No Presents for Christmas

AMG Review of No Presents for Christmas

Craig Curtice
All Music Guide

Soon after Mercyful Fate dissolved, King Diamond recorded what has to be considered the first satanic heavy metal Christmas song. Classic holiday melodies are skewered by Diamond's grinchy, yet operatic vocal styling, including a bizarre Bing Crosby imitation, "I'm dreaming of a white...Sabbath!" Backed with the equally evil screamer "Charon," this release has two different covers sharing the same catalog number. One is white with festive green and red lettering; the other features a campy picture of a decorated reindeer posed next to a sneering, face-painted Diamond thumbing his nose. Although this collectable 12" and cassette single quickly disappeared into metal lore, "No Presents for Christmas" is also available on The Dark Sides collection, and "Charon" is well represented on the full-length Fatal Portrait.