When King Diamond promised that Give Me Your Soul…Please would be the best KING DIAMOND album yet, he wasn’t messing around. Though the band’s classic early albums may never be topped in the eyes of die hard DIAMOND-bangers, Give Me Your Soul…Please is certainly up there as one of their best releases. It also continues the consistent quality streak that the band has been riding for quite some time now. The story of Give Me Your Soul…Please is based on a disturbing encounter with the ghost of a dead girl trapped in a house looking for a soul. While the first couple of songs will win over the listener, the real power of the album doesn’t become apparent until the listener’s realizes that the quality from song to song doesn’t waiver. In fact, the album gains more momentum as a result of this. Musically, the band stick to their tried and true heavy metal formula. However, there is a familiar yet invigorating feel throughout the album and a heavier, meaner edge to the more aggressive songs (think JUDAS PRIEST Painkiller-era). As expected, guitar heroes Andy LaRocque and Mike Wead seemingly breeze through their masterful guitar work. King Diamond is still as charismatic as he ever was and proves yet again why he is a metal icon. In 2007, it may be difficult to distinguish the true from the false, but KING DIAMOND easily cuts through as a metal institution still going strong. (Metal Blade Records)