King Diamond - ''Them'' (1988)

 

"Them" is the third studio album by Danish heavy metal band King Diamond, released on 18 July 1988 through Roadrunner Records in Europe, and 13 September 1988 through Roadracer Records in United States. It is the first album to feature guitarist Pete Blakk and bassist Hal Patino.

"Them" is the first of two fictional concept albums about King and his mentally ill grandmother, the second of these being Conspiracy. King falls into a harrowing descent into madness via his grandmother and the voices in the House of Amon, known to the listener only as "Them".

 

 The King Diamond band was formed in 1985 by Danish vocalist King Diamond following the break-up of his previous band, Mercyful Fate. The original line-up consisted of Diamond, his former Mercyful Fate bandmates Michael Denner (guitar) and Timi Hansen (bass), and Swedes Mikkey Dee (drums) and Andy LaRoque (guitar). This line-up lasted for two albums before Denner and Hansen departed, the first of many line-up changes for the band. To date, LaRoque is the only musician besides King Diamond to appear on every King Diamond band release.

With the King Diamond band, Diamond traded the occult-based and blasphemous lyrics of Mercyful Fate for a gothic horror approach. Almost all of the lyrics on King Diamond's albums revolve around a specific story. Only the band's debut, "Fatal Portrait," and 1995's "Spider's Lullaby" stray from this formula, although, even in those cases, several of the songs on the albums feature lyrics that are related to each other. In 2003, Hungarian vocalist Livia Zita was brought onboard to provide female vocals. It marked the first time that King Diamond worked with another vocalist on any of his projects (excluding any guest appearances he made on other artists' projects). King and Livia were later married.

The group saw their commercial success reach its peak in the mid and late 1980's, and their second album, "Abigail" is considered a heavy metal classic. The group was also a target for parents' and watchdog groups who objected to King Diamond's image and what they perceived to be questionable content (although the latter was mostly based on the King's work with Mercyful Fate and his personal connections to Anton LaVey's Church of Satan). The band has continued to work steadily, although they have been on hold in recent years because of King Diamond's health issues, which include back surgery in 2007, and a triple-bypass in 2010.

 

 

 

 

Tracklist:

 Side A
1. Out from the Asylum     01:44
2. Welcome Home     04:35
3. The Invisible Guests     05:02
4. Tea     05:12
5. Mother's Getting Weaker     03:59

Side B
6. Bye, Bye Missy     05:06
7. A Broken Spell     04:06
8. The Accusation Chair     04:19
9. "Them"     01:54
10. Twilight Symphony     04:07
11. Coming Home     01:10

41:14

 

 Line up:

• King Diamond : Vocals, Lyrics, Songwriting (tracks 1-4, 6, 8-11)
• Andy la Rocque : Guitars (lead), Songwriting (tracks 5, 7, 9)
• Pete Blakk : Guitars (lead)
• Hal Patino : Bass
• Mikkey Dee : Drums.

 

 

 

Label: Roadrunner Records. RR 9550 1 

 Recorded and mixed at M.M.C. Studio, Copenhagen, DK.

 Engineer, producer, mixed & effects: Roberto Falcao.

 Artwork cover: Studio Dzyan, Thomas Holm, Torbjorn Jorgensen.

 Special limited edition. Hype sticker on shrink. Contains a printed inner sleeve and a free 12 page full color collectors booklet "The story so far".