King Diamond is a Danish heavy metal musician known for his theatrical stage presence and distinctive falsetto vocal style. One of his most iconic songs is "Eye of the Witch," which appeared on his 1990 album "The Eye." The song tells the story of a woman named Sarah who is accused of witchcraft in the 17th century Salem witch trials. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of her trial and subsequent execution, highlighting the fear and paranoia that consumed Salem during that dark time. The main idea of "Eye of the Witch" is to expose the injustice and hysteria that often accompanies witch trials. King Diamond's haunting vocals and evocative lyrics create a sense of tension and drama, drawing the listener into the story and making them feel the fear and desperation that Sarah must have felt.
Burned in the night, there are no remains
Burned in the night, just a magic chain
If only they could see beyond the ground they play on The girls are laughing still, they think they re having fun They should be far away, watching the sun go down. I wish they could have seen beyond the ground they played on They would be laughing still, having the best of fun They would be far away watching the sun go down.
King Diamond's haunting vocals and evocative lyrics create a sense of tension and drama, drawing the listener into the story and making them feel the fear and desperation that Sarah must have felt. In addition to the powerful storytelling, "Eye of the Witch" is also noteworthy for its musical composition. The song features a haunting guitar riff and melodic hooks that stay with the listener long after the song is over.
Yer Metal Is Olde: King Diamond – The Eye
Every longtime band has one of those albums that fans can’t help but speak about as “the end of an era.” Some are due to founding members walking (or passing) away or the band making a drastic change in sound. 1 After the passing of Cliff Burton, Metallica’s first three albums became the single greatest era in the band’s history. Vader losing Doc in 2005 and Decapitated losing Vitek in 2007 are a couple more examples of deaths ending eras. Then there’re examples like Fast Eddie Clarke walking away from Motörhead and the canning of Ozzy Osbourne by Black Sabbath. Anthrax, Exodus, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest lost their vocalists, who psyched everyone out and returned later anyway. In some cases, end-of-era albums are more like transition pieces—bridging the gap between the band of old and the band of new. Arguably Metallica’s …And Justice For All fits the bill. It was clear that Justice was different, but it wasn’t until Metallica arrived that everyone saw what Justice really was. King Diamond’s The Eye is also such an album.
Though Pete Blakk wasn’t a longtime member, he recorded guitars alongside Andy LaRocque on the band’s pinnacled duo “Them” and Conspiracy. And, as far as anyone was concerned, he wasn’t going anywhere. Timi Hansen had been gone for a while, and Hal Patino was a more-than-capable bass player for the band. Another that looked like he would stay for some time. But, if these two weren’t King Diamond originals, Mikkey Dee was. From the time King professed there were “No Presents for Christmas,” Dee (and his unmistakable cymbal taps and bass-drum beat) was with him. That’s until he left for good following Conspiracy. 2 This seemed a devastating blow for the band. But The Eye was in the capable hands of the absurdly-talented Snowy Shaw. Like the four full-lengths before it, it didn’t miss a beat—even with the band’s battery mate gone to join Lemmy as an official Motörhead.
But trouble was brewing. After The Eye, Snowy jumped across the gangplank to play for King’s other band, and Pete Blakk and Hal Patino walked. This was the end of the band’s five-year deal with Roadrunner Records, and the label chose not to support The Eye with a tour. And the production and songwriting dropped on King’s follow-up record, The Spider’s Lullabye. Not to mention, Lullabye is the first album since Fatal Portrait that’s not a full-concept release. King’s voice would also worsen with each release as he labored under the weight of King Diamond and Mercyful Fate touring schedules. But, at the time, no one knew things would change so much. Nor did anyone know that The Eye would be the swansong of the old King Diamond sound.
For The Eye, King delved into the Satanic, anti-Christian themes he was famous for in Mercyful Fate. Using the infamous Louviers Possessions as the basis for The Eye, he graces us with nuns that really don’t have fun. Drugged, sexually assaulted, and forced to perform unspeakable rituals and tortures to children, Louviers’ nuns became witches against their will. Witching concepts are nothing new to King as he covered plenty in old Mercyful Fate songs. Neither are stories involving children—as we know from older King releases and ones yet to come. And, of course, God-hating is a staple to the man and will come again in 2000’s House of God. But The Eye has it all. First, we’re introduced to a mysterious necklace called the Eye of the Witch in the opening track of the same name. Through its eye, we hear Jeanne Dibasson fry in the fiddling “Burn” and watch Madeleine Bavent seek revenge against Father David on “Into the Covent.” We also witness the death of two children in the creepy, harpsichord-driven “Two Little Girls” and bear witness to the fall of the Louviers convent in “1642 Imprisonment.”
Throughout the album, we hear things from King Diamond; past and present. The snarling voice he uses on “Father Picard” comes from Conspiracy and will be used again from The Spider’s Lullabye to Voodoo. Gorgeous instrumentals like “Insanity” will find themselves closing albums like House of God and The Puppetmaster. Even the whipping harpsichord of the catchy “Behind the Walls” is familiar to anyone that’s heard Conspiracy’s “Cremation.” And, like previous releases, The Eye is full of riffs and impressive guitar shredding. Even the bass is audible in the mix—finding some standout moments on “Insanity.” Sadly, Mikkey Dee is sorely missed. While I wouldn’t say Shaw’s performance is lackluster, it is rather bland. I’m convinced if the drumming was stronger, The Eye would be one of my top two favorite Diamond releases. And to make matters even worse, there’s still a rumor out there that Snowy Shaw never actually recorded his drums, and what you hear is a drum machine…
That said, The Eye was one of more a band effort that many previous releases. Even Blakk and Shaw have writing credits for the album—”Father Picard” for the former and “Into the Convent” for the latter. Both songs being just as good as the others on this solidly-constructed disc. But, as I said, The Eye marked the end of an era. And every time I hear it, I’m reminded of that. King Diamond was never the same after The Eye, and, like many old bands, fans remember the early era as the only era of the band. 3 But The Eye did a damn fine job transitioning King to a new lineup and sound. The band even took many of this album’s elements on to hone and perfect on later albums. Released on All Hallow’s Eve Eve in 1990, may The Eye keep Halloween going into the new year.
- Looking at you, Opeth. ↩
- Actually, he left after “Them” but returned to the studio to record drums for Conspiracy. ↩
- Looking at you, Steel . ↩
The combination of King Diamond's unique vocals and the and the catchy musical arrangements make "Eye of the Witch" a standout track in King Diamond's discography. Overall, "Eye of the Witch" is a powerful and thought-provoking song that showcases King Diamond's talents as a musician and storyteller. It serves as a reminder of the dark chapters in human history and the dangers of mob mentality and baseless accusations..
Reviews for "The Witch's Perspective: Exploring the Female Characters in King Diamond's "Eye of the Witch"
1. Jane Doe - 2 stars
I was highly disappointed with "King Diamond Eye of the Witch". The album lacked the energy and excitement that I had come to expect from King Diamond. The songs felt monotonous and lacked the catchy hooks that typically make his music so enjoyable. Additionally, the lyrics were uninspiring and failed to create any memorable moments. Overall, it was a lackluster effort that failed to live up to its potential.
2. John Smith - 1 star
"King Diamond Eye of the Witch" was a complete letdown. The album felt like a collection of recycled ideas and lacked any originality. It felt like King Diamond was simply going through the motions without putting in any effort to create something new and exciting. The production quality was also subpar, making the album sound flat and uninteresting. I was expecting so much more from King Diamond, but unfortunately, this album failed to deliver.
3. Sarah Johnson - 2 stars
I have been a fan of King Diamond for years, but "Eye of the Witch" left me disappointed. The album lacked the powerful vocals and chilling atmosphere that I love about King Diamond's music. The songs felt rushed and poorly constructed, and I found myself losing interest halfway through the album. It's a shame because I know King Diamond is capable of creating incredible music, but this album fell short of my expectations.
4. Michael Thompson - 2.5 stars
"Eye of the Witch" was an underwhelming release from King Diamond. The songs lacked the catchy melodies and memorable hooks that his previous albums are known for. The overall sound felt uninspired and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged throughout the entire album. While there were a few standout tracks, they were overshadowed by the mediocrity of the rest of the album. I hope King Diamond can bounce back with his next release and deliver the quality music he is capable of.