Deadly Lullabyes Lives captures KING DIAMOND’s setlist during their most recent U.S. tour and also appears as the first authorized KING DIAMOND live album. The familiar opening track of the metal classic, Abigail, starts things off right. And damn, is it good to hear the first couple of tracks off that album. The band concludes the Abigail saga with four tracks off of Abigail II: The Revenge. The rest of this 2-CD set isn’t too shabby either. They tear it up with assorted tracks from Fatal Portrait, The Eye (an underrated gem), Conspiracy, Them, and of course their latest work, The Puppet Master. This may be the strongest line-up in years and it definitely shows. The performance presented here clearly demonstrates the band’s musical prowess and world class professionalism. Guitarists Mike Wead (MERCYFUL FATE) and Andy La Rocque put on a guitar clinic as they easily run through some of the most tasteful solos in metal. And the ever charismatic and unique, King Diamond puts on a near perfect performance. The production team of Andy La Rocque and King Diamond brings a vibrant and crystal clear mix. The performances on Deadly Lullabyes are almost too good to be true, leading one to wonder if a little “studio magic” was implemented. If you’re new to the KING DIAMOND catalog, it’s probably best if you start with the early studio records before graduating to Deadly Lullabyes as it was targeted towards long time fans. However, die hard fans will find much to enjoy about this snapshot in time. (Metal Blade Records)