last two albums have two of his best stories ever). The riffs and solos all match with the dark but lusciously melodic atmosphere provided by the keyboards and vocals. The production is a step up from the underproduced (but otherwise excellent) The Eye and it seems like the Eye if it had better production (much of the same formula with keyboards and such with this album). This album has provided a good introduction to King Diamond for many people (younger fans) and will continue to do so.

King Diamond's Conspiracy-Graveyard period is definitely my favorite. A lot of fans gave him flack for this period, but I think its where he had some of the best hooks. Them and Abigail may be more intricate, and the riffs on The Spider's Lullabye more restrained, but I think Diamond's melodies and harmonies are better.

Case in point: the "Speak to me" part during The Poltergeist.

Also, I think Laroque's tone is better during this period as well

Case in point: In the Moonlight's solos.

Plus, from The Eye afterward, he used more keyboards and (though synth) harpsichords than the previous period, really creating more of a baroque atmosphere. Its this and other factors that make this my favorite period of Diamond's career.

The first King Diamond record I got was VOODOO, and it was alright, but it kind of let me down. The second, A DANGEROUS MEETING, just showed me how much better some of his older stuff is. The I got this one. Instead of the standard, full-album rock opera that you usually get, TSL features four songs that tell the story of Harry and his fear of spiders. The rest have no real relation, and in this respect it is similar to FATAL PORTRAIT (a few linked songs, the rest not). SPIDER is more of a crossover record, viewing his older-style sound (THE EYE on back) with a contemporary metal-scene viewpoint(a scene which he helped create, I might add). The first thing that struck me was the attention to melody he places on his vocals; tracks like "Killer" and "Moonlight" are rife with King's haunting, eerily tuneful falsetto and occasionally his tough growl. The second was the absolutely killer (no pun intended) guitar work, courtesy of Andy LaRocque and Herb Simonsen (now replaced by Glen Drover)(smoking solos, guys!). My personal favorites are "Killer," the short but brilliant "From the Other Side," "The Poltergeist," and most especially the title track, which actually conjures up images of a spider creeping along in a dark corner. King's voice will take you a while to get used to (at least, it did for me) but it is definitely worth the price.

I own just about all of King's and MF's releases, and this is probably my least favorite of King's. I am a big fan of the Abigail/THEM era. I feel the stories, lyrics and melodies of those albums (and The Eye) are the highlight of King's career. The lyrics and music on this release are a bit "light" and cheesy.

If you are a long time fan of King's music, you already are used to his style of tale telling. He doesn't strive to make cutesy rhymes, much of his writing is written somewhat as a narrative, with actual dialog from the characters.

I simply felt that this release was a little less evil or macabre when compared to the others. King's loyal sidekick, Andy (guitar) doesn't have the usual, deep and catchy melodies behind the sound this time around. It's possible it's due to the quality of the CD, though. This, like the original release of "THEM" is strongly lacking in depth and bass. It's not as rich and thick as other albums. Usually, with dual guitars and lots of keys, the sound is a tapestry of creepiness, like a scary movie. I just didn't get that feeling from "Lullabye".

If you are looking to get into KD, I would definitely recommend Abigail or The Eye, then move into Them/Conspiracy and finally, try Puppet Master and Abigal II.

Spider's Lullabye is a continuation of King Diamond's specialty: heavy metal opera concept albums. And King Diamond is good at what he does...it does not, in my opinion, rank quite as high as Them.
Still, Spiders Lullabye is great album. Kings vocal is very special and definitely not for everyone. It is an acquired taste, but a taste worth acquiring. Don't let his looks scare you either. This is actually music on a high level.
The story is definately not for arachnophobes, so be warned! It takes a while to get in to Diamond's world, but once you do, it will be a thrill. The musical craftmanship is still top notch.
High quality all the way.

...

As usual, the music is masterfully executed, to King Diamond standards, & the eight-legged one on the cover is in the process of constructing another one of those natural masterpieces that is timelessly appreciated. Most people don't know how to even make paper cut-outs! The spider's spinning sounds were nicely done on the guitar. It really brings the picture alive.

But that's not all of what THE SPIDER'S LULLABYE is about, no. True to King Diamond style, there's a poltergeist, a killer, & much more terror to tickle your fancy. There is only a trilogy of related songs herein, but those three lethal tunes are the dread of the spider-fearing. It's about time the spider got his due.