𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…
On this day (July 18) in 1988, King Diamond released his third solo full-length studio album "Them" in Europe via Roadrunner Records.
The album was not released in the United States until September 1988.
"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".
“King is a genious! He deserves way more recognition than he had. Those 2 albums “Them” and “Conspiracy” are just outstanding story telling and the lyrics still blow me away. I can actually appreciate it more today than back in the day… King is Number One!” — Pete Blakk
The Wells Perspective:
King Diamond had a major impact on me as a teen in the 1980’s, from the “Black Funeral” 12", 45, the very first Mercyful Fate single that I purchased in 1984, all the way up to King Diamond’s third solo LP, “Them,” and beyond.
(𝙼𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚢𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝙵𝚊𝚝𝚎 — 𝙱𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝙵𝚞𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎)
But, “Them” is the album that had the biggest influence on me! One day, not so long after it was released, my friends and I were walking down the street one night and we were goofing around, joking about one of our friend’s grandmothers, and I instantaneously yelled out the words “Grandma, Welcome Home…” in the style of King Diamond. Everyone stopped in their tracks and just stared at me, awestruck! One friend, Brian said “where the hell did that come from? That’s it, we’re starting a band!” Those words were from the song “Welcome Home”, and through mocking our friend over his grandmother, I inadvertently found out that I could sing. And, I owe it all to the King! "All Hail the King"!
Concept albums in Metal were a rarity in that period of time. But, with “Them”, King Diamond was on concept album number two, with 1987’s “Abigail” leading the way. The story of “Them” revolved around a fictional version (or was it fiction?) of King as a young boy and the event of his grandmother’s return from an insane asylum (or as King puts it; "returning from a holiday"!). We will dive further into the full plot later, but who would have ever thought that a tea pot, a grandmother or an old music box from King’s childhood could be the things that nightmares are made of? But, King Diamond somehow managed to make it all seem so frightening, intense and beyond surreal! And, while I love everything he has done over the years, for me, “Them” is King Diamond’s best solo work.
Written and recorded during a time of turmoil (King had lost his father just one year prior) and through band lineup changes, it’s a wonder that King was able to be creative at all! Luckily (for us), he was able to pull through. But, I believe some credit needs to be given where it is due. The chemistry between guitarists Andy LaRocque and Pete Blakk and their dueling wizardry, the technical proficiency of drummer Mikkey Dee and bassist Hal Patino’s tight rhythm sections all played a major role in the magic that is “Them”! And, might I add that I always felt that the story of “Them” made for a great supernatural horror film (hint, hint)! — E.N. Wells
(𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙳𝚒𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝙷𝚊𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚘)
Background:
Following the completion of the “Abigail” tour, guitarist Mike Moon and bassist Timi Hansen were replaced by Pete Blakk and Hal Patino respectively.
“I was the first guitarist asked to join King after the Mercyful Fate came back from US tour ’84. Mikkey joined but I turned it down unfortunately. I was asked 2 times again and finally I joined. I even helped King to get Andy (LaRocque) since we were friends back in Gothenburg. I also had a demand to join at that was that I could bring Hal with me from Geisha. Since he was my buddy and my favourite bass player.” — Pete Blakk
Together, they recorded them "Them" at M.M.C. Studio in Copenhagen, Denmark.
“I didn’t write anything for Them. Just arranged and wrote all the lead guitar stuff and harmony with Andy.
Andy is a great guitarist. I think Andy and I did some amazing stuff. The trade offs and the harmony we did together were just awesome, we just had a lot of chemistry. And that’s why those albums stand out…” — Pete Blakk
(𝙸𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘 𝚍𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏 “𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚖”)
"Them" charted at No. 38 on the Swedish album chart, No. 65 on the Dutch album chart, and at No. 89 on the Billboard 200, making "Them" King Diamond's highest charting album in America to date.
(𝚂𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚘 𝚏𝚘𝚛 “𝚃𝚎𝚊” 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚌𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚎𝚊 𝚋𝚊𝚐)
Another music video was also shot, this time for the single "Welcome Home".
(“𝚆𝚎𝚕𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝙷𝚘𝚖𝚎” 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝙳 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚘𝚗𝚞𝚜 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔 “𝙿𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚕”)
On November 1st, the group released “The Dark Sides” EP, a collection of previously released material as well as one unreleased track.
Plot Summary:
As the album opens, a young King and his mother and sister are welcoming King's grandmother home from a mental asylum. That night, King investigates strange voices and discovers his grandmother having a tea party seemingly alone, though with the teacups and kettles floating in the air. King is invited into the room, to sit in his grandmother's chair. King is sent back to bed, but only after staring into his grandmother's eyes, whereupon she instructed him to forget what he saw.
One day, Grandma awakens King and tells him that she will teach him about the house of “Amon”, over a cup of tea. “Amon” being the tea pot, “Their” item of power and importance that seemed to require a blood sacrifice. Through the blood they commutate or take control of those who drink it. Grandma cuts King's sleeping mother's hand and adds her blood to the teapot. After drinking the “tea” the voices haunting the house ("Them") begin to affect King with a drug-like effect.
King's sister Missy tries to convince King that they should do something to help their mother, who is unconscious and weak due to "their" control and possible blood loss, but his judgment is clouded due to his altered state. He refuses to call for help and cuts the phone line.
At tea, Missy interrupts and furiously expresses concern about her mother's state, Missy being deemed a problem is attacked by Grandma and in spiteful retaliation, Missy breaks "Amon" the teapot. "They", in furious response to the breaking of "their" beloved teapot "Amon", chop Missy into bits with an axe and throw the remains into the fireplace in the kitchen. "Their" focus no longer on King, he snapped out of his "spell," and he stumbles outside and pieces together the events that transpired.
After fainting and regaining consciousness, he decides to attack his grandmother. He notices that "their" power is weakened outside the house, so he lures his grandmother outside and kills her. The voices of Amon continue to haunt the boy as he is questioned by police and incarcerated in an asylum. Years later, he is released and returns home to find his grandmother and the voices of Amon are still very much alive.
“…the whole magic comes from King himself, he is the brain. But we had a chemistry that is and was rare.” — Pete Blakk
“Them” North American Tour:
King Diamond toured North America from mid August through to mid November in support of "Them".
Flotsam and Jetsam were the supporting act from August into October, while Annihilator also appeared at the Chicago show on August 20th. Armored Saint were the supporting band at the latter end of the tour (see dates below).
Following the completion of the supporting tour for "Them", Mikkey Dee left King Diamond. However, he was rehired to play drums on the band's follow-up album, after which he was replaced by Snowy Shaw.
North American Tour Dates:
(supported by Flotsam & Jetsam from August 12-October 17, unless noted)
August 12, 1988 The Omni, Oakland, CA
August 13, 1988 The Stone, San Francisco, CA
August 16, 1988 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
August 17, 1988 VFW, Green Bay, WI (cancelled)
August 19, 1988 Orpheum Theater, Milwaukee, WI
August 20, 1988 Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL (supported by Flotsam & Jetsam and Annihilator)
August 21, 1988 Harpo's, Detroit, MI
August 22, 1988 Stadium Arena Annex, Grand Rapids, MI
August 23, 1988 Arlington Theater, Indianapolis, IN
August 24, 1988 Bogart's, Cincinnati, OH
August 25, 1988 Newport Music Hall, Columbus, OH
August 26, 1988 Pittsburgh City Limits, Pittsburgh, PA
August 27, 1988 Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, OH
August 29, 1988 Riviera Theater, Tonawanda, NY
August 30, 1988 The Lost Horizon, Syracuse, NY
August 31, 1988 The Sibonay, Toronto, ON
September 1, 1988 Ottawa, ON
September 2, 1988 Montreal Spectrum, Montreal, QC
September 3, 1988 Quebec City, QC
September 6, 1988 The Living Room, Providence, RI
September 8, 1988 The Channel, Boston, MA (cancelled due to King Diamond throat infection)
September 9-10, 1988 Rock Hotel, New York, NY
September 11, 1988 Trocadero Theater, Philadelphia, PA
September 12, 1988 Network, Pasadena, MD
September 16, 1988 The Chance, Poughkeepsie, NY
September 17, 1988 Showcase Theater, Huntington, NY
September 18, 1988 The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA
September 21, 1988 Park Elevator, Charlotte, NC
September 22, 1988 Center Stage Theater, Atlanta, GA
September 24, 1988 Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg, FL
September 25, 1988 The Visage Nightclub, Orlando, FL
September 26, 1988 Cameo Theater, Miami, FL
September 29, 1988 NRG Club, Houston, TX
September 30, 1988 Sunken Gardens Theater, San Antonio, TX
October 1, 1988 Arcadia Theater, Dallas, TX
October 2, 1988 The Back Room, Austin, TX
October 3, 1988 Ritz Music Hall, Corpus Christi, TX
October 4, 1988 Mad Max's Bar, Oklahoma City, OK
October 5, 1988 VFW, Phoenix, AZ (cancelled due to stage being too small)
October 7, 1988 Speedway Cafe, Salt Lake City, UT
October 8, 1988 Celebrity Theater, Anaheim, CA
October 11, 1988 One Step Beyond, Santa Clara, CA
October 12, 1988 The Stone, San Francisco, CA
October 14, 1988 Moore Theater, Seattle, WA
October 15, 1988 San Diego, CA
October 16, 1988 Pine Street Theater, Portland, OR
October 17, 1988 Tucson Gardens, Tucson, AZ
October 25, 1988 Uptown Theater, Kansas City, MO (supported by Armored Saint)
October 26, 1988 Mississippi Nights, St. Louis, MO (supported by Armored Saint)
October 29, 1988 Harpo's, Detroit, MI (supported by Armored Saint)
October 31, 1988 Renaissance Theater, Rochester, NY (supported by Armored Saint)
November 2, 1988 The Channel, Boston, MA (supported by Armored Saint)
November 3, 1988 The Living Room, Providence, RI (supported by Armored Saint)
November 4, 1988 The Ritz, New York, NY (supported by Armored Saint)
November 5, 1988 L'Amour, New York, NY (supported by Armored Saint)
November 7, 1988 Hammerjacks, Baltimore, MD
November 10, 1988 Saratoga Winners, Cohoes, NY
November 11, 1988 Theater of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
(𝙻𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝙽𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟷, 𝟷𝟿𝟾𝟾 𝚊𝚝 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝙻𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙰𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝙿𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚙𝚑𝚒𝚊, 𝙿𝚎𝚗𝚗𝚜𝚢𝚕𝚟𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚊)
Average Setlist for the tour:
Noteworthy:
The song "Welcome Home" and lyrics from the song "Invisible Guests" were featured in the film Clerks II. "Welcome Home" was also featured in the 2009 video game Brütal Legend.
Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:
▶ Listen to “Them” via Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/them-bonus-track-version/1296481392
▶ Listen to “Them” via Spotify: Them https://open.spotify.com/album/24Q1XHD9hhZl5FULWmG58H
▶ Watch the official music video for “Welcome Home”: https://youtu.be/TJH0eBtnbcs
▶ Follow King Diamond on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kingdiamond
▶ Follow Andy La Rocque on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/andylarocque.official/
▶ Follow Pete Blakk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pete.blakk
▶ Follow Mikkey Dee on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikkeydeeofficial
▶ Follow Hal Patino on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HalPatinoOfficial
Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells
Follow Us:
▶ Subscribe to Into the Wells: https://intothewellsabyss.wixsite.com/intothewells
▶ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Intothewells.abyss
▶ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/into_the_wells
▶ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/into_the_wells?s=21&t=ISh9VpVYRrOy70MsZZVXTQ
#KingDiamond #Them #WelcomeHome" #TheInvisibleGuests #Tea #MothersGettingWeaker #ByeByeMissy #TwilightSymphony #musicpromotion #metalmusic #metalhead #metalmusiclovers #metalcommunity #intothewells #metaldoesntsuck #metal #metalmusic #historyofheavymetal #historyofrockandroll #todayinhardrockhistory
Comments