MTG Set Review: Ikoria (Lair Of Behemoths)

Halfway through 2025 fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

Halfway through what is so far the worst year of this decade. Maybe even more so than the plague ridden hellscape that was 2020, this year so far has been nothing short of protracted misery for us here in the United States, and in so many other places in the world it seems. But, I will continue to do the best to avoid that negativity, and so the look back at 2020 will continue. My other musical honorable mentions of 2020 will continue later this June, but beforehand I’ve got another look at the Magic The Gathering landscape of that year. This time around, we travel to a brand new plane! One in which nature explodes so many forms of life, and the forces of humanity do the best they can to live their lives & defend themselves from whatever creature assaults the town! So, get on your most protective armor, sharpen up your sword, and take a look at my review for Ikoria: Lair Of Behemoths. Let’s begin!

Story & Setting
Taken from the fandom wiki: 

“The setting is Ikoria, a plane of beasts and monsters. As the world of Ikoria developed, humans quickly realized what types of defenses were needed to stave off monsters. The humans were quick to become both militaristic and ingenious. Unfortunately for the humans, the monsters of Ikoria have begun to mutate and the fortresses that were previously successful at protecting humans have now become fodder for the monsters to annihilate.”

Now, despite the incredibly short blurb I put up above, I will say that the story for Ikoria was one of the better ones in 2020. While Theros Beyond Death felt rushed with it’s lore, here it is far more fleshed out in a lot of ways, and there’s more time given to creating more believable characters & the “Civilization vs Monsters” theme of what the plane is going for. So much so, that a few of them were still around during the Phyrexian Invasion, and after in some cases.

Art
Art is different this time around for Ikoria. Whereas Theros’s visuals were heavily inspired by Greco-Roman mythology, Ikoria is of two worlds. Among the forces of humanity, everything (Outside of the Bonders & the more rough towns) is organized, clean, and most of the people look like they’re ready to defend themselves whenever their home is threatened. When it comes to the wilds of Ikoria, things are very different. Outside of the various human settlements, nature is practically wild & untamed. The landscapes come in a variety of locales, and each one is brimming with details, with the wildlife being especially on top in that regard. All of the various beasts & creatures come in so many different shapes and forms, with the ones with Mutate having the most extreme forms of them all. It really feels like Yin-Yang on Ikoria because of that artistic duality, and that made for some of the best MTG art of 2020.....though not the best.

Mechanics
Ikoria had an interesting set of mechanics upon it’s release, and still kinda does to this day. We had the return of Cycling, which was pretty surprising since we had it come back in 2017 (And waaaay back during Shards Of Alara) with a lot more support, and the same is true here. For those few who don’t know, Cycling is paying a small mana cost to draw a card, or search for a land or creature in some circumstances. It’s not deep by any means, but if you need to draw a card for something, it works great in a pinch.

What really stood out in Ikoria mechanically was Mutate, and the quasi-partners known as the Companions. Mutate reflected the incredibly unique & bizarre nature of the plane’s wildlife: if you target a non-human creature with a creature that has the mechanic, one of two things will happen. If you put the creature with Mutate on top of the target, then the creature will become that creature & gain it’s ability. If it’s mutated underneath that creature, then that creature will get a boost to it’s power & toughness equal to the creature that was put under it. Flavorwise it absolutely fits Ikoria’s world, and gameplay wise it led to some interesting stuff.....both good & bad.

You also had the Companions, and that’s where things get intriguing. Like I said above, they’re basically quasi-partners for your deck, but with a twist. For starters, you had your companion in it’s own zone, and it came into play when you payed it’s mana cost (Don’t think it went back to that zone when it died). Each & every single one had it’s own weird quirk to it that kinda had EDH shape any potential deck they were making around it. If you just put it in the deck like a normal card, then it’s fine, but if used EXCLUSIVELY in it’s companion role, then you must abide by the rules it has. Some are easy to work with, others are a little more frustrating, and a few more than that are irritating to follow......except for the example I used, which is adorable. 

Finally, Ikoria marked the first time that keywords could be given to creatures as counters. It’s happened on & off since then, but it was in this set that it came from, and it’s exactly as it sounds. Various cards from various card types can give out Lifelink counters, Trample counters, Fear counters, and so on. It really added to the gimmick of the whole “Make Your Own Kaiju” thing the creators were going for, and much like the various other kinds of counters, they don’t go away unless an effects says so.

Negative Aspects
Unfortunately for Ikoria, there are some issues that did hamper it’s success. First, and perhaps a more minor fault, would be the complete lack of other fantasy races. Outside of the various creatures & other beasts that the plane generates, the only other significant group on Ikoria are the humans. It’s weird just to see humanity, as while the various groups are all interesting in their own right, it does make for a somewhat plain setting. I don’t know if anyone else had issues with this back in 2020, and while I didn’t at the time, in the years since it has bugged me....but only mildly.

Next fault, and this was a bigger issue, were the companions. Conceptually, they were a cool idea, but in practice they has faults. Like I said above, the older version of the companions limited how a EDH deck could be made, and while this did present an interesting challenge, more often than not it was a pain to plan around. Some companions were easier to work with most definitely, but others were just frustrating. One companion in particular was so infamously (and unintentionally) overpowered, that it was banned before the set came out! You know the one.....

Finally, there was Mutate. Kinda like the companions it was a neat idea in theory, but ended up frustrating a lot of players. Also like I said above, Mutate on top of the creature you’re targeting and it gains the abilities of said creature it was put on top of, but if you mutated it underneath the creature it would gain a boost to it’s power & toughness equal to what was put under it. Simplistic, but it made a lot of gamers back then scratch their heads, and because of that I don’t think we’ll be seeing the mechanic make a comeback anytime during the rest of this decade. 

And though I don’t think it was a problem 5 years ago, I should make a quick mention of the pre-built decks. For the first time in MTG’s history, the commander decks released that year were tied to a specific setting, and that proved to have a lasting impact on the product. All of the pre-built decks since then have been tied to a plane to show off more of what that area of Magic’s universe is like. It will be interesting to see how Edge Of Eternities will be like come this late July, as that set takes place in Outer Space, but regardless the pre-builts are now just as much the face of the set as the main set itself.

Overall Impression & Rating
Ikoria was the oddball set in 2020 in my view. Make no mistake: it was absolutely fun to collect & play with, and the plane itself was cool and quirky! But the frustrations with Mutate & the Companions, not to mention the complete lack of fantasy races, makes this one a bit lower on totem pole that what came out at the start of this decade, but it was still a neat experience to feel. Definitely pick up a pack or two if you can. 

Ikoria gets a out 7.5 of 10.

And that was my look at Ikoria. Maybe not as good as Theros Beyond Death, but it still managed to provide something special to the MTG landscape back in 2020. It can still be found in various hobby stores, so grab it before it’s gone for good! So with that, we now move onto the other musical honorable mentions of 2020, and join me around the middle of the month for a revised look at Ozzy’s return after nearly 10 years. See you then.

Album Review: Moonspell's Memorial

Part 1 of my 2020 honorable mentions ends today fellow Otaku & Metalheads. 

I’m so surprised that 2025 is going by so fast. Despite how exceedingly dogshit things are in my home country, I’m experiencing an odd sense of relief that the year is moving on by. However, we’re not talking about right now! We’re talking about what my tunes in 2020 were, and did Moonspell deliver back then. Sin/Pecado was a nice return to the late 90s, but now we come to the mid 2000s. Once the era of Grunge has ended, Heavy Metal came roaring back into the popular consciousness, with both old-school acts and new-school bands playing on the airways once again here in America & in the rest of the world. Moonspell had already rocked throughout the decade by the time it hit 2006, but the results beforehand were mixed (Depending on who you asked). When it came to 06, things seemed to solidify for the band, and what they put out that year was quite nice indeed. So sit back, relax, and enjoy my review for the 2020 re-release of Memorial. Let’s begin!

Background
Taken from part 2 of my Overview on the band. *

“As the 2000s went on, Moonspell seemed to be going further & further away from the experimenting of the late 90s & early 2000s, and decided to return to their Gothic roots as a way to anchor themselves so as not to stray anywhere. Boy was I surprised when I decided to give Memorial a go! Released on April the 24th, 2006, Memorial finds the back once again back in the experimental seat. Not only were they experimenting a little bit with Industrial, Orchestral parts & even some Operating vocal work can be found on this album. It was perhaps this experimentation that managed to get the album Gold On January 16, 2007, by the Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa for selling 10,000 copies in their native Portugal. I’m happy for the band, and I have to admit I’m kind of fond of how & what they experimented on this album.....despite my issues.”

* My description in this review is somewhat different than how I first described it back in October of 2018.....again.

Basic Description
Goth Metal, nice and clean.

Memorial is Sin/Pecado’s opposite. Not in terms of quality, as both records are top notch when it comes to their songs! What separates them is their refinement: Sin/Pecado has that 90's roughness to it, while Memorial is more clean when it comes to the recording & production. That’s not necessarily a bad thing for anyone who likes their music more on the polished side, but there are times where things do come across as too clean. Even with that factored in, the record is still filled from top to bottom with some of Moonspell’s best music of the 2000s. The band was willing to try new things once again to diversify themselves once again, and the end results.....speak for themselves.

Best Track
Also like when I was talking about this album the first time back in 2018, but Upon The Blood Of Men was just too catchy to not put upon a pedestal. An absolutely thunderous track, the instrumentation hits hard & never lets up, but it doesn’t feel like the train is gonna ride off the tracks. Fernando Ribeiro vocal work is particularly vicious here, as at no point does he ever singly quietly, opting to bellow and furiously growl throughout the whole thing. Do not skip this song!

Upon The Blood Of Men

Worst Track
Really the only fault in this remaster’s armor, and then only in my case, is that I can’t tell that it has been remastered. Kinda like Devin Townsend’s remaster of Infinity back in 2023, you have to listen really carefully in order to hear any kind of different between the 2020 version, and the original released back in 2006. Because of that, it almost feels pointless that Memorial got a re-release/remaster, as while older content getting a second outing is welcome, if nothing new is around then there was no point.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

Memorial

Overall Impression & Rating
Memorial hits like a Gothic tractor trailer, and leaves a nice smear all over your eardrums. While it’s incredibly difficult to tell if it’s actually been remastered or not, and there’s moments where the music might have been too over-produced, it’s still a badass record that you just gotta try. Memorial also has the distinction, at least in my opinion, or being a piece of proof that Gothic Metal still had what it takes to stand on it’s own two feet in the 2000s, alongside titans like Type-O Negative and Paradise Lost. You definitely don’t want to miss this one! 

Memorial gets an 8.5 out of 10.

So that was my look at Memorial. More modern than Sin/Pecado was, and maybe a touch too clean, but it still shows that the band was willing to try anything to keep themselves out there. Original 2006 release or the 2020 re-release, the album is definitely something to consider when snagging some new tunes. So with that, tomorrow is the first of June. I have my other musical honorable mentions of 2020 to talk about, but before that I’ve got another look at one of Magic’s big releases from then. See you all tomorrow!

Album Review: Moonspell's Sin/Pecado

The Honorable Mentions of 2020 are here fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

Okay, the first half of them are. We’re taking a look at the other two next month, but for now we got some Moonspell to cover for May. I’ve spoken pretty highly of Portugal’s biggest ever since I started covering them all the way back in 2017 (Read Here), and I’ve been listening to them since 2013. Today’s review was one that technically didn’t come out in 2020, but re-released in late 2019. The 13th of December, to be exact. Because of such a late release, it seemed appropriate to grandfather it into the most plague-ridden year of recent memory, and I’m glad I did in hindsight. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy my review for Moonspell’s 1998 classic, Sin/Pecado. Let’s begin.

Background
Taken from Part 1 of my overview on the band. *

“Despite the success of Irreligious, there was trouble on the horizon for Moonspell. Due to lawsuits, original bassist Ares left, and was subsequently replaced by Sérgio Crestana. Once he was fitted into the band, it was time to crank out their 3rd album, and in 1997 the band did their work in Woodhouse Studio, located in Hagen, Germany. Then, on the 3rd of February, 1998, Sin/Pecado was released. Translated as Without/Sin (Pecado is the Portugese word for “Sin”), the album was something of a departure from their previous 2 releases, as Moonspell went for a more experimental route. There was little in the way of their Black & Death Metal roots, as their Gothic aspect was heightened, and the usage of keyboards brought in something of a Electronic/Industrial component. The end result almost comes across like a precursor to Kreator’s Endorama, which would be released a year later. Personally, I like what the band has done here: while some of their early stylings is gone, the new pieces added create something radically different from what first came out. This would actually hurt the band in the next year....but I’ll get to that in a bit.”

*: My description in this review is somewhat different than how I first described it back in October of 2018.

Basic Description
90s Goth Goodness.

Goth music might have had it’s roots in the 80s, but it was in the 1990s where the flowers bloomed. Type-O Negative’s heyday was from that time, and Paradise Lost showed off some of their best work from that time as well, and Moonspell is no exception either. They already showed off what they could do with Wolfheart in 1995, and proved that they were willing to improve & diversify their music with Irreligious. Sin/Pecado, obviously, is an advancement of the previously mentioned record: there are similar vibes for sure, but the band try a few new things here so the album doesn’t completely sound like their prior work. There’s the Extreme Metal and the Goth & Progressive rock elements they’re known for, but they also experimented with stuff like Electronica, Industrial, and even Folk if you can believe it. Metal Archives reviewer Lukretion describes Sin/Pecado as an album that has a “unmistakable Mediterranean warmth in the sound”. He goes on to say that “It is one of those fully immersive records that take you by the hand and transport you in a completely different universe where you can lose yourself for a while, marveling at the strange sonic creatures you encounter along the way”, and I completely agree. There’s just some kind of exotic warmth all over this release, and it somehow stays with you for a while after you’re done listening to the record.....which is always a plus if you ask me.

Best Track
I stated this when I did part one of my overview of the band all the way back in October of 2018, but Second Skin was just a perfect track. It had the right pacing, the right instrumentation, the right atmosphere, incredible vocal work from Fernando Ribeiro, and thanks to the touches to the recording, it sounds better & even newer somehow. Even if the music wasn’t touched up on for this re-issue, it’s still a powerful and sensual song that just hits all the right notes from beginning to end, and doesn’t let up at any point.

Second Skin

Worst Track
Really, the only fault in Sin/Pecado’s name would be the dated 90's vibes. Now, I’m a huge sucker for stuff like that, regardless of whether or not the album in question has been remastered or not. This is a fault that’s only going to make people who aren’t exactly a fan of 90s metal react, and in which case why would you have listened to this album.....or read this review for that matter.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

Sin/Pecado

Overall Impression & Rating
Sin/Pecado was just fantastic back in the day, and is still great now. The band were still comfortable in their gothic wheelhouse that they established in 1995, but they weren’t afraid to experiment with new things in an effort to grow & diversify their music. While the 90s vibes are off-putting to only a handful of people, the nostalgia vibes of that era come in hard for those that love it. If you missed the album back in the day, or you just want a nice slice of late 90s Gothic cheese, Sin/Pecado will be quite the tasty slice.

Sin/Pecado gets a 9 out of 10.

So that was my review for Sin/Pecado. A wonderful advancement from their previous 2 releases, it showed that Moonspell was comfortable in trying new things while staying their path. With it’s re-release from 2019 (That I grandfathered into 2020), a new generation of fans that might have missed it back in 1998 get to experience it for the first time. So, join me at the end of May for the other release of Moonspell that came out in 2020. Until then, take care!

Game Review: Doom 64

Happy beginning of May fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

I don’t know how we’re all still here in my home country. The political landscape keeps getting worse, our living conditions keep getting worse, and who knows what will happen to us in the future. However, I don’t want to think about it too much, so let’s skip all of that & take a look at something that’s more fun. Back in March, I reviewed the beast that was Doom: Eternal. An absolute modern classic when it comes to slaying the forces of Hell, it set the table for what is sure to be a smash success with Doom: The Dark Ages in a few weeks. However, there wasn’t just one game at the no. 1 spot back in 2020 for me. A surprise from the Nintendo 64's past came back officially for the first time ever, remastered & given some new blood thanks to additional content made just for the occasion. It was such an experience for me, that it had to be at no. 1 standing beside the giant of 2020. So, dust off your old armor from Mars, load up your shotgun, and get ready for my review of Doom 64. Let’s begin!

Story
Like the games before it, Doom 64 does not have the deepest story, but what little we do have is interesting. Following the events of Doom, Doom 2, and Final Doom, a policy was established by the U.A.C. to quarantine the research installations with apocalyptic levels of radiation. As the years go by, the installations were completely abandoned & silent, but one day a satellite that was long forgotten and subjected to the radiation managed to send a message back to Earth. Within the message, it was indicated that an entity, with vast rejuvenation powers and masked by the extreme radiation, escaped being detected in its crippled state. The entity systematically began altering decaying dead carnage back into corrupted living tissue, resurrecting all the demons that were killed before. As the only survivor of what would be called the Doom episodes, the Marine was sent back in alone to exterminate the demons & the entity. He later realizes that the demons planned this, after he unknowingly allowed himself to be lured back into Hell. With the aid of the Unmaker, he fights the hordes of demons, and eventually encounters the entity that would eventually be known as the Mother Demon. Upon slaying the Mother Demon, the Marine decides to stay in hell forever to make sure that no demon uprising ever happens again, on account of him not being able to have a normal life anymore.

Things get even more intriguing when it comes to the Lost Levels from the 2020 remaster. It turns out that the Mother Demon had a sister, known as the Resurrector. The Resurrector banishes the Marine back to a UAC base (Whether it was part of one he went to already or not, it’s never said), and this banishment forces him to fight his way back to Hell to stop the Demons. These levels branch the storyline between the original titles, and with Doom in 2016 & Eternal. Maybe it’s a little forced, but it still works out in the end.

Setting
Kinda like the original Doom, we’ve got a mix of human military bases & facilities, but a majority of the time we’re in hell. Due to the graphics (More on that later), each & ever level is dripping in atmosphere. So much atmosphere, in fact, that it almost feels like going through Quake more than a Doom game. Everything is soaked in an otherworldly dread: the Mars locales don’t feel completely within the realm of reality, while the various Hell locales are at the crossroads of Gothic & Lovecraftian (Doom 3 had a similar vibe, btw). This was never fully achieved in the Doom games prior to this, but Doom 64 manages to easily!

Characters
Unlike Doom 2016, Doom: Eternal, and the incoming Doom: The Dark Ages around the middle of this month, Doom 64 is more along the lines of the Doom Marine than the Slayer. Save for what we know from the minimum story, there’s nothing to the Doom Marine when it comes to his character & personality, but that’s okay. Back in the day, FPS games were more about the gameplay than the storytelling, and that’s no different here.

Gameplay
For the most part, Doom 64 is exactly the same as Final Doom & the Doom games before it. Run & gun, find keys and secrets, solve simple puzzles, etc. What makes things somewhat different are a few things. Pacing is a big change: while charging into a room of enemies is still valid, the Quake vibes due to it’s setting implies a small level of caution. Again, sometimes charging in works, but now it pays to be somewhat cautious & look around before guns go blazing. This also applies to enemies, as while the roster isn’t as big as that of Doom 2 (Believe the reduction was due to cartridge size), the ones that have stayed have been changed in small ways. Lost Souls, for example, have less health but are more aggressive, while Cyberdemons actually leader their target somewhat. The lone new demon that was added was the Nightmare Imp, which is similar to the Specter version of the Pinky Demon, but throws a purple fireball that travels faster than a standard imp projectile. Finally, the way that some of the weapons function changes combat slightly. The Rocket launcher slightly pushes the player back, and the projectile from the BFG explodes in more of a cone-shape pattern. We get a new weapon in the form of the Unmaker, and it’s a bit interesting. A laser weapon, when you first get it the damage isn’t much, but if you find the 3 secret levels, it does increase in power to the point where it’s a bit over the top, and it can hit multiple targets. There’s another reason that the secret levels are important, but I don’t want to spoil it in case any of you are new to the game, and are reading this.

Graphics & Sound
It may surprise first time players, but Doom 64's graphics are that of the original Doom! Highly advanced most definitely, but it’s still the original graphics engine underneath. There’s more colorful lighting, more detailed textures, enemies have newer models with extra details, and is capable of doing some interesting tricks thanks to some special coding, but it’s the exact same engine you first saw all the way back in 1993. If there is one issue with the graphics, and even then I think it was only on the Nintendo 64, it would be that the lighting at times was a bit too dark in places. It’s only mildly around on the PC Port, and thanks to the remastering, it’s more of a nuisance than anything.

Sound has changed quite a bit when compared to the prior Doom games. Instead of a metallic-like soundtrack, the music in 64 is more ambient & atmospheric, which just lends to the Quake vibes all the more. The monsters also have changed when it comes to the noises they make, and while some still sound demonic, others are more bestial & feral. It makes the overall experience familiar, yet somewhat different at the same time. Finally, some levels have great background noise, as sometimes you can hear thunder or some other creepy sound throughout your exploration. Definitely a nice cherry on the sundae!

Overall & Rating
Doom 64 didn’t deserve to be placed in the “Cult” status back in the day. True, being called it’s final name instead of what it originally was didn’t help matters (Doom: The Absolution), but even if that wasn’t the case it’s still a crime. Maybe not as graphically advanced as other titles, it still manages to pull some tricks out of it’s hat in many ways, and the end result is a Doom experience that’s unique yet familiar. If you didn’t play this obscure masterpiece back in 1997, then get yourself the remaster, and see what it’s fans are talking about.

Doom 64 gets a 10 out of 10. The Lost Levels get a 9 out of 10, but that’s due to the shorter length than anything else.

And that was my review for Doom 64. Obscured by it’s name & the powerhouse of other games from around that time, it still manages to be an action packed experience that’s still nice nearly 30 years later. Whether you’re new to the FPS genre, or a veteran that’s looking for something special, Doom 64 is for you! So, join me for the rest of the month, when we’ll revisit one of my favorite musical exports of Portugal. See you around the middle of the month!



***
If you’d like to see a walkthrough of the main game & the Lost Levels, then click on the links below:

DOOM 64 - Gameplay Walkthrough FULL GAME (Remastered)

Doom 64 Lost Levels (PS4) Full Playthrough

Album Review: King Diamond's Abigail

The end of April is here fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

This month has actually been kinda fun. We had some anime goodness with Seton Academy, had our first bit of spookiness with King Diamond’s first solo album, and over a week ago examined the surprisingly good but still flawed God’s Not Dead 3. Today we return to King’s world, and what a return it is! Better storytelling & atmosphere, better instrumentation, and better vocal work comes to the forefront, and the end result is an 80s classic. Almost 40 years later, does this freaky classic stand the test of time, and still keeps it’s rightful place in the king’s discography? Light your lantern, watch the shadows, and enjoy my review of Abigail.....BOO!!!

Background
With Fatal Portrait achieving some success for the band, King Diamond & the boys went on tour to support it’s release, and by December of 1986 went back into Sound Track Studio in Copenhagen to record what would become their second album, and on the 29th of May in 1987, Abigail was released through Roadrunner Records (Like their first album). Sadly, it would be the last record that Michael Denner would perform on, as not long after Abigail’s release he would leave due to the strain of touring.

Reception wise, Abigail would go on to achieve a surprising amount of success. Supported by it’s sole single & the first music video of the band’s career (Click Here), it charted at number 39 in Sweden, number 68 in the Netherlands, and at number 123 on the Billboard 200 here in the United States. Eduardo Rivadavia of Allmusic wrote that Abigail is "widely recognized as King Diamond's solo masterpiece" and "is also unquestionably one of heavy metal's greatest concept albums", while Canadian journalist Martin Popoff remarked the "metallic excellence" of the album, but was negatively taken aback by the "creepy package" and the lyrics. Even guitarist Andy LaRocque spoke highly of the record, saying that it’s his favorite album because of the "good atmosphere we had as a band at that time is captured in the album".

Basic Description
Horror Metal Mastery.

Let’s get this out of the way: Fatal Portrait wasn’t bad. Like I said in my review on that album, it’s not bad by any means, as the instrumentation & vocal work is wonderful, but it’s held back a little on account of it’s lack of storytelling focus. With Abigail, the story that King is conveying is in each and every track. What story might you ask. Well, here’s just an except from Wikipedia. Don’t want to spoil the whole thing!:

“Abigail tells the story of a young couple, Miriam Natias and Jonathan La'Fey, who move into an old mansion that La'Fey inherited. It takes place in the summer of 1845. Upon their arrival they are warned by seven horsemen not to move into the house because if they do, "18 will become 9." They do not heed the warning and proceed to move into the mansion. During their first night, Jonathan meets with Count de La'Fey, the Family Ghost, who is a deceased relative. The ghost shows him a casket in which a corpse of a stillborn child, Abigail, rests. The ghost informs him that Miriam is carrying the spirit of Abigail and that the child will soon be reborn. He insists that Jonathan must kill Miriam at once to prevent the rebirth.”

Even if you don’t factor in the story, Abigail is also a big improvement when it comes to the instrumentation & vocals. Everybody in the band already proved themselves quite a bit on instrumentation, but on this releases things tightened up a little, and are a little more on page with one another. King already showed the world how well he could sing on Fatal Portrait and his time in Mercyful Fate, but here he shows off a little more range. On top of that, the recording & production got a bit of a touch-up, to the point where it still sounds fresh nearly 40 years after it’s release.

Best Track
When I first took a look at Abigail back in October of 2019 in part 1 of my overview on King, I said in that the best track of the album was a tie between the haunting Omens & the titular title track. Both are still great tunes, but my opinion has shifted since then, and now I say that A Mansion In Darkness is the best song of Abigail. Jonathan & his wife Miriam have arrived at the mansion, and right away it’s obvious that something is wrong with the place, but the couple dismiss it as pure nonsense. Outside of the story, what really sells this track is the overall quality. The guitar & bass is fast and thunderous but steady, the drumwork hits like thunder outside of a haunted house, and King’s voice is as spooky as ever at this point in his career. Coupled with just a hint of cheese, A Mansion In Darkness is just a fun song that’ll make the hairs on your arm stand up in addition to some headbanging on the side.

A Mansion In Darkness

Aside from the tune mentioned above, what really separates Abigail from Fatal Portrait is the complete focus on storytelling. Like I said in my review on the previously mentioned release, only half of the album was dedicated to the story that King wanted to tell, while the rest was just generic horror (Even though it wasn’t necessarily bad). On this album, King has his attention fully focused on the story he wants to tell, and as such comes across as far more solid than what he did before. King would only do something like Fatal Portrait one more time in his career, but I’ve already covered that once before (Click Here, and look for “The Spider’s Lullaby”).

Worst Track
To say there’s a bad track on this album is absolute blasphemy! From the opener to the closer, you are treated to not just one of the best horror metal albums of all time, but one of the best EIGHTIES albums period. You might be able to make the argument that the ending is a bit on the soul-crushing side, as it does tease things might end for the better, but this is King Diamond we’re talking about. The man isn’t known for happy endings, and on the two occasions it has happened, there’s still a dark twist to it.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below:

Abigail

Overall Impression & Rating
Abigail is a fun & spooky tale, and one in which fans all paid attention to it’s characters and the story that was woven. On top of the story, it’s atmosphere strikes a seemingly perfect balance between scary and cheesy. Outside of that, the instrumentation was improved a little bit, and King’s vocals got a little more sinister & raspy when compared to Fatal Portrait. Even if it ends on a soul-crushing note, Abigail is an evolution of what came before it, and a marker for just about all of the band’s future releases.

Abigail gets a 10 out of 10.

And that was my review of Abigail. Spooky and fun, it also manages to be an improvement in musical talent. It’s almost 40 years old, and somehow still feels just as strong here in 2025 as it did back in 1987. If you’re in the mood for some horror fun, then Abigail is for you! So, tomorrow is the start of May, and we’ve come to the first set of musical honorable mentions. Before that however, we’re revisiting the world of Doom, so join me tomorrow for a look at one of the most underrated releases in the franchise. See you tomorrow!

Movie Review: God's Not Dead 3 (A Light In Darkness)

So.....this will be an interesting Easter fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

For years now, I’ve covered religious or religious-adjacent pieces of media on this day, and for 2025 I’ve chosen something unique. A film from a series that’s known to be hateful, arrogant, ignorant, and deceptive, it stands out from among the rest by being surprisingly different in a lot of way. Granted, it’s still flawed in some aspects, but this movie is a giant improvement when compared to the ones before it, and the ones after it if you want to be technical. It took chances in many places, and actually succeeds in them as well. So, grab some candy from your Easter basket, read some of your Psalms (If you believe), and take a look at my review for God’s Not Dead: A Light In Darkness. Can I get an amen!?

Story
Taken from the DVD Case:

“After a deadly fire rips through St. James Church, Hadleigh University leaders use the tragedy to push the congregation off campus, forcing the church to defend it’s rights and bringing together estranged brothers for a reunion that opens old wounds and forces them to address the issues that pulled them apart.”

Let’s get this out of the way: the God’s Not Dead franchise has a persecution complex throughout each & every film, and A Light In Darkness is no exception to this. However, what makes it more bearable in this movie is that it’s nowhere near as frequent as what you’d see in the prior two GND features. It’s more well-timed & properly used when compared to the previous two films, and strangely is more convincing that what was before it. It’s still a Christian persecution complex, and as such is about as subtle as a broken foot, but it’s much more believable and tolerable in A Light In Darkness than any other God’s Not Dead movie!

Good Aspects
One other positive aspect to A Light In Darkness’s is the reduced cast of characters. In the first two features, you have a massive host of characters, not to mention an equally massive amount of storylines. In this film, the cast is heavily reduced, and in turn makes the storytelling much more focused. There are still things that start up & never go anywhere, but it’s definitely not as frequent as how bad it could be in GND 1 & 2.

This in turn brings us to the characters, and holy crap are they an improvement in this film! Granted, the acting still isn’t the best, but there’s so much more effort put into the performances that it makes them much more believable. David A.R. White, who plays Reverend Dave in this and the prior GND movies, is now the lead in A Light In Darkness’s story, and he was the only likable character from the prior 2. He goes through quite a lot during GND 3's run time, and by the end is almost a different man. His brother, played by John Corbett, is a lawyer in Chicago who has nothing to do with God in any way, and unlike Dean Cane’s similar role in the first GND, John’s character is instantly likable. White & Corbett work surprisingly well together, and their characters together are incredibly believable as brothers. Some others lack a little when it comes to personality, but overall it surprises me at how much more believable everybody is when you compare them to what came before.....and what unfortunately came after.

Finally, and this is perhaps the best thing about A Light In Darkness, is that the subject matter in this movie is...truly...Christian! Apart from the persecution complex, the things that the film brings us is quite shocking when you see how vapid all of the others are in terms of topics it speaks about. In this feature, we have actual conversations between Atheism & those with faith, redemption, remorse, forgiveness, reasons why people would want to leave the church (Young people especially), and more. If any of you have even seen a few scenes from the prior God’s Not Dead films and the ones after, then you know that they’re the farthest thing from Christian, so to see a Pureflix film approach any of these subjects is something that will make you do a double take.

Okay Aspects
Though improved in may ways over the first two, A Light In Darkness’s acting still is not the best. Improved from the first & second movie most definitely, but it is still wooden & weak in places. The story, like I said earlier, is greatly improved than what we got in the first two films, but some storylines either don’t properly finish, or seem silly. Finally, there’s the special effects: though there’s just a bit in one part towards the beginning, you can easily tell it’s cheap CGI. Outside of that, these are the only things that can be considered okay. As for what’s bad......

Bad Aspects
For starters, the persecution complex from the first two God’s Not Dead movies is back! Again, it’s not as bad here as it was in the first two films, but it’s still very obvious and apparent when it pops up. It doesn’t help the fact that in the first time we seen the news, it just so happens to be called The Lion’s Den, and one of the hosts just so happens to be a spokesman for the NRA (Don’t know if they still are). The Newsboys also make a comeback, and while I don’t think they’re the most obnoxious Christian band out there, I do find them to be somewhat annoying, on account of them trying too hard in the scenes where they appear. There are some other things that are bad in A Light In Darkness, but as I’m typing this I can’t recall them. However.....

What really weighs A Light In Darkness down, is simply the fact that it’s related to one of the most hated film franchises in existence. The things that this movie is trying to do, and succeeds at in many respects, is somewhat tarnished by the fact that the two features before it, and the two after, are some of the most un-Christian pieces of media out there! Full of lies, misdirection, deception, and hatred, God’s Not Dead 1 to 2 and 4 to 5 are just evil, and because of that somewhat ruins the good that A Light In Darkness manages to accomplish! You know that it bombed in theaters because the hardcore audience, when many of them called A Light In Darkness a cashgrab that doesn’t promote a Christian message. Think about that for a second.

Overall Impression & Rating
A Light In Darkness is really surprising! Sure, it still has the guilt complex from God’s Not Dead 1 & 2, not to mention some of the faults from the previous 2 features, but there was far more effort and ambition put into this movie than what they did before. It’s a far more competent story, with perhaps the best characters that have been made for this franchise, and it’s a far more CHRISTIAN & HUMAN film than any other God’s Not Dead movie, or anything else that Pureflix has created. I’m not saying that A Light In Darkness is a cinematic masterpiece by any stretch, but it’s a surprisingly beautiful diamond in the rough if you decide to watch it. Give it a chance whenever you can!

A Light In Darkness gets 5 out of 10 at it’s worst, and a 7.5 out of 10 at it’s best.

And that was my review for God’s Not Dead 3. Maybe not a cinematic masterpiece, but a massive improvement over the prior two movies that keep it partially chained down. Even if you don’t like it, I have a feeling that you won’t hate it as strongly when compared to GND 1 & 2. So, with this holiday in the rearview mirror tomorrow, I got one more look at King Diamond this month. See you all on the 31st!



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If you’d like to see another take on the movie, and one that has some facts I didn’t put in my review, then click on the link below:

God's Not Dead 3: A Light in Darkness (The Cinema Snob)

Album Review: King Diamond's Fatal Portrait

Time for look at the music of no. 2 of 2020 fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

You may recall, 2020 saw a resurgence of sorts from the master of 80s Horror Metal, as King Diamond came back in force towards the end of 2019 with the announcement of The Institute (Any time now, btw!). In addition to the revelation of the new record, he re-issued everything from 1986 to 1990. Note, these are re-issues, not remasters, and that’s by design: King Diamond said that Metal Blade Records acquired all of the old Mercyful Fate & KD records, as he felt that the original sound was far better than the remastered versions from a bit before 2020. I listened to almost all of the re-issues back then: so much so, that I had 5 of them at no. 2 that year. To make things easier, I’ll be looking at just two so that April isn’t clogged up with all of them. To start things off, let’s take a look at King’s inaugural solo record......so light a few candles, keep an eye on that creepy painting on the wall, and take a look at my review for Fatal Portrait. Let’s begin!  

Background
Upon leaving Mercyful Fate due to having musical differences with Hank Shermann (Real name René Krolmark), singer King Diamond, guitarist Michael Denner, and bassist Timi Hansen decided to get another band going. Using King’s name for the group in order to get better deals, and acquiring the services of drummer Mikkey Dee (Formerly of Dokken fame if I recall correctly) and guitarist Andy LaRocque, King Diamond the band would form in early 1985, and in July of that year would go into the studio to record their first album, Fatal Portrait, and released it in March of 1986. Ironically, Andy LaRocque was not given any writing credit on the record, as he actually joined the recording sessions at the last minute, and according to him it was due to the band's second guitarist at the time not working out in the studio. In fact, him recording a solo for Dressed In White acted as his audition for joining King Diamond.

Fatal Portrait would go on to sell over 100,000 copies in North America alone. As for how the album got it’s name, it comes from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Wilde describes the titular painting as "the fatal portrait" several times throughout the book.

Basic Description
Solo Horror Emergence.

King Diamond definitely had it somewhat easy when releasing Fatal Portrait. He already established himself when in Mercyful Fate, and thus already had some credit in the Heavy Metal world. However, it wasn’t just him that carried the weight, as he had Michael Denner & Timi Hansen from his previous band with him, and new members drummer Mikkey Dee and guitarist Andy LaRocque injected some new blood into the veins. This mix of old & new end up creating an album that while it’s identity isn’t 100%, but still ends up being 100% just in terms of pure quality alone.

Best Track
Halloween is just an addicting little song. From the first few guitar notes, it sinks it’s hooks into your ears & doesn’t let go! The drumming from Mikkey Dee is solid throughout the whole track, and the guitar and bass from Andy LaRocque, Michael Denner, & Timi Hansen is like lightning and thunder outside of a haunted house (Hint Hint). Of course, the most recognizable thing about the tune is King’s voice, which comes across as a little more refined when compared to Mercyful Fate’s first two release. He’s still shrieking and howling like a banshee, but he’s had some time to add more range and smooth things out ever so slightly. Though it’s not part of the album’s story, Halloween is a fun & creepy song that actually great at any point out of the year!

Halloween

Worst Track
As great as Fatal Portrait was, it’s lone fault lies in it’s lack of focus. The story that King is telling is regulated to the first 4 tracks, and the concluding one, making this one of the terribly weaker stories that he’s told. Everything in between the storytelling is more of generic horror, regardless of it’s quality or not. This makes the experience oddly bipolar in nature, which would fortunately be fixed a year later in 1987.......but no spoilers!

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below:

Fatal Portrait

Overall Impression & Rating
Fatal Portrait was a damn good start for King’s solo career. Sure, it’s not the strongest story of his career, but like I said earlier, it showed that he was just as good outside of Mercyful Fate as he was within in. The instrumentation from everybody in the band was great, and King’s voice might have actually improved since his days with his former group. It might not be massively essential, but this is still one portrait you’ll definitely want to look at!

Fatal Portrait gets an 8 out of 10 for it’s storytelling, but a 10 out of 10 for everything else.

And that was my look at Fatal Portrait. Perhaps not quite as potent as what the horror master would create later, but it’s still filled with great instrumentation & vocal work, and showed to the fans he did have ideas on tales to sing about. Luckily for the people that listened, he would return with a story that encompassed the entire album, and with improved vocal work & instrumentation as well! However, before we get to that point, Easter is just a few short days away, so join me then for what will be my most surprising & potentially controversial review I’ve ever done. Until then, take care!