King Diamond, Paradise Lost & Unto Others at Roundhouse, London 2025

King Diamond is a group that needs no introductions, but always worth highlighting how he’s one of the most iconic metal acts, with shows that are more than just about the music, but also feel like a theatrical experience that has gathered fans since the 80s and still keeps up until today. After more than 10 years without playing in the UK, he came back with the “The Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920 Tour” with Paradise and Unto Others opening the show at the Roundhouse, also two great acts in their own subgenres of metal.

Unto Others

Unto Others, with a marriage of gothic rock to post-punk started the night, and Gabriel Franco’s voice  (and sunglasses) echoed with a deep velvety tone, kicking off with Butterfly. Besides the tone of songs such as “Suicide Today” and “When will God’s work be done” the crowd seemed esctactic about it, with clearly fans that came specially to see them live.

Not just Gabriel was bringing the melancholy to the venue, but the whole band was incredibly tight, from the guitar melodies to heavier drums, they all gave even more depth to the lyrics and darkness of what that night would be.

Paradise Lost

Another group of veterans on the scene, Paradise Lost, was also eagerly awaited by the fans, wearing their t-shirts and creeping up at the barrier. They’ve been also on the road for 30 years, with loads of classics, so it felt their set was a bit short (but don’t worry, they’re playing again in London as headliners in October), but not less powerful.

Without need for theatrics (also would be hard to top King Diamond on that), they kicked off with “Enchantment”, and Nick Holmes at the stage center with the mic stand, we could feel the haunting voice echoing through the venue. 

It was also hard to not to pay attention on Aaron Aedy and Stephen Edmundson energy on one side of  stage and Greg Mackintosh on the other, always engaging with the audience and delivering a strong combo of guitars and bass`

Just a shame we couldn’t hear the recently released single “Silence Like The Grave” live yet, in anticipation of their upcoming album to be released in September.

King Diamond

After a short break from Paradise Lost, we could notice how much the crowd was anxious for King Diamond entrance as the stage was fully revealed, as a proper set stage, with Abigail’s coffin right at the center in front of the stairs and an elevated platform with Ice stalactites (thankfully not real ice or they wouldn’t resist the heat of the night).

The Prologue was highly anticipated, with King’s entrance hearing roars from the crowd as he got Abigail doll from the coffin to start the sacrifice and would be followed by one of the classics from 1987 “Funeral” on a suitable fog that increased the eerie feeling of the whole stage, that was supposed to represent the hospital from the tour title.

With an incredibly talented band, we knew that was going to just improve from there, and the band members were all distributed at the stage, with drums (Matt Thompson) and backing vocals and keyboard from Hel Pyre at the middle platform and both guitar players (Andy Larocque and Mike Wead) and bass player Pontus Egberg at the stage floor and the staircases from both sides, you could see that the whole production was set for you to enjoy it fully.

But of course, the center of attention ends up on King Diamond, with his well known falsetto voice and creepy makeup and bone-cross microphone singing classics from all throughout their career, with some highlights for “Halloween”, “Voodoo” and “The Invisible Guests”

Halfway through the concert, King Diamond enters a door and all attention is focused on the entrance of a well know character: the Grandma, just as they start singing “Welcome Home” and King Diamond has his other character mask, singing also from the wheelchair on the stage, before going back inside to return again with his iconic makeup.

It was honestly a show that could be played at the West End easily, with each song bringing a unique storytelling and theatrical approach, and the banter and feeling of one from the band supporting in between.

The night ended with “Abigail” as chosen from a list that was given to an audience member and couldn’t be a better closure to that night.

There’s a reason King Diamond is a legend in the scene, and it’s one that NEEDS to be watched live to feel the entirety of their abilities.

Crowd Shots