King Diamond – first interview with Bill Zebub

This is the first interview that Bill Zebub conducted with King Diamond, which was recorded on camcorder (lens cap was on – it was recorded this way because the audio was better quality than a micro-cassette). It was played on Bill Zebub’s college radio show.   This was done during the THEM tour and the interview was conducted backstage at a club in Brooklyn called “L’amour.”

Mercyful Fate


This transcription was included int the first issue of the Grimoire. Bill Zebub handed this issue to one of the guitar player’s of Deicide, and this is why Glen Benton told the tale of intimidating King Diamond on an airplane, which is stupid because the issue SPECIFIED that Kind Diamond didn’t say anything out of disrespect. Additionally, Glen Benton’s words, which I have on tape, didn’t depict an outright challenge to a fight, so I don’t know why he bragged as if there was some kind of gauntlet slapped – and Glen’s story indicated that it was the hulking guitar player who did the intimidating. But even if the guitar player were normal-sized, ganging up on someone, especially when there is no reason to start a fight, isn’t something that should be bragged about.

King Diamond
King Diamond

Are the rest of the members into Satanism the way that you are?

No. No.

Are you a card-carrying member of the Church of Satan?

Yeah.

What do you think of Deicide and their version of Satanism?

I haven’t heard the band. I think they’re portraying the old christian view of Satanism during the time of the Inquisition.

So you think that their image could hurt you?

It’s bad that people are discriminatin in a completely wrong way. They must be a christian band – putting out the christian word on what they think it’s all about. (THIS IS WHAT I PUT IN PARENTHESIS RIGHT AFTER THE STATEMENT – THIS WAS PRINTED, SO GLEN BENTON SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN UPSET – “When you read, it is easy to put emotion behind written words. King did not say this with anger or disgust. Nor did he issue challenge.”)

Did you have a Satanic wedding?

We had a civil wedding.

Do you remember the song “Burning the Cross” – there was a mysterious musician who played in it called Benet Peterson. Was that you, Kim Peterson?

No. Not at all. He was a man who was in the band for a short while.

Did you know that you have a backwards message on “Melissa?”

No. Tell me about it.

When you play the words “Satan’s Cross upon the wall” you hear “What message is this?”

Is that really what is says?

You didn’t plan that?

No. We always did it the right way. It would be stupid for us to try and put something in there when you played it backwards, because it’s all there. It’s all straightforward.

Some people criticize you for excluding Satan in your lyrics. Others say that your music isn’t heavy anymore. How do you feel about that?

People who know about Satanism also know that we have not excluded anything. We may have changed some of the words. We omitted “Satan” and “Lucifer” because many people got turned off as soon as they heard those words. They’d grown up hearing from christians that this is what Satanism is all about – killing babies, and stuff like that. “Satan” means “the powers of the unknown” and that’s very much what I’m singing about. I certainly don’t feel that I mellowed out in any way.

What made you decide to sing in falsetto?

The first band I was in – we did covers of bands like Deep Purple and Rainbow, and I had to strain the vocals a lot to hit those notes. I was not very good in the beginning, but a lot of hard practice made it easier for me. I learned how to use my stomach. It enabled me to hold the notes longer and make them cleaner, and all that. One day, a fan came up to me and said, “You should use your falsetto some more.” I didn’t know what the word meant. But I started to work on the high vocals a lot more.

DODECAHEDRON – Kwintessens (Season of Mist)

This is a deliciously demented album that should be heard at least once. I am providing a video clip that you should start hearing at the 1:08 mark if you are impatient, but let it ride out if you can.

The vocals make this much crazier than it would be if someone else performed, and I love the song so much that I would buy the album if it just contained this one tune. Beware! You might be charmed by it as I have been. I think that I have heard it 50 times in a row. I can’t get enough of the craziness.

I tested it by posting on my facebook page, and I am happy to report that people have almost immediately made purchases. Don’t let this masterpiece die the death of apathy.

ANTARKTIS – Ildlaante (Agonia)

This odd band, sometimes sludge, reminds me a little bit of Cultus Sanguine – but just a bit. Maybe it is the essence here and there, and maybe something that only I perceive.

I would like to call your attention to the video clip that I have snooped out. Put the cursor at the 7:32 mark and play from there. That particular segment of music should be the selling point for you. It is for me. I will trust that to be what pushes you toward a purchase.

THE ORDER OF ISRAFEL – Red Robes (Napalm Records)

Riffs as delicious as those from the early Black Sabbath era house singing from an older world. Listening to this album, as well as the previous ones, gives a feeling of great taste, a music to be savored.

THE ORDER OF ISRAFEL - Red Robes
THE ORDER OF ISRAFEL – Red Robes

The warmth of the guitar distortion is perfectly paired with the vocal style. There is no band like The Order of Israfel, but the music sounds familiar. I had to find a video clip to show you that my words are not lies, and you should be impressed by the quality of the band live. I long for the day when I can be a member of the audience, as will you if you consent to view.

Cemetery Urn -Cemetery Urn

The vocals sometimes remind me of Mortal Decay when John P. was on A Gathering of Human Artifacts. But this is on occasions, not throughout.

As I was about to write more, a quick search revealed that the entire album is available on youtube, so here it is for you to make your own description.

Trollheims Grott – Aligned with the True Death (W.T.C. Productions)

This was dipped in black metal flavoring, but it has more than one drum beat, and the vocals aren’t the faggy screeching of someone trying to be like Edith Bunker from “All in the Family.”

The production is still a bit on the black metal side, favoring treble, and there are the usual dissonant chords. Here and there a bit of atmospherics get added. In one song, the vocals vaguely remind me of the first Infernal Majesty album.

My favorite song is “LXFR” which is the most unique on the album. That should be your gateway into the rest of the music.