King Diamond announced Friday that the band has parted ways with guitarist Andy LaRocque after 40 years, and that Gus G — best known for his eight-year run in Ozzy Osbourne's band — will replace him.
LaRocque had been King Diamond's lead guitarist since the band formed in 1985. Across 12 studio albums, he was the only member other than King Diamond himself to remain constant, and his playing is a substantial part of why the band's records sound the way they do.
The band framed the split as mutual and offered no reason for it. In a statement, King Diamond expressed "deepest gratitude and utmost respect" for LaRocque, saying his tenure "has left a permanent and irreplaceable mark on the band's legacy and on heavy metal as a whole." It continued: "Andy's musicianship, dedication, and artistry have been an essential part of what makes this band what it is, and that will never be forgotten."
The timing is what makes it strange
Nothing in the announcement suggests acrimony, but the sequence is hard to square. As recently as last month, LaRocque was publicly discussing Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920, the band's unreleased album, in terms that indicated he was actively working on it — talking about releasing songs as they were finished.
A month later he is out, and his replacement is described as taking over writing and recording duties going forward. The status of the album he was discussing has not been addressed.
Gus G steps in
"It's a big honor for me to welcome Gus G. as our new guitarist," King Diamond said. "Gus will still continue with all his current projects, Firewind, solo project, etc. No restrictions, just careful planning. We are already working with Gus and I simply can't wait for you to hear all the new KING DIAMOND music with him playing guitar on it! STAY HEAVY — King."
Gus G, the Greek guitarist born Kostas Karamitroudis, founded the power metal band Firewind in 1998 and was hired by Ozzy Osbourne in 2009 to replace Zakk Wylde, staying until 2017, when Osbourne announced a farewell tour reuniting him with Wylde. He is a technically formidable player, which is the baseline requirement for the job — LaRocque's parts are not the kind a band can quietly simplify.
His remit is not a caretaker one. Gus G will write and record permanently, including on King Diamond's planned trilogy of concept albums.
What the band has actually released lately
That trilogy is a large promise from a band whose recent output has been sparse. King Diamond's last full studio album was Give Me Your Soul… Please in 2007. Since then there have been two standalone singles: "Masquerade of Madness" in 2019 and "Spider Lilly" in 2024.
Seen against that record, a change of guitarist at this stage reads less like a lineup adjustment and more like a reset of the project that has been in progress, on and off, for nearly two decades.
LaRocque is not idle. He is the lead guitarist of Lex Legion, a band he formed with King Diamond alumni Mikkey Dee, Pete Blakk and Hal Patino, which released its first single earlier this year.
