King Diamond's back catalogue is a treasure chest of precious stones, all shining with their characteristic gloomy light. "Them" has a very compelling effect on me and I think some of the band's best songs are to be found here.
Out From The Asylum is one of the coolest intro passages I
can think of, the twisted piano creates this unsettling mood before all hell breaks lose with the arrival and return of Grandma.
Welcome Home is indeed one of the biggest Metal classics in my book; the spectacular drumming from Mikkey Dee is enough for me to adore this one.
The break at 2:48 is so headbangingly inviting, superbly followed by an ultra catchy guitar lick.
The Invisible Guests features some fantastic progressive bass handling from Hal Patino and the split solo spot is breathtakingly thrilling. This brilliant high-octane track ends with a mesmerizing lead spot bringing the intensity level from a hundred to zero.
Giving the album and additional charisma we find
Tea with its different but rather successful jamming and loose formula. The heavy rhythm guitar adds a tight groove and King's varied vocal approach is a joy to follow on its own.
An aspect I value highly in the music of
King Diamond is the minor details that always seem to find their way onto the albums. The dark keyboard theme in the middle of
Mother's Getting Weaker is one example, the playful acoustic guitar section and luring key outro are another two, all in one bloody song that is.
The
main riff structure in
Bye, Bye Missy is a bit simple, but the demanding soling surely makes up for a lot of it. A complex song with stunning variation in the drum apartment, the ending is a bit stretched out though.
A Broken Spell stands out as a bit anonymous in comparison with most of the other songs, it's simply missing something to remember it by, the acoustic break is clever but otherwise it's standard material.
Highlights in
The Accusation Chair is definitely the monster riff attack and thunderous guitar solos, a great song leading into
"Them" which is a scary instrumental type of song making its appearance in just the right time of the album.
The immensely catchy chorus in
Twilight Symphony has burned itself into my conscious; the high pitch screams are just unbelievable. The change in pace, coupled with a progressive tease, forceful drumming and ingenious guitar moves lifts this song into the premier league.
Coming Home takes off where
Out From The Asylum ended; the spoken words are quite fitting and enhance the creepy atmosphere, a point that goes for the album as a whole. The story is of course unfinished, as Conspiracy would prove to be a most worthy sequel only a year later.
The guitar work by Andy and Pete is one of the reasons why this album is so damn good, bouncing off each other making way for a whole lot of dynamism and thrilling passages. Especially the split solos contain both technicality and drive in abundance. The bass delivery is refreshingly creative, the drums are simply amazing, the keys wisely used and King offers a stunning and convincing performance.
The remastered version has a decent sound quality, it's not the most powerful production but the balance is finely weighed.
The story is actually quite cool, a haunted house, a mad grandma, a strong bond between brother and sister and of course some kind of revenge.yep it is a classic KD scenario and the way he sings the lyrics makes it very trustworthy, this being one of King's biggest talents by the way.
Bottom line: A great classic Metal album with a horrific twist giving it that special sombre mood.
Absolute killer tracks:
Welcome Home,
The Invisible Guests and
Twilight Symphony.
Written by
Tommy Sunday, September 4, 2005
Show all reviews by TommyRatingsTommy: 7.5/10Members: 8/10 - Average of 3 ratings.
Member ratings
 | Steen (Staff)
Rating: 8.5/10
I rate this one higher. It is among King Diamond's very best and gains the edge over most ... · Read more · |
 | notrap
Rating: 7.5/10
After the previous excellent record "Abigail" King Diamond released his second full concep... · Read more · |
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