It only took me a couple of listens to King Diamond's The Puppet Master to convince me of his being the Stephen King of Heavy Metal music. King is not only fearsome in his appearance but also with the stories he weaves from deep within his dark mind. For years he has given us tales of horror and villainy and with The Puppet Master we find him telling perhaps the scariest tale of them all. To sum up the story this time around King sings to us about an insidious Puppeteer who along with his wife uses real people as puppets to entertain audiences and make their money. King is the central character in this "play" that falls prey to the evil couple. One surely needs to read the lyric book along with this piece for it is very well thought out and delivered from beginning to end. Joining the King as his lineup for the recording are Mike Wead (Guitar), Matt Thompson (drums), Hal Patino (bass), and Andy LaRoque (guitar). Livia Zita joins in on background vocals and she adds a wonderful aspect to the music. I feel this is the strongest lineup that he has assembled in many years and this is also the second full recording that this same lineup has worked on.
The CD is filled with a number of great tunes and among my favorites were "Puppet Master" in which the tale is lined out for the listener. "Blood To Walk" and "Magic" were also very good. It's an album that you need to listen to from beginning to end to enjoy the storyline better. A lyric book is included and this will allow you to follow along and be rooted to your seat in fear of the evil he is singing about. I felt that King Diamond really has delivered on this release and he continues to impress fans with stories that should be re-enacted in some form of DVD series if only the budgeting is there. Fans of the King will also enjoy the CD that was released based on this tour entitled "Deadly Lullaby's". As an added treat some editions of this release included a DVD which features King Diamond narrating and explaining the story he had laid out in the music. Will the King and his character escape the Puppet master and live a life of happiness? Well, you need to pick this up to find out for yourself. Enjoy – If you dare.
Track Listing
- Midnight
- The Puppet Master
- Magic
- Emerencia
- Blue Eyes
- The Ritual
- No More Me
- Blood To Walk
- Darkness
- So Sad
- Christmas
- Living Dead
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