Ahh...King Diamond...It is hard to not simply adore his music. When I spotted this package in the store, I found that it came with two albums of King Diamond, both released in the late 1980's. "Them" and Conspiracy were the two albums that were included in the package, and it happened to be that I didn't own either of them. It was the about the price of one CD ($15), so I just had to buy it. The cover art was almost as mind-boggling the price, for it has two rotted hands sprouting out of the grave holding one album in each hand.


R THEEZ GUYZ G0THIK???

(Disc 1, "Them")

King Diamond: Vocals
Andy La Rocque: Guitars
Pete Blakk: Guitars
Hal Patino: Bass
Mikkey Dee: Drums

(Disc 2, Conspiracy)

King Diamond: Vocals
Andy La Rocque: Guitars
Pete Blakk: Guitars
Hal Patino: Bass
Mikkey Dee: Drums
Roberto Falcao: Keyboards


"Them", (1988)

Although I thoroughly enjoy both of the albums, I must say that I listen to "Them" more. One of the best qualities of "Them" is the eerie introduction to the album. "Out from the Asylum" begins with keyboards that will send a chill down your spine as they play. Suddenly, you will hear a whispering scratchy voice that makes this a great tune to play on Halloween.

The intro is soon followed by a magnificent song that blends in perfectly. There is a catchy guitar riff that loops throughout most of the song, and with King's high pitch Rob Halford-like vocals, the song only gets better. Sometimes it seems as if there is a backup King Diamond that jumps in at necessary times. Skipping a track, we go on to "Tea", which is a terrific track as well. It begins with a little bit of strumming from the guitarists Andy La Rocque and Pete Blakk. You may never know when King will unexpectedly sing with his shrieking vocals, and amazingly, his voice doesn't crack. He is very talented, indeed.

"Mother's Getting Weaker" launches with an Iron Maiden-like intro that is before long accompanied by King's vocals. Some may not enjoy listening to his powerful piercing vocals, but most fellow metalheads will. You can probably tell that this guy made an A for singing in music class. I may go ahead and recommend that you do not attempt to sing like this legend, for you may bust a vocal chord or two. What a flawless guitar solo, just in the next track, "Bye, Bye Missy".

The self titled track, "Them", is perfect for telling scary stories to. It peacefully starts out with acoustic guitars soon joined by operatic vocals. You can hear moaning voices that are unclear, and at the end of the song, there are eerie laughs. Heading on to the next track, I must say that the music that starts off the song sounds extremely similar to the music of "Kill the King" by Megadeth. Some of the time, King doesn't use his shrill vocals, and he sings aggressively.

You may notice something odd about the last two tracks on the album, which are rehearsals, and weren't a part of the original "Them". They are somewhat unclear, but you can still experience them as you would a normal King Diamond song. These two bonus tracks do not include King's vocals, and are instrumentals.

TRACK LISTING:

1. Out from the Asylum
2. Welcome Home
3. The Invisible Guests
4. Tea
5. Mother's Getting Weaker
6. Bye, Bye Missy
7. A Broken Spell
8. The Accusation Chair
9. "Them"
10. Twilight Symphony
11. Coming Home
12. Phone Call*
13. The Invisible Guests* (Rehearsal)
14. Bye, Bye Missy* (Rehearsal)


Conspiracy, (1989)

Similarly to "Them", Conspiracy begins with a track that includes mystical keyboards that are suitable for a night that children tell scary stories on. However, instead of being a short song, "At the Graves" is the longest track on the album. "If it lasts as long as 8 minutes, it better be good!", you say. Ahh, trust me lad, it is. You can hear King moaning words emotionally a few seconds after the keyboards have appeared. There is a guitar solo approximately halfway through the song, and if you happen to not find the vocals appealing, you will surely enjoy the solo.

"Sleepless Nights" starts with calm music, followed by King explaining, "I cannot sleep at night... That's what the day is for, anyway!". Before long, there is a marvelous guitar solo that is rather long that makes the song a bit faster. The song can get repetitive at times, for King quotes that same line for a number of times that I didn't even bother keeping up with.

"A Visit from the Dead" begins with soothing acoustic guitars as well, and lasts for a few minutes. However, the calm music morphs into more heavier riffs before long. Even when King sings during the calmer music, he still has that high pitch style to his vocals, but it isn't as shrill. Although double bass wasn't used in the drums at this time, there can still be some heavy parts of King Diamond's music in this album.

"Something Weird" is one of my favorites to listen to, for various reasons. It is an instrumental; a very amazing one, I must say. There are deep moaning voices at the beginning, followed by some keyboarding work by Roberto Falcao. There is also a deep bell that tolls at some points of the song, which eventually stops as the music begins to fade away slowly.

"Cremation" is a very interesting track, and it begins with a high pitched guitar riff that stays for the whole song. This guitar riff that I speak of can easily get stuck in your head, and it has happened to me plenty of times. The keyboards that are featured appear in the song at just the right times, making this instrumental even better. Although it is an instrumental, King's voice suddenly comes in and explains that he shall return from the grave. Very pleasant, indeed.

The last two tracks on the album are not featured on the original Conspiracy. The "Cremation" live show mix does not include any drums in it, which may make it seem as if it's lost its flavor. However, that same guitar riff is included, for it is one of the main elements of the song. The "At the Graves" alternate mix is pretty good, and depending on whether or not you liked the minute-long intro or not, you'll like it either more or less. Unfortunately, the album wraps up as the bell rings one last time.

TRACK LISTING:

1. At the graves
2. Sleepless Nights
3. Lies
4. A Visit from the Dead
5. The Wedding Dream
6. "Amon" Belongs to "Them"
7. Something Weird
8. Victimized
9. Let it be Done
10. Cremation
11. At the Graves* (Alternate Mix)
12. Cremation* (Live Show Mix)


Thanks OMM, for starting this fabulous W/O. Check out daumco's profile and read his reviews!


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