Stooge Though technically not an album by the King Diamond band, Metal Blade released this rehearsal tape under the King Diamond brand in 2001. It consists of a number of originals (and a “Radar Love” cover) recorded by King Diamond’s pre-Mercyful Fate band, Black Rose.

The recording quality is solid for what is essentially a live demo. Most instruments come through with good clarity, and it’s somewhat ironic that it is King’s vocals that suffer the most. You can hear him well for the most part, but some lines come across as a bit fuzzy. And since these songs were recorded live, the band makes the occasional blooper and decides to start songs over again. King’s written track-by-track commentary gives some great context into the recording and how Black Rose was as a live act.

The style of the music is quite a bit different from King Diamond’s solo albums and Mercyful Fate. Organ plays a large role in the sound of Black Rose, and the guitar playing is much more blues-based. They don’t sound like the most original band going, but there are still some entertaining numbers here. “Locked Up In The Snow”, “Holy Mountain Lights”, “Kill For Fun”, and melodic instrumental “Soul Overture” are my favorites from the bunch.

Flaws aside, this album is an enjoyable enough listen, especially for fans of 1970s hard rock/metal and proto-metal. Die-hard fans of King Diamond might appreciate this more than the casual listener, but the songs and musicianship is pretty good overall. It would have been interesting if Black Rose had released a proper album.