Can you please do the song "Orion" by Metallica next? It's an instrumental song (no lyrics), that's very melodic and beautifully done! I've seen people get emotionally overwhelmed by it, including myself. It's considered Cliff Burton's master piece - who was the bassist that had classical training. It's off of the album "Master Of Puppets", which was the first metal album entered into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. Thank you!
oh, i love what you said,, ' it is all over the place." about 17 minutes and 30 seconds in, I ask, does it maintain the same atmosphere ? Is it grave yardesque? a component of 'rock' can be similar to blues and jazz. classical music does change. Beethoven 9 symphony is varied. technically. i am not a fan off this music but i understand it.
Agreed. Although I loved and been a huge fan of King's original line-up, because the combo of Michael Denner & Andy sharing guitar duties, at the time, I thought the band couldn't get any better because Mikkey Dee on drums, Timi Hansen on bass Michael & Andy on guitars 1 & 2 and King on vocals, but I was wrong, they did get better. On Them & Conspiracy when they added Hal Patino & Pete Blakk? Oh man it was on a whole new level. The combination of Andy & Pete? Game over. IMO the best 3 tracks w/Andy & Pete on guitars are, again this is just IMO, are 1) The invisible Guests 2) Victimized 3) A Visit From The Dead
One singer, a thousand voices. Well, it´s King Diamond. Been listening to him almost 40 years. You just never get tired of these masterpieces. Interesting to watch someone to hear this for the first time ! The thing when analyzing King´s lyrics is, that it is very difficult, when you listen to only one song, as his albums are usually concept-albums and you´d have to listen it from beginning to end, to understand it. But, still, good and interesting effort.
At The Graves... the opening track to the 1989 album Conspiracy, which is the follow-up and continuation of the story told on 1988's Them. [ SPOILER ALERT : Plot reveals below ] Them was a story where King casts himself in the lead role as a 9-yr-old child, who lives with his mother and little sister Missy in an old mansion called "Amon". The house was previously occupied by King's grandmother, who was locked up in an asylum for the murder of her husband, and was institutionalized for her babbling about "Them", and how "They" are responsible for the deed. In the opening track of Them, aptly entitled _Out From The Asylum,_ Grandmother is released and returns home to King, Missy, and Mother at the house of Amon... King, Missy, and Mother bid her a warm _Welcome Home..._ and "They" are waiting ,too... up in the attic. As the album unfolds, Grandma resumes her contact with "Them", which King happens upon late one night, witnessing her _Invisible Guests_ levitating cups of tea into thin air and "emptying on the floor". At first the old woman tries to discourage the boy's curiosity, but then decides to let him in on the secrets of Amon and "Them". As King is entranced by the strange rituals involving a sinister brew of _Tea,_ and the haunting songs of "Them", _Mother Is Getting Weaker,_ looking paler day by day... Little Missy, noticing Mother's plight, and getting no aid from the euphoric King, she tries to make a stand and defend Mother from the activities, including smashing the enchanted tea pot, which enrages Grandma and "Them". Grandma instructs "Them" to "get rid of her ; she is too young anyway". The last sight of Missy King sees is Missy being dragged by invisible hands down to the kitchen... _Bye Bye Missy..._ King somehow snaps out of the trance and in the haze of _A Broken Spell,_ staggers outside. He peers into the cellar window and sees an axe flying up the stairs - it's "Them", about to deal with Missy... looking up, he sees black smoke billowing from the chimney, and somehow knows... it's Missy. Overwhelmed by everything, he passes out. When he awakens, he knows he must return and face grandma. Now free of the spell, he fully realizes what is happening, and resolves to take action. Going up to Grandma's room, pretending to still be under the spell, he convinces Grandma he is perfectly fine, and suggests they go for a moonlit stroll, outside... where "They" cannot protect her... King wheels her outside in her chair... King knows this is his only chance, and after parking _The Accusation Chair,_ grabs her cane out of her hand and tells her she will pay for her deeds and her sick mind has come to an end now... Afterward, he flees into the woods, trying to get as far away as possible, but he then begins to hear _"Them"_ singing, and feels their mesmerizing influence coming over him again... The next morning, King awakens with the _Twilight Symphony_ still in his head. He returns to the house, where police and ambulance and the local asylum's own Dr Landau are present, processing the scene of Grandma who lies dead with a broken neck near her overturned wheelchair. King is interrogated, and he tells them everything. Absolutely EVERYTHING. Landau deems him insane and has him committed to the same asylum Grandma was in. 9 years later, after much therapy, and convincing Landau there never ever was a "Them", King is released. He soon after receives a phone call... it's Grandma. She tells him in her strained raspy voice, to return to the old house, Amon... saying that "quite a few people" - namely Grandpa and Missy, as well as "Them" - would "love" to see him. King is _Coming Home..._ Enter Conspiracy... where he visits Missy, and "Them"... _At The Graves..._
very adept written, i cant find anything that youve missed, you even helped me get the parts i where missing thanks to being too caught up in melodies at times.
Did you get all that from the comic, because I've listened to that album at least two dozen times--- it's my favorite album from King Diamond ---but I never got all that from it; but, then again, I was mostly paying attention to the music while I worked my graveyard shift.
I love the unbiased innocent approach here. The curiosity and appreciation! It's like wathcing someone going on an adventure into a foreign country with all those different spices, smells and sounds. Love it!
No singer like him.His voice is unbelievable.Been a fan since 1980.The King never disappoints.Truly amazing.Just got tickets for the Mercyful Fate tour.ALL HAIL THE KING.
My wife is a country girl. When I met her thirty years ago she had no clue about king diamond. This was her first song she heard by him. To this day this is one of her favorite songs even though she is not into metal that much
I love these reactions by people not familiar with these artists or music styles. Sometimes they have an insight that makes me think about the songs in a way I didn't before. The vampire theme really made me go back and rethink the original story of Them.
bought his album Abigail back when it came out just because I thought the cover art looked cool. I had no idea what I was in for. been in love with his music ever since. got to meet him on the Conspiracy tour. he and his band were some of the nicest and most talented people/musicians I've ever met. and I've met a lot being a professional musician myself
This channel is soooo much fun!!!! great idea for this. Never listened to king diamond but I think ill check more out. Your reactions are great and genuine. please keep it up
I love this channel because not only is it so fun to watch you react to songs I know and love, it's also exposing me to bands and songs that I otherwise might not have heard of, including this one! Wonderful community you've built here!
Such a great song choice to pop virgin ears, instill speechlessness, confusion, astonishment, and colorful conversation. Indeed, there is nothing like King. Thank you for keeping it alive.
I really love your comment about the electric guitar being akin to voice in terms of expressive quality and role. Very interesting take, and I definitely agree!
Someone might have already stated it, but I want to leave a comment that listening to one song from King Diamond is like reading only chapter 23 out of a 50 chapter book. The albums are a complete story from beginning to end, so unless listened to through its entirety it might not fully make sense with the lyrics, the change in voices (he's portraying different characters), etc. King Diamond is one of those people that EVERYONE laughs when they first hear him but once you actually listen close, you're fully immersed and enjoying it! "A Broken Spell" is a great track and there's always "A Visit from The Dead" that showcase some really unique stuff. The band, especially the guitarists, are huge on the Neo-classical style playing and one of the pioneers in playing that way (Scandinavian metal bands of the era were massively influenced by Paganini, etc) Great video and content, subscribed!
Love King Diamond! Seen him live twice and the concert experience is like no other. It was just announced that he's touring with his previous band, Mercyful Fate, which hasn't been active since 1999. Can't wait! If you get a chance to see 'em live I highly recommend it. It's very Halloween. King Diamond's entire discography is in my Halloween playlist (which I listen to all of October). Great pick here! One of the best and most innovative band in metal.
Merciful Fate has been touring for a little bit now. I've seen a few clips. He and they still have it. I saw MF in a small venue in Columbus, OH. Best show ever.
@@vonSchnellenstein if that was for me, sadly no. I honestly can't remember who the drummer was, but I know it wasn't the original. I saw them in like 1999 or so when they got back together.
Some of those really high-pitched squeals on the guitar are called "pinch harmonics". They are created by the flesh touching the string before the pick, thereby effectively shortening the length of the guitar string, and raising the pitch considerably (normally an octave). You can do this in many places between the nut and bridge, and get different harmonics. It's fun to do--especially on a note that's already high in pitch (like E4). Have fun in the awesome and wild world of Rock and Metal! :)
I love King Diamond. All his albums are concept albums telling a horror story. This song comes from a sequel album Conspiracy to the album Them. I suggest Listening to the album Abigail which is earlier in there discography. There is no one like the KING!
And in a lot of ways, you can almost describe it as a concept career: the lyrics make a lot more sense in the larger context of the concept album it came from, and the albums that preceded and followed, in a larger story about the King Diamond character, haunted by his dead sister, tormented by an insane grandmother who happens to be a witch, manipulated by an otherworldly conspiracy of "Them" (malevolent spirits that make a bargain with King to bring his sister back), and so on over the course of a handful of concept albums. I don't think anyone else could have ever really pulled that sort of thing off, but the musicianship is mesmerizing, and King Diamond the performer is one hell of a frontman and an entertaining storyteller, and the band really knows how to sell their distinctive brand of gothic heavy metal!
Interesting that she says "Vampire feeling" from this song...then I thought about it... grandma drinking blood with the family in the form of "tea" Does seem Vampire like...this being the 2nd part of "Them"
All of his albums aren't concept albums. Fatal Portrait and Spider's Lullaby aren't concept album. They both contain a small few song story in the albums, but they are not concept albums.
Fascinating to watch someone with classical training interpret and analyze King Diamond. So refreshing to see you submerge yourself into it and not just call it noise. I listen to everything, so I get frustrated when people instantly dismiss a genre with which they are neither familiar nor fond. You actually gave me a deeper appreciation for a song that has resided in my eclectic playlist for some time.
Great reaction. There was a lot going on in that song. Great guitar solo. Vocals were crazy good, the whole band great running through those changes. I enjoyed this song a lot more than I thought I would. Thanks Amy and Vlad.
Thanks to your announcement about next reaction I also did a first listen to Conspiracy album and been listening it a lot in last few days. I knew Mercyful Fate Melisa album and sleeping nights but not at the graves. Nice discovery for me. I'm glad it was suggested.
For context, you have to understand that KD a story teller and that he is always either narrating or singing a character's dialogue. In the specific case of this album, it is for the most part, narrated from the first person pespective of the protagonist.
I praise your willingness to broaden your musical horizons. I've been a fan of King Diamond since 1987 and saw him live in 1988. I'd recommend reacting to his live performance of Sleepless Nights.
Oh I'm relieved that there are two videos! I scrolled through and I was thinking, "Oh no! There's no musical analysis." But it's on the second video. This album has some great songs. I'm glad to see you have a positive reaction to King. I feel they're good musicians. Great lyrics. Great vocals. Both his groups, Mercyful Fate and King Diamond, have continued to gain in popularity through the years. I think this speaks well to the quality of the music.
It’s a peaceful morning here with a gorgeous sunrise. I’m watching the video and my partner walks in and says, “Stop listening to that cr&p!” 😂 This was my first listen too- I guess it’s not for everyone, but I can say I gave it a much deeper listen with you than I would have otherwise. All music is a gift in some way!
King Diamond writes incredible horror stories with all his concept albums. And acts out all the parts of his Awesome storytelling with his Amazing vocal range. And his band,they provide the Brilliant music for each of his songs in the story. King Diamond,always,unique,melodic,incredible musically and vocally.
Great video! This was my very FIRST King Diamond song! Upon first hearing it, Black Sabbath and Mr Bungle came to mind. lol It will be interesting hearing the analysis to see where the classical music pieces come into play. Thanks for posting!!!!!
“There’s nothing like King Diamond.” He’s definitely not wrong. I remember upon my first listen to King Diamond and Mercyful Fate. I was a bit confused and unable to process what I was listening to at the time. And I had already been listening to metal music quite extensively, but King Diamond was so different compared to all the stuff I had heard prior. It took a bit of time for my ears to become accustomed to their style of music and his vocals. I am quite happy that I kept listening to them because they are marvelous, although I know some people do find their music to be a little too “busy.”
@@peterrevens8454 You either love his voice of you hate it.. but either way nobody can deny the guy can hit notes that no human being should be able to! I saw hm in the late 80's and 90's and I saw him a few weeks ago in Vegas.. He's singing BETTER in his 60's than he did 30+ years ago!
@@LiveFromThePorcelainPalace He's fucking killing it at at 66 ❤ Are you a dane too ... I mean, like me and the King? Your names points in that direction.
Andy Laroche, the lead guitarist, for KING DIAMOND, in 1988, was the greatest heavy metal guitarist, according to ROLLING STONE Magazine and also the rock n roll hall of fame.
His albums tell a story much like a Steven King novel series. It's some old school metal and supposed to be very creepy like a movie!! His theatrics at a live show are fun! Also his voice changes for different characters and a lot of change ups in the music like you said. "Sleepless Nights" live at Fillmore 2015, is another good intro to King Diamond.
This song from the album "Conspiracy" is a sequel tp the album "Them" I suggest to read the lyrics to both albums , only then will you understand the WHOLE story, it plays out like a movie, brilliant song writing
To see you're struggeling to find the right words to descripe this music is exactly what I feld like hearing this Song for the First time. I really enjoyed it. It is very special
Been listening to King Diamond since the early 80's and when he was with his band, Mercyful Fate. What I like best is that King Diamond is that he mixed his classical training with heavy metal.
I have watched a few of your reactions and I must say I am surprised you are reacting to King Diamond. King Diamond is on the side of heavy metal greatness. Constant shifts, amazing vocals, a lot of technical parts, theatrics and intricate lyrics that follow a story. His records are conceptual, they tell a whole story song by song. Might be a little too heavy for your ears, but keep going, you will eventually get it!
You nailed it: King Diamond is about halloween. It's halloween fun through technical metal instrumentation and theatrical and fun halloween "evil spirit" vocals. It's just about metal sound and fun. And your insight about the guitar is 100% correct.
I used to listen King Diamond (and a lot of other creative metal bands) before i got hooked up with classical music. In a way it was a stepping stone for me. King Diamond is so complex in its structure, rhythm, melodies and dynamics, that it could almost be considered classical music, although played with "metal instruments" mostly. Imagine it played by a classical orchestra. I think it could not hurt anyone studying classical music to listen to King Diamond.
The one beauty of King's music is its orchestration. It's presentation is another matter; leaves you wanting more. ~ for me, a balance of aggressive peacefulness in genre. I've loved his music since his early days... I'm turning 56 this year and I long for those times. 😎👍
King Diamond, aside from having an amazing voice, and a great band backing him up, is an amazing storyteller. He has like 12 studio albums, and 10 are full concept albums that tell a horror story (the other 2 albums, half the songs told single story). This song is actually the first song in what is Part 2 of a horror story he tells across 2 albums (Them and Conspiracy). There is a whole backstory as to why he's at his little sister's grave (it has to do with his insane grandmother and tea.. and the ghosts who live in the family home). If you enjoyed this, you should listen to the full story. Tho he does have better ones if you ask me.. Abigail & The Graveyard are my personal favorites.
I’m so happy to see all the people in the comments speaking the gospel of King Diamond! We’ve all been trying to explain how incredible the band is all this time. 🤘🏻
Love a bit of King Diamond. I would recommend Devin Townsend. Huge vocal range & a great performer, absolute master of his craft. Most people start with Kingdom EMGTV, Deadhead from Royal Albert Hall or Why? From his quarantine show.
Just found your channel and like your unique perspective on rock music. I don't know if anyone has requested Opeth yet but I am sure would enjoy the composition of the song Ghost of Perdition. I look forward to your analysis.
Love king diamond just started really getting into his older stuff and merciful fate just amazing phenomenal guitar playing and vocals definitely unique and love the creepy aesthetic
As I'm sure it's mentioned by others, he plays many different characters in this double set of concept albums. Conspiracy being the 2nd part. He will portray himself, his sister, the spirits "Amon" that he has made a deal with. His grandmother, his mother's groom, a doctor, a priest. Therefore all the shifting between vocal styles as he tells the story. I've listened to this album at least 100 times. So glad you could enjoy it!
You are the first who actually almost nailed it - without the context that is normally needed to understand this song. This is the opening song of part two of a complete story, which goes across two concept albums.
A very interesting experience for all of us (including you and Vlad) would be to attend a live concert from one of these bands. You could still record the reaction, I think it would be priceless. I for one wouldn't expect you to remain for the whole concert but depending on the band you would be in for a real treat.
You know who you remind me of when you speak/talk? The actress Betsy Blair, in the film Marty (1955). Seemingly a bit like her too. If you liked King Diamond, react to A Forest of Stars "Gatherer of the Pure" and Cradle of Filth "Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids."
This is the song (and album) that introduced me to King Diamond back in the (very) early 90s, and I've been a Diamond Banger since! By the way, the guitar melody following the voice is called "call and response," and reaches back through the Blues (making up a significant portion of metal's DNA) to earlier Gospel music, the predecessor of the Blues.
So glad this popped up in my recommended videos today. I have A LOT of respect for you for listening to this to react. I've been a metal fan since I was a teenager (56 now) and even back in the day when I had my metal buddies and was in band, I knew very FEW of them who would listen to King Diamond. I was always a fan since Mercyful Fate's Melissa album but I got a lot of crap from my buddies when I'd play King. I could never understand it as there was always so many layers to discover, so much going on in each song but his voice turned so many people off. I'm still a huge fan of King Diamond. If you really want to be thrown for a loop, try listening to something off his VooDoo album 😂 King has NEVER disappointed us. And if you want to hear something incredibly beautiful from him, the instrumental Insanity is AMAZING.
When you get to see some live Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple or Pink Floyd where the camera is focused on the guitar, you will see the correlation between the vocals and guitar. The lead guitar in bands often has a similar range to a violin, so overlaps with human voice very well. Due to the longer neck of a guitar you can bend the strings more than on a violin, plus many guitars have a spring-loaded bar they can use to loosen the strings (this is how that motorbike sound was made). A skilled guitarist can play in multiple tunings with the same setup by bending the strings, the neck and using the "wammy/tremolo" bar.
You are right. The guitar and the voice share some properties. Sliding notes, vibratos and bends etc. It's a very versitile instrument even though it only has 6 strings, normally :)
Not their biggest fan but they're truly amazing and original. Seen King Diamond live and Mercyful Fate actually this summer. The performances were breathtakingly awesome. King Diamond the singer has preserved his chops like few! Stage presence, show and musical performance was flawless as well!
Thank you once again for another great video. It's quite fascinating seeing someone of your background reacting to and analysing this music most of us watching are very familiar with. Respect to you for your honest reactions and in depth analysis. I must say that when you mentioned this song gave you Halloween vibes I immediately thought it would be fantastic for you to listen to the band Helloween perform their song Halloween... perhaps a good one for Halloween. 😉
You got it, the electric guitar is a voice. In my opinion in rock and metal the guitar voice is the most important voice. I am surprised though after listening to one of your live streams where you state you listen to blues that this was a revelation to you though. I have a feeling the blues you listen to isn't the same type as what I listen to. I would suggest you watch Stevie Ray Vaughan especially something from Live at the El Macambo to see a guitarist sing through his guitar and the feeling that flows from a truly great guitarist and blue's player. I luckily had the chance to watch him in the bars before he ever had a record and is still one of the memories that completely stands out after all these years. Really like what your doing and you have a long way to go to understanding metal and look forward to seeing your journey. One more thing, you will really understand metal when you understand the feeling a metal head gets to just hearing a power cord played on electric guitar turned up to 11 with massive sustain and reverb.
Hi everyone! Please drop under this comment your questions ONLY! I will do my best to answer them all!
We’re you exposed to popular cinema growing up? I ask because that would have been another source of popular music/ rock etc.
Which is your fav rock instrument? And the one you really don't like?
Was conjuring the word?
Can you please do the song "Orion" by Metallica next? It's an instrumental song (no lyrics), that's very melodic and beautifully done! I've seen people get emotionally overwhelmed by it, including myself.
It's considered Cliff Burton's master piece - who was the bassist that had classical training. It's off of the album "Master Of Puppets", which was the first metal album entered into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. Thank you!
oh, i love what you said,, ' it is all over the place." about 17 minutes and 30 seconds in,
I ask, does it maintain the same atmosphere ? Is it grave yardesque? a component of 'rock' can be similar to blues and jazz. classical music does change. Beethoven 9 symphony is varied. technically. i am not a fan off this music but i understand it.
King Diamond - one of the best ARTIST I had ever discovered! All albums contains amazing masterpieces!
"There's nothing like King Diamond" 🙌
🤘
Partially True...
@@ELPCOTILLION-SD1970 Well…. there is Mercyful Fate lol
@@tytlersbicycle That's Precisely What I Was Playing At...U Simply Elaborated...He Missed The Elephant In The Room...
@@ELPCOTILLION-SD1970 I figured as much. I recently bought a ticket to see them in November. First time in nearly 30 years. I’m super stoked!
"There's nothing like King Diamond." Too true!
Andy LaRocque is one of the greatest guitarists of our time.
Absolutely!!!
Don't forget Pete Blakk. He's just as good.
Agreed. Although I loved and been a huge fan of King's original line-up, because the combo of Michael Denner & Andy sharing guitar duties, at the time, I thought the band couldn't get any better because Mikkey Dee on drums, Timi Hansen on bass Michael & Andy on guitars 1 & 2 and King on vocals, but I was wrong, they did get better. On Them & Conspiracy when they added Hal Patino & Pete Blakk? Oh man it was on a whole new level. The combination of Andy & Pete? Game over. IMO the best 3 tracks w/Andy & Pete on guitars are, again this is just IMO, are
1) The invisible Guests
2) Victimized
3) A Visit From The Dead
@@Blakk_Wolf7 "Them" is probably my favorite album. It's great! A bit "thin" sound, but eveything else makes up for it.
@@notofthisgod32 Absolutely. All top notch musicians.
One singer, a thousand voices. Well, it´s King Diamond. Been listening to him almost 40 years. You just never get tired of these masterpieces. Interesting to watch someone to hear this for the first time ! The thing when analyzing King´s lyrics is, that it is very difficult, when you listen to only one song, as his albums are usually concept-albums and you´d have to listen it from beginning to end, to understand it. But, still, good and interesting effort.
I remember the first time I heard King and was baffled and didn’t know what to think haha
@@jonathandufern7421 For many King is a bit on/off, I was on right away. He is one of a kind, though.
Since 1987 and Abigail. Oi niitä aikoja.
Very well said.
@@ACorpseWithoutSoul my intro was Melissa with Merciful Fate. I was shocked and showed my Brother. He was baffled too. Hahahaha
Yes, it's all King Diamond. The man has a 5 octave vocal range.
What's amazing is the year this was created. So So far ahead of it's time. King Diamond is an absolute genius.
At The Graves... the opening track to the 1989 album Conspiracy, which is the follow-up and continuation of the story told on 1988's Them.
[ SPOILER ALERT : Plot reveals below ]
Them was a story where King casts himself in the lead role as a 9-yr-old child, who lives with his mother and little sister Missy in an old mansion called "Amon".
The house was previously occupied by King's grandmother, who was locked up in an asylum for the murder of her husband, and was institutionalized for her babbling about "Them", and how "They" are responsible for the deed.
In the opening track of Them, aptly entitled _Out From The Asylum,_ Grandmother is released and returns home to King, Missy, and Mother at the house of Amon... King, Missy, and Mother bid her a warm _Welcome Home..._ and "They" are waiting ,too... up in the attic.
As the album unfolds, Grandma resumes her contact with "Them", which King happens upon late one night, witnessing her _Invisible Guests_ levitating cups of tea into thin air and "emptying on the floor". At first the old woman tries to discourage the boy's curiosity, but then decides to let him in on the secrets of Amon and "Them".
As King is entranced by the strange rituals involving a sinister brew of _Tea,_ and the haunting songs of "Them", _Mother Is Getting Weaker,_ looking paler day by day... Little Missy, noticing Mother's plight, and getting no aid from the euphoric King, she tries to make a stand and defend Mother from the activities, including smashing the enchanted tea pot, which enrages Grandma and "Them".
Grandma instructs "Them" to "get rid of her ; she is too young anyway". The last sight of Missy King sees is Missy being dragged by invisible hands down to the kitchen... _Bye Bye Missy..._
King somehow snaps out of the trance and in the haze of _A Broken Spell,_ staggers outside. He peers into the cellar window and sees an axe flying up the stairs - it's "Them", about to deal with Missy... looking up, he sees black smoke billowing from the chimney, and somehow knows... it's Missy. Overwhelmed by everything, he passes out.
When he awakens, he knows he must return and face grandma. Now free of the spell, he fully realizes what is happening, and resolves to take action. Going up to Grandma's room, pretending to still be under the spell, he convinces Grandma he is perfectly fine, and suggests they go for a moonlit stroll, outside... where "They" cannot protect her... King wheels her outside in her chair...
King knows this is his only chance, and after parking _The Accusation Chair,_ grabs her cane out of her hand and tells her she will pay for her deeds and her sick mind has come to an end now...
Afterward, he flees into the woods, trying to get as far away as possible, but he then begins to hear _"Them"_ singing, and feels their mesmerizing influence coming over him again...
The next morning, King awakens with the _Twilight Symphony_ still in his head. He returns to the house, where police and ambulance and the local asylum's own Dr Landau are present, processing the scene of Grandma who lies dead with a broken neck near her overturned wheelchair. King is interrogated, and he tells them everything. Absolutely EVERYTHING.
Landau deems him insane and has him committed to the same asylum Grandma was in.
9 years later, after much therapy, and convincing Landau there never ever was a "Them", King is released.
He soon after receives a phone call... it's Grandma. She tells him in her strained raspy voice, to return to the old house, Amon... saying that "quite a few people" - namely Grandpa and Missy, as well as "Them" - would "love" to see him.
King is _Coming Home..._
Enter Conspiracy... where he visits Missy, and "Them"... _At The Graves..._
very adept written, i cant find anything that youve missed, you even helped me get the parts i where missing thanks to being too caught up in melodies at times.
Very good job at explaining it.
Wonderful, thank you.
Awesome! Thanks for breaking it down!
Did you get all that from the comic, because I've listened to that album at least two dozen times--- it's my favorite album from King Diamond ---but I never got all that from it; but, then again, I was mostly paying attention to the music while I worked my graveyard shift.
I love the unbiased innocent approach here. The curiosity and appreciation! It's like wathcing someone going on an adventure into a foreign country with all those different spices, smells and sounds. Love it!
Huge love and respect for King Diamond!
listening to one KD song, is like reading one chapter of a book, you need the whole album to make it easier to understand
No singer like him.His voice is unbelievable.Been a fan since 1980.The King never disappoints.Truly amazing.Just got tickets for the Mercyful Fate tour.ALL HAIL THE KING.
The first King Diamond song I ever heard. Has been my favorite artist for 30 years +.
Still one of my favorites.
Thank you.
Same story here! 🤴✌
My wife is a country girl. When I met her thirty years ago she had no clue about king diamond. This was her first song she heard by him. To this day this is one of her favorite songs even though she is not into metal that much
I love these reactions by people not familiar with these artists or music styles. Sometimes they have an insight that makes me think about the songs in a way I didn't before. The vampire theme really made me go back and rethink the original story of Them.
Yes! Same here! I was thinking, "Oh, if she wants vampires, she should check out the beginning of the story!"
bought his album Abigail back when it came out just because I thought the cover art looked cool. I had no idea what I was in for. been in love with his music ever since. got to meet him on the Conspiracy tour. he and his band were some of the nicest and most talented people/musicians I've ever met. and I've met a lot being a professional musician myself
Long live King Diamond!
This channel is soooo much fun!!!! great idea for this. Never listened to king diamond but I think ill check more out. Your reactions are great and genuine. please keep it up
You’ve got the vibe correctly, lovely lady. Been a King diamond fan since I was 15 y/o now I’m 51. Love the harp!
I love this channel because not only is it so fun to watch you react to songs I know and love, it's also exposing me to bands and songs that I otherwise might not have heard of, including this one! Wonderful community you've built here!
Such a great song choice to pop virgin ears, instill speechlessness, confusion, astonishment, and colorful conversation. Indeed, there is nothing like King. Thank you for keeping it alive.
Yeah.... A true listener since 1987....
I really love your comment about the electric guitar being akin to voice in terms of expressive quality and role. Very interesting take, and I definitely agree!
Someone might have already stated it, but I want to leave a comment that listening to one song from King Diamond is like reading only chapter 23 out of a 50 chapter book. The albums are a complete story from beginning to end, so unless listened to through its entirety it might not fully make sense with the lyrics, the change in voices (he's portraying different characters), etc. King Diamond is one of those people that EVERYONE laughs when they first hear him but once you actually listen close, you're fully immersed and enjoying it! "A Broken Spell" is a great track and there's always "A Visit from The Dead" that showcase some really unique stuff. The band, especially the guitarists, are huge on the Neo-classical style playing and one of the pioneers in playing that way (Scandinavian metal bands of the era were massively influenced by Paganini, etc) Great video and content, subscribed!
Love King Diamond! Seen him live twice and the concert experience is like no other. It was just announced that he's touring with his previous band, Mercyful Fate, which hasn't been active since 1999. Can't wait! If you get a chance to see 'em live I highly recommend it.
It's very Halloween. King Diamond's entire discography is in my Halloween playlist (which I listen to all of October). Great pick here! One of the best and most innovative band in metal.
Merciful Fate has been touring for a little bit now. I've seen a few clips. He and they still have it. I saw MF in a small venue in Columbus, OH. Best show ever.
With the original drummer?
@@vonSchnellenstein if that was for me, sadly no. I honestly can't remember who the drummer was, but I know it wasn't the original. I saw them in like 1999 or so when they got back together.
It's Micky Dee. Not the original, but he's fucking amazing!
@@vonSchnellenstein Kim Thyge Jensen doesnt play drums anymore as far as I know. 😉 Who do you consider to be the original drummer?
King Diamond albums are a musical decent into madness. They are great.
Some of those really high-pitched squeals on the guitar are called "pinch harmonics". They are created by the flesh touching the string before the pick, thereby effectively shortening the length of the guitar string, and raising the pitch considerably (normally an octave). You can do this in many places between the nut and bridge, and get different harmonics. It's fun to do--especially on a note that's already high in pitch (like E4). Have fun in the awesome and wild world of Rock and Metal! :)
Tommy Victor (Prong/Danzig) specializes in doing that.
Andy Larocque has also said At The Graves was his favorite solo to play 👍🎸
Slipknot guitarist Mick Thompson is well known for that as well
Best false harmonics in the business? Zakk Wylde. Like a power station exploding.
I love King Diamond. All his albums are concept albums telling a horror story. This song comes from a sequel album Conspiracy to the album Them. I suggest Listening to the album Abigail which is earlier in there discography. There is no one like the KING!
And in a lot of ways, you can almost describe it as a concept career: the lyrics make a lot more sense in the larger context of the concept album it came from, and the albums that preceded and followed, in a larger story about the King Diamond character, haunted by his dead sister, tormented by an insane grandmother who happens to be a witch, manipulated by an otherworldly conspiracy of "Them" (malevolent spirits that make a bargain with King to bring his sister back), and so on over the course of a handful of concept albums. I don't think anyone else could have ever really pulled that sort of thing off, but the musicianship is mesmerizing, and King Diamond the performer is one hell of a frontman and an entertaining storyteller, and the band really knows how to sell their distinctive brand of gothic heavy metal!
Interesting that she says "Vampire feeling" from this song...then I thought about it... grandma drinking blood with the family in the form of "tea" Does seem Vampire like...this being the 2nd part of "Them"
All of his albums aren't concept albums. Fatal Portrait and Spider's Lullaby aren't concept album. They both contain a small few song story in the albums, but they are not concept albums.
Fascinating to watch someone with classical training interpret and analyze King Diamond. So refreshing to see you submerge yourself into it and not just call it noise. I listen to everything, so I get frustrated when people instantly dismiss a genre with which they are neither familiar nor fond. You actually gave me a deeper appreciation for a song that has resided in my eclectic playlist for some time.
That's so cool you're doing King Diamond. 😊
I love how you compare his voice to the lead guitar playing. Ive never heard that before and I agree 100%
Great reaction. There was a lot going on in that song. Great guitar solo. Vocals were crazy good, the whole band great running through those changes. I enjoyed this song a lot more than I thought I would. Thanks Amy and Vlad.
It seems to me that you need more King Diamond... what a wonderful video. :-)
There's nothing like King Diamond 👍👍🤩🎶🎶🎶
Nice reaction 🎉 your guy is cool as f. He knows there is only one King Diamond. All hail to the king
Thanks to your announcement about next reaction I also did a first listen to Conspiracy album and been listening it a lot in last few days. I knew Mercyful Fate Melisa album and sleeping nights but not at the graves. Nice discovery for me. I'm glad it was suggested.
For context, you have to understand that KD a story teller and that he is always either narrating or singing a character's dialogue.
In the specific case of this album, it is for the most part, narrated from the first person pespective of the protagonist.
I praise your willingness to broaden your musical horizons. I've been a fan of King Diamond since 1987 and saw him live in 1988.
I'd recommend reacting to his live performance of Sleepless Nights.
Metal is the pulse of all the gods you claim to worship, said my grandma.
Your open mind is something to behold, Amy. And something some of the commenters here lack completely
Oh I'm relieved that there are two videos! I scrolled through and I was thinking, "Oh no! There's no musical analysis." But it's on the second video. This album has some great songs. I'm glad to see you have a positive reaction to King. I feel they're good musicians. Great lyrics. Great vocals. Both his groups, Mercyful Fate and King Diamond, have continued to gain in popularity through the years. I think this speaks well to the quality of the music.
It’s a peaceful morning here with a gorgeous sunrise. I’m watching the video and my partner walks in and says, “Stop listening to that cr&p!” 😂 This was my first listen too- I guess it’s not for everyone, but I can say I gave it a much deeper listen with you than I would have otherwise. All music is a gift in some way!
King Diamond has many voices. Strong vocals.
That's the beauty of metal.It is all about storytelling,atmosphere,complex musical structures and King Diamond is ...The King.
Welcome To The Absolutely Splendid Yet Wicked World Of Metal...
King Diamond writes incredible horror stories with all his concept albums.
And acts out all the parts of his Awesome storytelling with his Amazing vocal range.
And his band,they provide the Brilliant music for each of his songs in the story.
King Diamond,always,unique,melodic,incredible musically and vocally.
Great video! This was my very FIRST King Diamond song! Upon first hearing it, Black Sabbath and Mr Bungle came to mind. lol It will be interesting hearing the analysis to see where the classical music pieces come into play. Thanks for posting!!!!!
The album Conspiracy is part 2 or a continuation of previous album…”Them” which introduces the story concept of both albums.
Been listing for King since '89. He has one hell of a voice. Oh Missy, I miss you so.........
Very nice!!
He's always My King...don't let the "darkness," fool you...this is one of the most talented human beings to have ever graced the art.
I love your open mind.
7:58 Awesome! Thanks for doing this! it took courage, and an open mind... You had both!
You are very lucky guy Vlad!!! Amy just a cuteness overload!!! Keep up the great videos!!! 🤘
King Diamond sings like this live ..... Amazing vocals........
THE best live concert I've ever attended.
(& I've seen a lot.)
KD is a truly unique voice
within the Metal Realm. 🤘☠🤘
This poor lady.... lol.. she's so sweet and they made her listen to King diamond😄😄.. I used to have this on cassette as a teenager.
“There’s nothing like King Diamond.” He’s definitely not wrong. I remember upon my first listen to King Diamond and Mercyful Fate. I was a bit confused and unable to process what I was listening to at the time. And I had already been listening to metal music quite extensively, but King Diamond was so different compared to all the stuff I had heard prior. It took a bit of time for my ears to become accustomed to their style of music and his vocals. I am quite happy that I kept listening to them because they are marvelous, although I know some people do find their music to be a little too “busy.”
Kings voice is an aquired taste. Took me a while to get used to (Don't Break The Oath), but the music was SO good.
Then came Abigail ... oh man 😃
@@peterrevens8454 You either love his voice of you hate it.. but either way nobody can deny the guy can hit notes that no human being should be able to!
I saw hm in the late 80's and 90's and I saw him a few weeks ago in Vegas.. He's singing BETTER in his 60's than he did 30+ years ago!
@@LiveFromThePorcelainPalace He's fucking killing it at at 66 ❤
Are you a dane too ... I mean, like me and the King? Your names points in that direction.
Andy Laroche, the lead guitarist, for KING DIAMOND, in 1988, was the greatest heavy metal guitarist, according to ROLLING STONE Magazine and also the rock n roll hall of fame.
2022 and still listening to the great King Diamond.
His albums tell a story much like a Steven King novel series. It's some old school metal and supposed to be very creepy like a movie!! His theatrics at a live show are fun! Also his voice changes for different characters and a lot of change ups in the music like you said. "Sleepless Nights" live at Fillmore 2015, is another good intro to King Diamond.
This song from the album "Conspiracy" is a sequel tp the album "Them" I suggest to read the lyrics to both albums , only then will you understand the WHOLE story, it plays out like a movie, brilliant song writing
King Diamond es un grande de entre los grandes, muy buena elección para comentar ,, saludos desde Zarautz en España..
The story start on the album Them and follow up on the Conspiracy disc.You need to listen to both to get the full story.
Yes! My favorite notification just hit!
I love how king has some baroque elements in his songs he is the king soo glad to have seen him Nov 2022 !!!🤟🤟🤟🤟
King Diamond is amazing
To see you're struggeling to find the right words to descripe this music is exactly what I feld like hearing this Song for the First time. I really enjoyed it. It is very special
That intro gaves me chill every time I listen to. Freakin' good album!
Been listening to King Diamond since the early 80's and when he was with his band, Mercyful Fate. What I like best is that King Diamond is that he mixed his classical training with heavy metal.
I have watched a few of your reactions and I must say I am surprised you are reacting to King Diamond. King Diamond is on the side of heavy metal greatness. Constant shifts, amazing vocals, a lot of technical parts, theatrics and intricate lyrics that follow a story. His records are conceptual, they tell a whole story song by song. Might be a little too heavy for your ears, but keep going, you will eventually get it!
I don't know what you mean, she got into it quite good, unlike all the haters predicted.
You nailed it: King Diamond is about halloween. It's halloween fun through technical metal instrumentation and theatrical and fun halloween "evil spirit" vocals. It's just about metal sound and fun.
And your insight about the guitar is 100% correct.
I used to listen King Diamond (and a lot of other creative metal bands) before i got hooked up with classical music. In a way it was a stepping stone for me. King Diamond is so complex in its structure, rhythm, melodies and dynamics, that it could almost be considered classical music, although played with "metal instruments" mostly. Imagine it played by a classical orchestra. I think it could not hurt anyone studying classical music to listen to King Diamond.
The one beauty of King's music is its orchestration. It's presentation is another matter; leaves you wanting more.
~ for me, a balance of aggressive peacefulness in genre. I've loved his music since his early days... I'm turning 56 this year and I long for those times. 😎👍
King Diamond is beast metal band on world.
King Diamond, aside from having an amazing voice, and a great band backing him up, is an amazing storyteller. He has like 12 studio albums, and 10 are full concept albums that tell a horror story (the other 2 albums, half the songs told single story). This song is actually the first song in what is Part 2 of a horror story he tells across 2 albums (Them and Conspiracy). There is a whole backstory as to why he's at his little sister's grave (it has to do with his insane grandmother and tea.. and the ghosts who live in the family home).
If you enjoyed this, you should listen to the full story. Tho he does have better ones if you ask me.. Abigail & The Graveyard are my personal favorites.
Эбигейл, конспирация и они))) ну ещё фатальный портрет.. 86, 87, 88 и 89.
I’m so happy to see all the people in the comments speaking the gospel of King Diamond! We’ve all been trying to explain how incredible the band is all this time. 🤘🏻
... and YOU ARE RIGHT VLAD!!!!...... greetings from Argentina.
Love a bit of King Diamond. I would recommend Devin Townsend. Huge vocal range & a great performer, absolute master of his craft. Most people start with Kingdom EMGTV, Deadhead from Royal Albert Hall or Why? From his quarantine show.
YES YES YES. Absolutely need to experience Devy.
Just found your channel and like your unique perspective on rock music. I don't know if anyone has requested Opeth yet but I am sure would enjoy the composition of the song Ghost of Perdition. I look forward to your analysis.
Love king diamond just started really getting into his older stuff and merciful fate just amazing phenomenal guitar playing and vocals definitely unique and love the creepy aesthetic
As I'm sure it's mentioned by others, he plays many different characters in this double set of concept albums. Conspiracy being the 2nd part.
He will portray himself, his sister, the spirits "Amon" that he has made a deal with. His grandmother, his mother's groom, a doctor, a priest.
Therefore all the shifting between vocal styles as he tells the story. I've listened to this album at least 100 times. So glad you could enjoy it!
This is part of a story. Got to here all of it !! All King Diamond is good !!
You are the first who actually almost nailed it - without the context that is normally needed to understand this song. This is the opening song of part two of a complete story, which goes across two concept albums.
A very interesting experience for all of us (including you and Vlad) would be to attend a live concert from one of these bands. You could still record the reaction, I think it would be priceless. I for one wouldn't expect you to remain for the whole concert but depending on the band you would be in for a real treat.
You know who you remind me of when you speak/talk? The actress Betsy Blair, in the film Marty (1955). Seemingly a bit like her too.
If you liked King Diamond, react to A Forest of Stars "Gatherer of the Pure" and Cradle of Filth "Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids."
One of my favorites he is absolutely amazing live.
This is the song (and album) that introduced me to King Diamond back in the (very) early 90s, and I've been a Diamond Banger since! By the way, the guitar melody following the voice is called "call and response," and reaches back through the Blues (making up a significant portion of metal's DNA) to earlier Gospel music, the predecessor of the Blues.
So glad this popped up in my recommended videos today. I have A LOT of respect for you for listening to this to react. I've been a metal fan since I was a teenager (56 now) and even back in the day when I had my metal buddies and was in band, I knew very FEW of them who would listen to King Diamond. I was always a fan since Mercyful Fate's Melissa album but I got a lot of crap from my buddies when I'd play King. I could never understand it as there was always so many layers to discover, so much going on in each song but his voice turned so many people off. I'm still a huge fan of King Diamond. If you really want to be thrown for a loop, try listening to something off his VooDoo album 😂 King has NEVER disappointed us. And if you want to hear something incredibly beautiful from him, the instrumental Insanity is AMAZING.
More context:
The story on this album Conspiracy, is the sequel to the previous album, Them.
Conspiracy takes place 18 years after Them.
24:00 it does make sense since KD is singer and guitarist.
When you get to see some live Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple or Pink Floyd where the camera is focused on the guitar, you will see the correlation between the vocals and guitar.
The lead guitar in bands often has a similar range to a violin, so overlaps with human voice very well.
Due to the longer neck of a guitar you can bend the strings more than on a violin, plus many guitars have a spring-loaded bar they can use to loosen the strings (this is how that motorbike sound was made).
A skilled guitarist can play in multiple tunings with the same setup by bending the strings, the neck and using the "wammy/tremolo" bar.
Or some Stevie Ray Vaughn!
This song was my first King Diamond song I've ever heard and I immediately love it
ive told her " there is nothing like King diamond " hahaha looove it
You are right. The guitar and the voice share some properties. Sliding notes, vibratos and bends etc. It's a very versitile instrument even though it only has 6 strings, normally :)
Not their biggest fan but they're truly amazing and original. Seen King Diamond live and Mercyful Fate actually this summer. The performances were breathtakingly awesome. King Diamond the singer has preserved his chops like few! Stage presence, show and musical performance was flawless as well!
I saw MF at this summer and it was maybe best gig what i've ever seen.
Thank you once again for another great video. It's quite fascinating seeing someone of your background reacting to and analysing this music most of us watching are very familiar with. Respect to you for your honest reactions and in depth analysis.
I must say that when you mentioned this song gave you Halloween vibes I immediately thought it would be fantastic for you to listen to the band Helloween perform their song Halloween... perhaps a good one for Halloween. 😉
"THEM" by King Diamond is one of the greatest compositions of all time. The world class band, the story, the voice....It should be a movie.
A 1st listen of Iced Earth Thank You !
Interesting your analysis, I enjoyed 😊
You got it, the electric guitar is a voice. In my opinion in rock and metal the guitar voice is the most important voice. I am surprised though after listening to one of your live streams where you state you listen to blues that this was a revelation to you though. I have a feeling the blues you listen to isn't the same type as what I listen to. I would suggest you watch Stevie Ray Vaughan especially something from Live at the El Macambo to see a guitarist sing through his guitar and the feeling that flows from a truly great guitarist and blue's player. I luckily had the chance to watch him in the bars before he ever had a record and is still one of the memories that completely stands out after all these years. Really like what your doing and you have a long way to go to understanding metal and look forward to seeing your journey. One more thing, you will really understand metal when you understand the feeling a metal head gets to just hearing a power cord played on electric guitar turned up to 11 with massive sustain and reverb.
One King to rule them all!Hail to the King(Diamond)