Il cantastorie dei morti,questo disco é il primo di Diamond dopo l'uscita dai Mercyful Fate e si cotraddistingue per essere un album cantato costantemente in falsetto e senza una storia che unisce tutte le track al suo interno.
Tuttavia, una storia c'é e si articola dietro alle prime tre traccie:"The Candle", in cui si racconta quando il protagonista trova il libro di Jonah e recita l'incantesimo per liberare Molly, una bambina, ogni volta che viene accesa una candela, canzone dal forte climax iniziale, la segue "The Jonah" ,la mia canzone preferita dell'album, oscura e oppressiva, disperata e in un climax costante, con un riff di chitarra iniziale che mi da un che di Slayer, ma questo é solo un mio pensiero, perció non lamentatevi. La bambina comincia a raccontare della perfidia della madre, Miss Jane, che le vuole rubare la giovinezza dipingendosi un autoritratto con il sangue di Molly per diventare immortale, questo indebolisce la bambina, che una notte riesce a far parlare il quadro, che predice a Miss Jane la sua morte, lei furibonda brucia il quadro in una candella del destino che imprigiona Molly. La storia termina con "Haunted" ottimo riff iniziale e interpretazione di Diamond eccellente, in cui il personaggio iniziale avverte chiunque voglia entrare nella casa che Molly vive ancora li, la canzone finisce con le grida disperate di Molly che recita:"Mamma...Mamma...io ti distruggeró!". Storia molto meno complessa delle successive di Diamond.
Le canzoni che non fanno parte dell'album sono "Dressed in White", canzone che possiede una bella chitarra solista e un Diamond in piena forma, bel lavoro di LaRocque che ha un completo controllo della leva del tremolo della sua chitarra e stupenda la risata finale di Diamond. "Charon" si apre con un urlo (in falsetto) di Diamond, canzone carina, non particolarmente eccelsa e a lungo andare noiosa, ma udibile, con "Lurking in the Dark" si torna su livelli eccelsi, canzone che si apre con un riff di chitarra che mi fa tanto "Dehumanizer",Black Sabbath (anche se questo è uscito nel 1986 quindi prima) con un ritornello che ti si stampa nel cervello, eccelso LaRocque anche qui,"Halloween" carina,ma riempimento. Eccoci a "Voices From the Past" canzone noiosa e che trovo insopportabile,noiosa anche da recensire.
Un disco inferiore paragonato ai successivi, ma un punto di arrivo di un fedele discepolo di gente come Alice Cooper, grande Diamond
Elenco tracce e testi
01 The Candle (06:38)
"7 Years Have Gone, It Can No Longer Be Left Undone
The Candle Must Be Burn Again, And Pain
Must Follow the Unholy Flame
So Burn...Burn...Burn
And Free the Spirit From Its Chain"
Here I AM Blinded Again By That Flame
In Every Candle That I Burn, Burn !
I See That Same Face Return, It Returns
Eyes In Pain, My Little Queen Are You A Dream
In Every Candle That I Burn, Burn !
I See That Same Face Return, It Returns
Solo: Mike
Time Has Come For You To Tell The Truth, What Shall I Do
Tears Are Running From Her Eyes
If She Could Only Tell Me Why, Tell Me Why
The Jonah...The Jonah
In Twisted Key She Speaks A Word To Me And Then I See
Her Face Falling Apart
The Word "Jonah" Is Her Mark, She's Branded
02 The Jonah (05:15)
"After 7 Years On A Dusty Shelf
The Book Seemed Unreal
For 7 Years In An Ancient Rhyme
The Fate Of A Girl Was Sealed"
In The Attic I Was Searching By The Moonlight
What Would I Find
Old And Grey From Dust I felt It Staring Back
Oh That Book
Yellow Pages Caught My Eyes, So Unreal
Through the Dust Of Time
In An Ancient Rhyme The Truth Had Been Sealed
On A Broken Shelf It Would All Be Revealed
It Had Been There For Years
And No One Ever Knew
Now Break The Spell And Free The Girl
From The Candle Of Fate
Look At The Flame And Say The Rhyme
The End Is Near, No More Pain, Ah You're Free
Solo: Mike - Andy
As The Candle Melts Away The Spirit Of The Candle Girl
Emerges From The Flame, She Doesn't Seem The Sme
With A Smile On Her Face She Starts To Speak
"Hear My Story:"
03 The Portrait (05:06)
(music & lyrics: king diamond)
The spirit of the candle:
Theme: mike
"my mother was obsessed by evil jealousy
She didn't want nobody to even look at molly
She kept me locked up in this attic 'till i died
Only 4 years old, my story left untold"
Oh molly...oh molly
"mother was struck by this infallible idea
If she could paint my portrait i would remain immortal
And i could hang downstairs above the fireplace
A little girl in lace, not a single trace of crime"
Solo: andy
"each day and night she worked and autumn turned to spring
For every stroke she painted a little life was ended
At last i felt so weak i could not even speak
But in that fatal portrait my spirit came to lfe again"
Oh molly
Solo: mike - theme: mike
"that night i made the portrait speak in evil tongue:
You're gonna go beyond too, may pain and death bestow you
She grabbed a book and spoke aloud an ancient rhyme
While she burned the portrait in the candle of fate"
Oh molly
"i've gotta se ma"
05 Charon (04:14)
Welcome My Friend, My Name Is Charon
Please Take My Hand, I Know The Secret Land
Don't Be Afraid...Oh No
I'm Faceless But Don't Fear Now
I'll Take You Safe Across The River Styx
Waste No Time, Soon The Night Will Break Away
That Boy Can Wait, There's Only Room For One
Don't Be Afraid...Oh No
I'm Faceless But Don't Fear Now
I'll Take You Safe Across The River Styx
Solo: Andy
I Am Your Death
We Must Leave Now, My Boat Is Waiting
On The Other Shore Is The Land Of The Dead
Don't Be Afraid...Oh No
I'm Faceless But Don't Fear Now
I'll Take You Safe Across The River Styx
06 Lurking In The Dark (03:33)
When Nightfall Comes Around And The Light Of Day Is Gone
The Dark Closes In As The Last Candle Burns Out
It's Time To Send Off Your Mind On A Trip
Into The Land Of Dreams And Mist
Is Something Wrong
They Are Lurking In The Dark
Solo: Mike
Heavy Breathing But Nobody's There
If That's What You Think You'd Better Beware
Is Something Wrong
They Are Lurking In The Dark, Watching You
Solo: Andy - Solo: Mike
How Does It Feel To Be Alone In The Dark
How Do You Know They Won't Do Any Harm
They Can See You But You're Oh So Blind
Maybe It Only Appears In Your Mind
Is Something Wrong
They Are Lurking In The Dark, You'll See
07 Halloween (04:12)
Oh It's Halloween
Every Night To Me Is Halloween
Like An Ancient Scene
You Know Just What I Mean
Halloween You Are My Pride
Halloween Not Just A Dream
The Moon Is Full, Another Perfect Day Has Began
Like A Demon's Eye, That Devil's Eye
Will We Ever Die
Solo: Mike
Halloween You Are My Pride
Halloween Not Just A Dream
Solo: Andy
Every Night Will Be Another Evil Scene
Like In Horror Dreams I Want
I Command You To Scream
Halloween You Are My Pride
Halloween Not Just A Dream
Halloween...Halloween...
08 Voices From The Past (01:29)
Stay Away, Molly's Soul Keeps Returning
Every Night To The Attic Shrine
Never Alone, Living Dolls Out Of Nowhere
Crying Out: "Mommy Why"
The House Is Forver Haunted
Nothing You Can Do
Molly Is Living There With Her Dolls
And They Are ALive...Wait And See
[Solo: Mike]
Stay Away, Mrs. Jane, Molly's Mother
Slowly Went...Insane
The House Is Forver Haunted
Nothing You Can Do
Molly Is Living There With Her Dolls
And They Are Alive...Wait And See
[Solo: Andy]
"Mommy...Mommy..."
I'll Destroy You
09 Haunted (03:54)
Stay Away, Molly's Soul Keeps Returning
Every Night To The Attic Shrine
Never Alone, Living Dolls Out Of Nowhere
Crying Out: "Mommy Why"
The House Is Forver Haunted
Nothing You Can Do
Molly Is Living There With Her Dolls
And They Are ALive...Wait And See
Solo: Mike
Stay Away, Mrs. Jane, Molly's Mother
Slowly Went...Insane
The House Is Forver Haunted
Nothing You Can Do
Molly Is Living There With Her Dolls
And They Are Alive...Wait And See
Solo: Andy
"Mommy...Mommy..."
I'll Destroy You
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