The Puppet Master (album)

Infobox Album | Name = The Puppet Master
Type = studio
Artist = King Diamond


Released = 2003
Recorded =
Genre = Heavy metal
Black metal
Length = 55:50
Label = Massacre Records
Producer = King Diamond
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:4fq3g4gztv3z link]
Last album = ""
(1998)
This album = "The Puppet Master"
(2003)
Next album = ""
(2004)

"The Puppet Master" is an album by King Diamond released in 2003. A limited edition includes a DVD on which King Diamond is telling the story of The Puppet Master. It is a concept album with a storyline telling the tale of a young couple who go to watch a puppet show in Budapest and end up being turned into undead puppets by the Puppet Master and his wife.

Plot

King Diamond meets Victoria after a Christmas show put on by the Puppet Master in Budapest. One year after they meet, his girlfriend goes missing and he sets out to find her. While searching, he comes across the Puppet Master's wife killing a homeless man. He follows her into a building where he is struck from behind and loses consciousness.

When King regains consciousness, he finds himself strapped to a hospital bed and The Puppet Master and his wife standing in front of him with a scalpel. The Puppet Master leans over him and says: "First your eyes... then your skin... we will make you feel born again." and starts to cut out his eyes. One eyelid drops down into a jar. The Puppet Master uses an instrument to pull the eyeball out of its socket, and cuts off the nerve-string which is the only thing holding the eye in place. The Puppet Master then puts the eyeball into a puppets eye socket. His body is being made into a puppet that comes to life when blood is injected into it. An accident during the ritual when The Puppet Master is dealing with the Devil about King's soul, leaves King Diamond's soul trapped within his permanently aware eyes. It is after this that he sees his girlfriend's body, now a puppet, on another shelf in the Puppet Master's shop.

King Diamond and his girlfriend are infused with a syringe-full of their blood nightly, so they can practice their routines and learn how to perform for their Master. Each night, after being put away, King and his girlfriend "talk with their eyes" from across the room as the essence of their blood fades away. King Diamond is forced to witness her fading away every night, because his immortal eyes keep him from slipping away like she does. Eventually, the girl is to be sent away to Munich and King vows to find her again.

Christmas time comes around for the third time in the tale, and King is to perform as The Little Drummer Boy. At his performance, he intentionally falls and breaks his drum to embarrass the Puppet Master. For his actions, he is sold to a shop and left nailed to the wall. At some point, he hears of how the Puppet Master is building a second theater in London, to be run by the Puppet Master's son and daughter and he re-affirms his vow to find his lost love or see her on the "other side".

Track listing

All lyrics by King Diamond. Music credits as indicated.
#"Midnight" – 1:55 (Diamond)
#"The Puppet Master" – 4:41 (Diamond)
#"Magic" – 4:57 (LaRocque)
#"Emerencia" – 5:19 (Diamond)
#"Blue Eyes" – 4:24 (Diamond)
#"The Ritual" – 5:02 (LaRocque)
#"No More Me" – 3:16 (Diamond - Thompson)
#"Blood to Walk" – 5:32 (Diamond)
#"Darkness" – 4:37 (LaRocque)
#"So Sad" – 4:38 (Diamond)
#"Christmas" – 5:18 (Diamond)
#"Living Dead" – 6:04 (Diamond)

*Christmas contains an excerpt from "The Little Drummer Boy" written by Davis - Onorati - Simeone. Arranged by King Diamond
*Outro music on Living Dead by Andy LaRocque

Credits

*King Diamond - Vocals, Keyboards
*Andy LaRocque - Guitars, Keyboards
*Mike Wead - Guitars
*Hal Patino - Bass
*Matt Thompson - Drums
*Livia Zita - Additional vocals