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Rating:
While browsing DeBaser, I noticed (to my great pleasure) that a review of "The Puppet Master" by King Diamond was missing, so I took the liberty of adding to the reviews of this multifaceted and very unique Danish artist.
For those who are unfamiliar with the aforementioned singer, here's a very brief biographical summary: he was born in 1956 in Copenhagen and is known for being the lead singer of Mercyful Fate (a very technical band with distinctly satanic lyrics), with whom he released the famous "Melissa" in 1983. The first album of his solo career is "Fatal Portrait" from 1986, but he is always remembered for the two-part saga of "Abigail" (the second episode was released more than ten years after the first, and the current drummer of Motorhead, namely Mikkey Dee, also collaborated in the latter).
Mr. Diamond's peculiarity is certainly that of inventing horror stories and translating them into music, in short, he always creates concept albums (except in "Fatal Portrait" where only the first three songs are connected by a single thread), and the album I want to propose certainly does not escape this beautiful tradition. First of all, I'll quickly outline the story (without revealing the ending obviously, you'll have to discover that by listening eheheh): we are in Budapest in the 18th century, and a charming puppet theater actually hides a terrible and macabre secret... The dark atmosphere of the record is well rendered by the band accompanying a King Diamond in excellent form and tending to put aside his well-known falsetto in favor of a more standard singing style, but certainly not banal or predictable. The songs are generally an example of excellent classic Heavy Metal of European imprint, enhanced by a very evocative baroque style, with a strong drum presence and excellent guitar solos by the award-winning Andy La Rocque/Mike Wead duo. Compared to the "Abigail" saga, the album is more immediate and catchy, with the splendid "Magic" and "The Eyes" being noteworthy.
In conclusion, a stunning album and even though King Diamond has given us greater gems in his career, I give a solid five because this work holds enormous sentimental value for me.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
04 Emerencia (05:19)
The shadows are thick and Old
I'm searching the dark for my love
Behind the Theater of Puppet Shows
I find the stairs to the Cellar below
Hiding where the shadows rule
A door opens below
The Moon is high above
300 pounds of flesh, that woman I know
Oh it's the Puppet Master's wife
She pulls a cart behind her
Oh Emerencia, where are you going with that knife?
[solo: Mike]
Time to kill, it's time for her nightly thrill
Oh Emerencia, where are you going with that knife?
Deep in the night through the narrowest streets
I follow her every step
She is searching for innocent victims
Oh Emerencia
In an alley a homeless is sleeping
Approaching without a sound...and then...oh no
How strange it is.. to see.. a life that slips away
How strange it is.. in Darkness Blood is Black not Red
[solo: Andy]
The knife is still deep in his chest
Gotta keep the Blood in its nest
She wraps him in the sack she brought
She better leave before she gets caught
Through the streets dark and Old
Through the streets, no one must know
Only the Moon and I
And none of us will ever tell
She pulls the body off the cart
Back at the Theater, down into the dark
Oh Emerencia, I wonder why you left the door ajar
[solo: Andy]
Deep in the night through the narrowest hallways
I follow her every step
There's a light from a doorway ahead of us
Where did she go, where did she go...? Oh no
What I see is a Horror Show...then the blow...
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