Description

2018 double picture disc. Limited 2000 copies

King Diamond has been a pioneer who is credited with setting many trends in metal, most of them tied to the emergence of Black Metal. Black Metal bands from Scandinavia, in particular, have been heavily influenced by his work with Mercyful Fate and have capitalized on their more original take on the occult. However, what is less talked about is King Diamond’s influence outside of the Black Metal genre, particularly his influence on more Gothic bands such as Cradle of Filth, and the marriage of classical opera and speed metal that resulted in the current wave of darker Power Metal bands. ‘The Puppet Master’ is a standard release by Diamond in many respects, but also contains some rather innovative features not found on previous efforts. This is primarily due to the inclusion of guest vocalist Livia Zita, who compliments Diamond’s evil sounding baritone and ghost wails flawlessly and also brings an element of grace and beauty to what is quite a horrific tale. It is also important to understand that the consequence of this additional vocalist/character is a tragic love story that is similar to ‘House of God’, but is much more personal. This is a perfect solid album that all fans of King Diamond will like, as it is true to what he has always done well since his first solo effort.

Track listing:
1. Midnight
2. The Puppet Master
3. Magic
4. Emerencia
5. Blue Eyes
6. The Ritual
7. No More Me
8. Blood To Walk
9. Darkness
10. So Sad
11. Christmas
12. Living Dead