King Diamond

Is it possible to hate the Darkness with every fiber of one's being and still dig King Diamond? Sure it is. All falsettos are not created equal, and the King's proto-black-metal, lawsuit-inspiring face paint (not to mention his fantastic cross-of-bones mic stand) make him a metal god, no question about it. He's got a new record (Puppet Master) out, so he's on tour and well worth seeing.

Also on this tour -- and turning the whole event into a tribute to Scandinavian glory (if only they could've booked Amon Amarth to open) -- is Entombed, one of the greatest death-metal bands ever. Half the great metal acts of the 1990s owe these guys a giant debt for the grinding guitar sound they basically invented. (Bloodbath's Resurrection Through Carnage, one of the best metal records of 2002, was an Entombed tribute album in all but name.) Granted, they've changed a lot over the years (this year's Inferno comes closer to post-hardcore noise rock). But they're sure to bust out golden oldies live, and though they've had many a style shift, none of them has sucked. No death-metal fan will leave this gig disappointed.