King Diamond
The Puppet Master (Metal Blade)
By Martin Popoff
Look for a few twists in the tale this time, King Diamond, for his 11th solo album (!) adding occasional female vocals (Livia Zita), more guitar soloing, and most interestingly, a DVD on which he narrates what is another complicated story, one that is actually understandable from lyrics alone. Maybe too clear, King seemingly having to use every line for plot, and not many for poetry. I thought the DVD was quite mesmerizing, although some have called it amusing or cheesy. King as a storyteller is impressive. The whites of his eyes, his stone grimace, his piano-player hand gestures, and most importantly, his telling of the tale conversationally, no script… You are rapt at his devotion and his selling of the tale. He’s there in facepaint and a little bowler-type top hat, surrounded by candles, eerily with daylight shining through the curtains. It’s actually stranger that it isn’t night, a little unsettling. But yeah, back to the music.
(2828 Cochran St. PMB #302 Simi Valley, CA 93065)