Shrine

In July 1987 I was shooting the shit with James on the phone about ideas for the debut album they were recording for Brian Taylor's Diabolic Force label (while a straight edge kid/fanzine editor kept crank calling me during it, which kind of annoyed me at the time).

James was telling me what kind of feel he wanted the album to give off, and it reminded me of a James Herbert ("horror"?) book I finished reading.
After I read the following passage above to him, he shouted pretty enthusiastically. It tied in with some themes he had, maybe with songs like Deathtrance.

I loaned him the book, which is the cover pictured above. (I sort of gave up asking for it back after a few years).It's at the library anyway.

Next thing we know, while he is taping up flyers (for 3 upcoming Malhavoc gigs, one was with Stig Evil,a Mercyful Fate covers band),outside of the King Diamond/Trouble gig at the Diamond Club (Trouble did not play, it was said the stage was too small for both bands sets and equipment...damn ripoff for many of us), we learn that King Diamond's next release will be called "Shrine" (think it was a B side of his single?)

That was sort of a bummer.

THEN James was pissed off that one idea he had for his album cover of a guy being dissected on a surgeon's table, , was stolen by Fringe Records for their DISSECTION album!(there is a partial view of that promo flyer here)




So..there, if you ever wondered WHY the debut album was going to be called that.

EDIT: 

Finally have a copy again of the whole thing again. Probably found it on facebook from Jimi Lamort or the Malhavoc group page.
The debut album was to have two sides -
the songs from the 1986 "Age of The Dark Renaissance" demo would have the 
"Etching or engraving of "sabbath of witches Tableav From 1613 to the fickleness of bad angels and demons Stone Lancresabbat wizards Tableav From 1613 to the fickleness of bad angels and demons Stone Lancre"
 and
the newer written songs like "Age of Desire" and "Empirical Minds" would have the artwork on the other side "Epoch of Empirism".