King Diamond Abigail: Inside the 1987 Concept Album
King Diamond Abigail is the 1987 concept album that features future Motorhead drummer Mikkey Dee behind the kit.
Roadrunner Records released it on 29 May 1987, five years before Dee joined Motorhead.
The record tells a complete horror story across nine tracks, widely called King Diamond’s masterpiece.
Affiliate Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate and if you purchase through any amazon links on this site i may earn a small commission at no extra charge to you.
📋 Table of Contents [+]
⚡ Key Takeaways
- King Diamond Abigail is a 1987 concept album released through Roadrunner Records on 29 May of that year.
- Future Motorhead drummer Mikkey Dee played drums and served as assistant producer on the record.
- The album tells a complete horror story about a haunted mansion, a family ghost, and a stillborn spirit named Abigail.
- AllMusic rated the album 4.5 out of 5 stars, calling it King Diamond’s solo masterpiece.
- Decibel magazine inducted King Diamond Abigail into its Hall of Fame in 2015.
What Is the King Diamond Abigail Album About?
King Diamond Abigail is a heavy metal concept album that tells one continuous horror story across nine tracks.
It was the second King Diamond album and the first built entirely around a single narrative.
The record runs 40 minutes and 16 seconds, produced and written primarily by King Diamond himself.
Roadrunner Records released the album on 29 May 1987, and it remains the singer’s most celebrated work.
Who Recorded King Diamond Abigail?
King Diamond sang lead vocals and produced the album, with guitarists Andy LaRocque and Michael Denner sharing lead and rhythm parts.
Timi Hansen played bass guitar, his final recording with the band before his departure.
Mikkey Dee played drums and served as assistant producer alongside Denner.
Abigail marks the last King Diamond album to feature both Denner and Hansen in the lineup.
Where and When Was Abigail Recorded?
King Diamond recorded Abigail at Sound Track Studio in Copenhagen, Denmark, between December 1986 and February 1987.
Roadrunner Records released the finished album on 29 May 1987, worldwide.
A 1997 reissue added four bonus tracks, followed by a 25th anniversary edition in 2005 with a bonus DVD.
The anniversary DVD included a live recording of the album performed in Sweden.
How Does Abigail Connect to Motorhead?
King Diamond Abigail connects directly to Motorhead through drummer Mikkey Dee, who played on this record five years before joining Lemmy Kilmister’s band.
Dee had moved to Copenhagen in 1985 to join Geisha before King Diamond recruited him to complete the band’s lineup.
He went on to play on the follow-up album Them in 1988 and contributed session drumming to Conspiracy in 1989 before leaving the band.
Dee joined Motorhead in 1992, making his studio debut on March or Die and remaining behind the kit through Bad Magic in 2015.
By the time Motorhead released We Are Motorhead in 2000, Dee had already spent 13 years perfecting the speed and precision he first showed on Abigail.
What Is the Story Told on King Diamond Abigail?
King Diamond Abigail tells the story of a couple, Miriam Natias and Jonathan La’Fey, who move into a mansion La’Fey inherited in the summer of 1845.
A family ghost reveals that Miriam carries the spirit of Abigail, a stillborn child from 1777, and insists Jonathan must stop her rebirth.
Miriam becomes possessed and pushes Jonathan to his death before giving birth to Abigail and dying herself.
Seven horsemen arrive afterward to bury the infant with silver spikes, hoping to prevent any future resurrection.
What Did Critics Say About King Diamond Abigail?
Critics have consistently ranked King Diamond Abigail among heavy metal’s greatest concept albums.
AllMusic’s Eduardo Rivadavia rated the record 4.5 out of 5 stars, calling it widely recognized as King Diamond’s solo masterpiece.
Martin Popoff’s Collector’s Guide to Heavy Metal scored it 8 out of 10, praising its metallic excellence despite reservations about the horror concept.
Guitarist Andy LaRocque later named Abigail his favorite King Diamond album, citing the band’s atmosphere during recording.
What Is the Legacy of King Diamond Abigail?
King Diamond Abigail earned induction into the Decibel magazine Hall of Fame in 2015.
Video game developer Capcom paid homage to the album in 1989, naming a boss character Abigail in Final Fight with a face resembling King Diamond.
The music video for The Family Ghost later appeared in an episode of Beavis and Butt-head, where it was mocked by the show’s title characters.
The album’s influence still shapes how metal bands approach full length concept records nearly four decades later.
Why Does King Diamond Abigail Still Matter?
King Diamond Abigail still matters because it captured drummer Mikkey Dee at the start of a career that later carried him into Motorhead.
The album stands as one of heavy metal’s most complete horror concept records, still studied by musicians and fans alike.
As of 2026, King Diamond Abigail remains a key stop for anyone tracing Mikkey Dee’s path to Motorhead’s drum stool.
The record endures as proof that Dee’s speed and precision were fully formed years before he ever joined Motorhead.
People Also Ask
Who played drums on King Diamond’s Abigail album?
Mikkey Dee played drums on King Diamond’s 1987 album Abigail, five years before he joined Motorhead in 1992.
Dee also served as assistant producer on the record alongside guitarist Michael Denner.
Is Abigail a concept album?
Yes, King Diamond Abigail is a concept album that tells one continuous horror story about a haunted mansion and a stillborn spirit named Abigail across all nine tracks.
It was King Diamond’s first full concept record, released through Roadrunner Records on 29 May 1987.
When was King Diamond Abigail released?
Roadrunner Records released King Diamond Abigail on 29 May 1987, recorded between December 1986 and February 1987 at Sound Track Studio in Copenhagen.
A 25th anniversary edition followed in 2005 with a bonus live DVD.
Watch the Official Video and Shop Related Albums
Affiliate Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate and if you purchase through any amazon links on this site i may earn a small commission at no extra charge to you. This helps support classicrockartists.com and allows me to keep providing deep-dive content on the legends of rock. Thank you for your support!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Abigail
1987, feat. Mikkey Dee on drums
King Diamond’s solo masterpiece concept album.
Decibel Hall of Fame inductee, 2015.
March or Die
1992
Mikkey Dee’s Motorhead studio debut, five years after Abigail.
The record that brought Dee into the band permanently.
Bad Magic (Seriously Bad Magic)
2015
Dee’s final Motorhead album, 28 years after Abigail.
Motorhead’s final studio album of new material.
We Are Motorhead
2000
An early Dee era Motorhead record.
Recorded 13 years after Abigail.
You Might Also Like
Mikkey Dee Biography
The full career story of the drummer who played on this album before Motorhead.
Motorhead Hammered: Inside the 2002 Album
Another Dee era Motorhead record, 15 years after Abigail.
Motorhead Inferno: Inside the 2004 Album
Cameron Webb’s producing debut with Dee already 12 years into the band.
Motorhead Aftershock: The Full 2013 Album Review and Story
A Grammy nominated Dee era record, 26 years after Abigail.
King Diamond Abigail captured Mikkey Dee years before Motorhead ever entered the picture.
As of 2026, the album stands as essential listening for tracing Dee’s full drumming career.
Read the complete story of the members of Motorhead to see where Mikkey Dee’s path led after King Diamond Abigail.
Last updated: July 28, 2026