Fatal Portrait

Fatal Portrait
Studio album by
Released14 March 1986
RecordedJuly–August 1985
StudioSound Track Studio, Copenhagen, Denmark
GenreHeavy metal
Length41:41
LabelRoadrunner
ProducerKing Diamond, Rune Höyer, Michael Denner
King Diamond chronology
Fatal Portrait
(1986)
Abigail
(1987)
Singles from Fatal Portrait
  1. "No Presents for Christmas"
    Released: 1985
  2. "Halloween"
    Released: 1986
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal8/10

Fatal Portrait is the debut album by Danish heavy metal band King Diamond. It was produced by Rune Hoyer and released on 14 March 1986 through Roadrunner Records. Guitarist Andy LaRocque joined the album recording sessions at the last minute, as the band's second guitarist at the time "wasn't working out" in the studio. As a result, it is the only King Diamond album which does not feature any writing credits from LaRocque. Recording a solo for "Dressed in White" functioned as his audition for joining the band. Along with The Spider's Lullabye, it is one of the band's only albums which is not a whole concept album.

Fatal Portrait has sold over 100,000 copies in North America alone. The title of the album comes from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Wilde describes the painting as "the fatal portrait" several times throughout the novel.