Them (King Diamond album)
"Them" is the third studio album by King Diamond released in 1988 on Roadrunner Records. Them is the first album to feature guitarist Pete Blakk and bassist Hal Patino.
| "Them" | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 18, 1988 (Europe); July 21, 1988 (Japan); September 13, 1988 (America) | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 43:14 | |||
| Label | Roadrunner | |||
| Producer | King Diamond, Kenneth Hister | |||
| King Diamond chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
It 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". This album has sold over 200,000 copies in North America alone.
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.
On another occasion, Grandma awakens King and tells him that she will teach him about Amon, their house, over a cup of tea. Grandma cuts King's sleeping mother's hand and adds her blood to the teapot. The voices of 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 under "their" power, 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 and breaks the teapot. "They", in response to the breaking of "their" teapot, chop Missy into bits with an axe and throw the remains into the fireplace in the kitchen. King is 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.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Out from the Asylum" | King Diamond | 1:44 |
| 2. | "Welcome Home" | King Diamond | 4:36 |
| 3. | "The Invisible Guests" | King Diamond | 5:04 |
| 4. | "Tea" | King Diamond | 5:15 |
| 5. | "Mother's Getting Weaker" | King Diamond, Andy LaRocque | 4:02 |
| 6. | "Bye, Bye Missy" | King Diamond | 5:08 |
| 7. | "A Broken Spell" | King Diamond, Andy LaRocque | 4:08 |
| 8. | "The Accusation Chair" | King Diamond | 4:21 |
| 9. | "'Them'" (Instrumental) | King Diamond, Andy LaRocque | 1:56 |
| 10. | "Twilight Symphony" | King Diamond | 4:10 |
| 11. | "Coming Home" | King Diamond | 1:11 |
Remaster bonus tracks
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Phone Call" | King Diamond | 1:39 |
| 13. | "The Invisible Guests (Rehearsal)" | King Diamond | 5:19 |
| 14. | "Bye, Bye Missy (Rehearsal)" | King Diamond | 4:51 |
Personnel
- King Diamond - Vocals, Keyboards
- Andy LaRocque - Guitar
- Pete Blakk - Guitar
- Hal Patino - Bass
- Mikkey Dee - Drums
Rehearsal versions of The Invisible Guests and Bye, Bye Missy featured King and Andy on guitars, Mikkey on drums and Timi Hansen on bass.
In other media
The song "Welcome Home" and lyrics from the song "Invisible Guests" were featured in the movie Clerks II. "Welcome Home" was also featured in the 2009 video game Brütal Legend.