The "House of Amon."

He is coming to St. Louis again. He hasn't been here in years.

ENTER SAINT LUCIFER'S HOSPITAL… IF YOU DARE!

King Diamond returns to North America and has conjured support from Overkill & Night Demon to bring you a night of unholy apparitions. We have summoned and welcome Myrkur with special guest vocals during the King Diamond set.

We will be playing brand new songs from the upcoming album THE INSTITUTE also known as Saint Lucifer’s Hospital, which you will see on our brand new stage.

Presale begins tomorrow July 31st at 10 am EST. General on sale this Friday August 2nd at 10 am local: kingdiamondcoven.com/tour

My most favorite song off of this album and possibly the second era of MERCYFUL FATE, that requires more thought. My observations tell me that there are not many of us who can actually name favorites. Another favorite I can name is Stories From Hell, there is no better KD/MF page.

As I wait for my drill bit I have finished the one side project. So one of my prized possessions is this edition of Metal Mania. It contains what I call my favorite King Diamond photograph, more on that coming very soon. Anyway, with the awesome help of Darrionettes-Hard Rock marionettes here is my creation honoring this photograph. As always Stories From Hell is the best and let us all keep Tony and Jade in our thoughts.

Shemhemforash.

Think you can guess my favorite MERCYFUL FATE song. I can't listen to it just once.

Almost done with the 2 side projects and am waiting for a drill bit I ordered for the guitar as the one intended to use will not work as planned. On a side note the next "9" days are very important to me. My "little sister," Hope, has been my gaurdian and mentor since I was in my "9th" year of life. I share everything with her and she knows more about me than any other person living or dead, including myself. 🤘🜏🤘

My Iron Maiden ornament. This guy is awesome and csn custom make anyone for you.

And another wooden ornament getting ready to ship.

🤘🜏🤘A special thanks to the "Puppet Master" for making this special Marionette and ornament for me. I also had an Iron Maiden one made. The Marionette is part of one of my side projects.

Just finished this wooden marionette and ornament this morning.

🤘🜏🤘Life has been busy. Plus I have a couplebsode projects I have bee working on. Anyway got the second pickup pocketchiseled out and now I need to drill a couple of long holes to connect all the pockets. For this I am going to use my drill bit for running wire in walls. Stories From Hell John T Zissimos

Let us all wish Tony and Jade well.🤘🜏🤘

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷UPDATE🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

I have Spoken to Tony on and Off today, he is doing okay. Tired and a little sore but he is feeling pretty good in himself! Sleeping alot though. Which is a good thing that he's resting!

My silence here for several months unfortunately has also been due to two heart problems (Perhaps I'll drop a post about it at a later date!)

Right now Tony is the one who needs more positive vibes and all the love! He keeps this page going by literally bleeding and breathing everything he's got into it!

But!!

Whilst Tony is unwell and I hope recovering!! I will virtually slap him if he over does anything. I shall try my absolute best to keep as much content flowing through the page as my heart will let me. The posts time wise will be a little different as I'm several hours ahead of Tony. Please just bare with us for the time being though. I think we both need to be wrapped in bubble wrap with a helmet! 😂

You guys are the absolute best! And I have been sharing with Tony some of the love you have been sending his way! I know he will read through them all when he's more up to it himself. You guys keep us going! And we both can't thank you all enough!

Keep being Amazing and Stay Heavy! 🤘🏻

~Jade

My take on this excellent question:

It takes way more than an explanation from King to understand the powers of black magic. The most important rule is to make sure you completely understand the powers you are messing with prior to messing with them. If he was to try and explain without you doing your own research he would be setting you up for disaster. DO NOT MEDDLE WITH THINGS YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND.🤘💀🤘

Conversation came up recently with Scott that got me thinking. He has been a fan since 1983. I started listening in January of 1984 shortly after Melissa was released. How many people here are old school like that or I guess when did you start listening to Mercyful Fate/King Diamond? Thank you Scott, I wasn't sure if you were cool with me tagging you so sorry if seemed rude that I didn't.

I personally vote "The Eye" and "The Puppet Master."

So with Stories From Hell, or should I say Tony, making us choose our favorite albums I thought I might elaborate a bit more on that. I personally chose "The Eye" and gave the vote of this page to my grandaughter, who chose "Them." Anyway to get to the point. I break King Diamond, the band, in two very distinct eras, with "The Eye" being the end of the first era. Many may view these eras for the reason of "Time" between albums, but, I view these as era as the difference between two different versions on myself. From "Fatal Portrait" to "Conspiracy" "They" were all there for me in my darkest hour. "The Eye" came out during this "Time" and was pivotal in bringing me out of a very dark place, probably making this ramble I am on possible.😀 This point in my life changed me, for both the good and the bad, it changed the emotional effect new music had on me, I think I was just too emotionally connected to the old. Music was now something I did because I always did it before. It was really rather hollow to me compared to what it once was. My granddaughter helped change this in me, for which I am forever grateful. Anyway when I was able to once again connect to the music "The Puppet Master" blew me away. So that is my 2 cents. Sorry for the ramble.

Once and for all I am going to have choose your favorite album and we will crown a winner as voted on by us the fans. I realize it’s an ever changing landscape which is different day to day or mood to mood so choose wisely.

And if you’re one of those that say “All of them”
I’m coming to your house and throwing all my empty beer cans in your front yard.

Stories From Hell’s pick: VOODOO

Let the madness begin-

So I mounted the neck and the bridge. I put both the E strings on to check the intonation. The intonation is close enough that it seems the bridge is in the correct location. Now it is time to chisle out for the other pickup. Stories From Hell John T Zissimos

I would so buy a couple of these for the grand daughters if they were still available. They do have vials available supposedly, but I really want these necklaces. I have no idea if mini museum is legit, but a Google search seems to say so at first glance. I may find out though.

https://shop.minimuseum.com/products/dracula-soil

Obviously, "Them" for me and "Welcome Home," which wasn't always my favorite song on the album, but since the video it has grown on me quite a bit.

Neck inlays and fret wire is complete for the most part. Inwill now mount the neck to the body and install the bridge so I can assure the correct location for the intonation. Stories From Hell John T Zissimos

Part 2 of 2 ofbthe stories behind "The Eye."

Part 2 of 2

In researching this there are many different accounts of this point in history. I based my decisions on what I believed to be the best resources and what matched the album. I do feel that certain info from the album sleeve and lyrics are an excellent resource as they come from King.

“Louvre Possesions”

A Catholic church in Rouen, France; the date 17-November-1607, a newborn baby girl is baptized into the “House of God,” her name Madeleine Bavent. It should be presumed that her life began as that of normal child with no indication of the hell she would endure and the story her life would leave behind.

At the age of “9” she became an orphan and was taken in by her uncle Leon Sadoc, an important figure in Rouen at the time. At the age of 12 she was bound as an apprentice to a tradeswoman in the linen industry that was employed mainly to make nuns’ robes. A Franciscan monk was the confessor of the place and considered himself as the absolute master of the house. When she was 14 he started to s*xually abuse her. She would endure this s*xual abuse for the next 4 years.

Then in 1625 at the age of “18” she entered, as a novice, the Convent of Saint-Louis-Sainte-Elisabeth. A Franciscan convent founded in the woods outside of Louviers. The Chaplain of the convent at the time was Father Pierre David who was an Adamite who believed that “God” should be worshipped naked like Adam did and proclaimed “that is was necessary to put sin to death with sin, and to resemble our first parents, who were without shame of their nudity” and “The Body cannot contaminate the soul; we must, by means of sin, which makes us humble and cures our pride, kill sin.”

The Sisters of the Convent, who were obedient to his teachings, were unobtrusively putting Father David’s doctrines to practice among themselves, which appalled Madeleine. They also required these young women resume the naked condition of their first mother. As a way to break them into this discipline they were often required to exercise in this state within private gardens located around the convent and eventually within the chapel itself.

Madeline had joined the convent to escape her past life and to be clean again and was hesitant “to submit to this way of living.” She incurred the displeasure of her superiors for “having endeavored, at communion, to hide her bosom with the alter-cloth” and also for refusing to confess her soul to Lady Superior, the usual practice and instead to confess to Father David.

She was assigned the post of touriere, the nun who attends the turning box of a convent, allowing her to live apart from the rest of nuns. Despite his strange teachings Madeline still had faith in this “House of God” and she chose to entrust the care of her soul to Father David and during her time as a novice under Father David she was still obliged to be received by him naked. However, probably only due to his advanced age, he never had s*xual relations with her.

Father David died in 1628 and was succeeded as Chaplain by Father Marthurin Picard and his assistant Father Thomas Boulle.

Father Picard pursued Madeleine with amorous intentions and appointed her to sacristan in hopes of being alone with her in the chapel. He also became her sole confessor placing her entirely in his hands. He confused her wits by drugging her with the use of magic potions, probably belladonna. He used her fear against her by convincing her that Father David had left a certain diabolical talisman for him. From this moment on he became her master. He would use her for every vile purpose he could think of. There would be or**es which included other nuns and Father Boulle.

Upon his death 1642 Madeleine believed she was bewitched by Father Picard and Father Boulle. She told of how they had taken her to a witches’ sabbat where she was then marries to a demon name “Dagon” and how she performed s*xual acts with the demon on the altar. Other nuns had similar confessions of their relations with Picard and of having s*x with demons at a witches’ sabbat but ultimately they blamed Madeleine for everything that had happened.

After performing and exorsism on her Madeleine was charged with sorcery, witchcraft, and making a pact with the devil. She confessed and was sentenced to perpetual imprisonment in an underground cell where she died in October of 1647.

Father Boulle was imprisoned for 3 years tortured and then burned alive, the remains of Father Picard were exhumed, burned, and excommunicated. The remaining nuns sent away to other convents.

Painting circa 1645.
The Exorcism of Madeleine Bavent.

Stories From Hell

Part 1 of 2 for the stories behind "The Eye."

Something a little different from me.

Part 1 of 2

"The Eye" my favorite King Diamond album. I believe that it literally helped save my life in probably my darkest hour.

I know on the album insert for “The Eye” his name is listed as la Reymie and not la Reynie. I must assume that this is a typo that has somehow managed to get over looked all of these years. Here is the account behind the first part of the album.

Note: So as to condense this post I have left out many of the details that I thought were not needed to convey the account in relation to the album. Anyone who may feel that I am wrong in any of my research I welcome your comments.

“Affairs of the Poisons”

In France in the late 1660’s and early 1670’s members of the of the Versailles court begin to unexpectedly die with suspicious regularity. Autopsies showed that their insides were corroded and blackened. Even though autopsies were still in their infancy at the time this was a known indication of poisoning.

Then in 1672 police responded to a break in at the laboratory of Jean Baptiste Godin de Sainte-Croix, a recently deceased Alchemist and former Army captain. Police found a red leather trunk the contents of which would start the largest which hunt in modern history.

In it they found letters that he had saved that that incriminated both him and his lover Marie de Brinvilliers, a married aristocrat, in a series of poisonings. They detailed how they experimented with creating an odorless, tasteless, and undetectable poison and tested their concoctions by lacing and cakes and other sweets with it and serving it to patients of the Hotel Dieu, Paris’s oldest hospital. The letters also implicated her in the deaths of her father Antoine d’Aubray in 1666 and her 2 brothers Antoine d’Aubray and Francois d’Aubray in 1670 which put her in line to inherit a fortune. In the end she was accused of the murders of her father, her 2 brothers, and 30 innocent people from the hospital.

After fleeing Paris she was arrested 4 years later and brought to trial in 1676. She was tortured and then found guilty of her crimes. As part of her sentence she was again tortured and after 4 more hours of torture she entered a final confession session. She was then led to the Place de Greve and brought up to the platform. Her head was shaved and she was then beheaded, after which her body was burned at the stake. This was on 16-July-1676. Her last words were “Out of so many guilty people, must I be the only one to be put to death? Half the people in this town are involved in this sort of thing, and I could ruin them if I were to talk.”

Present on the day of the ex*****on was Madame de Sevigne who was known for her writings. She wrote “with such evil little spirits in the air, who knows what poisonous humor may overcome us” in reference to the citizens of Paris inhaling de Brinvillier’s ashes and indeed Paris was about to go mad.

Already harboring anxieties about assassination which were then exacerbated by de Brinvillier’s last words and the suspicious deaths at the Versailles court, King Louis XIV called upon Nicolas de la Reynie, Lieutenant General of the Paris police who had earned fame and respet through his actions, to oversee a special investigation. Shortly thereafter the police descended upon alchemists, counterfeiters, and others and the arrests began.

In 1679 a divineress named Catherine Monvoisin, also known as la Voisin, was arrested. During her interrogations she confessed to witch craft and dealing in poisonings. She named names and said “Paris is full of this type of thing, and there is an infinite number of people engaged in this evil trade.” La Voisin was sentenced for witch craft and sentenced to death. After 3 days of torture she was wheeled to a public square and burned alive.

la Reynie now concerned by the scale of the problem he was uncovering called on Louis XIV to declare a special commission to investigate and prosecute cases of poisoning and witchcraft: the Chambre Ardente "burning room "or the “burning court.”

In all 442 people were charged with crimes related to the “involvement in evil spells and composing, distributing, and administering poison.” Within these walls many were tortured with red hot pins and other methods. Many of the accused were imprisoned for life by a letter de cachet and never brought to trial. Of the condemned, 36 were executed and 23 were bannished. Additionally, there are others that died by torture or su***de.

The only information I ever managed to find for a Jeanne Dibasson is not related to the above account, but comes from the Channel Island of Jersey. She was a supposed witch that was burned at the stake at the age of 29. She, probably under torture, confessed and said that “the sabbat was a very Paradise, where one had greater pleasure than could be expressed."