Danish metal rocker King Diamond has returned with his first song in 12 years. You can listen to the track, “Masquerade of Madness,” below.

“Masquerade of Madness” first caught fans’ ears earlier this year when King Diamond added it to his concert set. The song is the first taste of music from the singer’s upcoming album The Institute, due out in 2020. The LP will be King Diamond’s first studio release since 2007’s Give Me Your Soul … Please. That album earned the veteran rocker the first Grammy nomination of his career, with the track “Never Ending Hill” getting a nod for Best Metal Performance.

Like previous King Diamond efforts, including 1987's fan favorite Abigail, The Institute will be a concept album with a storyline running throughout. Though exact details are not yet known, the singer admitted the new LP will be set in a 1920s mental institution.

“I chose that because it’s a very creepy scenario,” King Diamond admitted in an interview with Loudwire, noting that the era was “when medicine was beginning to take a beneficial turn in history and actually being able to help human beings live longer. ... There was some experimentation going on too that was absolutely gruesome. Some of that was involved in the [album’s] story.”

The decade-plus wait between studio LPs can be partially attributed to health issues that have plagued the singer in recent years, including a herniated disc in his back and triple bypass surgery to clear blocked arteries in his heart.

A return to health has King Diamond primed for a big 2020. Besides the new music, Mercyful Fate, the band he's fronted off and on since 1981, are planning a reunion. The legendary black metal group will be playing a series of shows in the new year, their first performances since a 2011 surprise appearance with Metallica in San Francisco.

 

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