Show Review: King Diamond and Overkill at the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, IL

Spawning out of the 2010’s heavy metal movement, Night Demon are the young cats on this tour helping spearhead the resurgence of traditional, old-school heavy metal. Dependable, reliable, and a great go-to for quality metal, Night Demon are a no-fuss, no-over-the-top, non-stop thrill ride that appeals to fans of all heavy genres due to their fist-pumping choruses, traditional, but hard-hitting riffs, and ability to keep it simple, yet still throw in a few change-ups to get people guessing. Night Demon are a blast, especially for traditional, old-school fans that you should put on your radar.

One of the oldest thrash bands still performing today, Overkill are legends pre-dating even the “Big Four.” Defining themselves with their niched stylized form of fast and heavy thrash, Overkill are often called the “Motorhead of Thrash” and the biggest thrash band to come out of the East Coast. Drawing influence from punk, hard rock, and British heavy metal, Overkill blends all this to form a ferocious, aggressive, recognizable, and distinguishable style. As consistent as they are sick, Overkill have never let up off the gas once in their multi-decade career as they remain pillars in the thrash community, releasing killer records and putting on consistently great live shows. The love fans have for this band is on full display as authentic, vintage Overkill shirts were seen a plenty, all while Overkill pummeled the Chicago Theater with pure, 100% gut-punching, thrash riffage.

The hype was immense, making minutes feel like hours as a massive Chicago Theater grew increasingly excited for the legend to return to Chicagoland. All under the theme of Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920, an over-the-top, elaborate, and theatrical horror-filled metal extravaganza would unfold before our eyes as the myth himself King Diamond walks on stage to a roaring theater ready to melt faces and deliver a top-notch performance that won’t be forgotten even if you tried. What immediately hits you at full force is King’s iconic, famous falsetto voice. It’s almost indescribable as his unmatched, otherworldly voice fills the room never giving less than 110% all while surrounded by an unmatched backup band creating the perfect dramatic and creepy theatrical vibe you would expect from King Diamond.

I’m usually not a fan of theater shows compared to traditional venues, but this is one of the few, rare times I’m glad it’s at a theater, let alone the giant, beautiful Chicago Theater, especially as the entire performance was enhanced and encouraged by the stage from the acoustics to the general ambiance. Witnessing Saint Lucifer’s Hospital unfold before your eyes in this magnificent space felt like you were in the Phantom of the Opera or an old silent-film-era horror film, like Nosferatu. Priding himself on delivering more than just a musical performance, King Diamond, similar to some of his counterparts, loves to incorporate theatrics and plot lines into his shows. This time, the show consists of an intricate, creepy story set in the 1920s filled with dark characters, twists and turns, and spooky visuals all while Myrkur provides terrifying, haunting backing vocals, in addition to some organ work at times.

An otherworldly performance, King Diamond continues to wow and impress even after so many decades. Whether it’s a Mercyful Fate gig or a solo Kind Diamond show, attendees will always leave content, excited, and eager for more as there’s no such thing as a bad Kind Diamond/Mercyful Fate show. A masterclass in live performance and theatrics, King Diamond is the living embodiment of precision, endurance, and prowess as every note, scream, and story element shocked and awed the audience, holding them captive the entire night and further proving King Diamond is not only a metal god but also a top-tier storyteller.

King Diamond

Overkill