Customer Reviews

Give Me Your Soul Please

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I won't spoil the party and tell you the story here. I will just say that for metal guitar freaks like me this album is a present from... heaven? :-D Well, no mater from where it came, this CD is a true guitar fest. The solos from Mike Wead and Andy Larocque are simply amazing. There's no lacking ingredient in their playing: technique, melody, taste, speed and aggression. I specially like Mike's solos this time, because his tone is awesome and his phrasing is expressive as... hell? ;-)

About the album itself, King Diamond is to me the real metal deal: horror mini-operas told through almost-progressive metal formulas -- but still sounding pure and raw, like true metal should be. The idea is truly original and the formula does work for me all the time. "Give me your soul... please!" is no exception. Of course, King is not breaking any ground anymore and this is absolutely more of the same, but that's *THE SAME* I love to hear and that's what I like from King Diamond: consistency, quality and loyalty to himself. After all, King has already innovated, so it's OK to reuse the innovations to craft a bunch of great albums, one after another.

Now the unavoidable: compared to "The Puppet Master", I think the previous album had more melodic hooks, while "Give me your soul... please!" is more guitar-oriented. Also, I got the impression King uses more his middle range this time, but I always loved his "natural" voice, so that's fine to me. If I had to rank the new album respect to other King's efforts, this still is in my top five or six. The story is great and wicked, so our Halloween-esque desires will be more than satisfied. If you add to the story the band's total mastery of metal cliches, you get a super-boosted package of the finest metal extract ever.

So, to conclude the review, I love the cover, the white letters for the lyrics on the booklet and all the artwork in general. Heavy metal fans need releases like this one, so this scores five stars in my book without hesitation. Just go BUY IT NOW and support artists like King, as he truly deserves kudos for his craftsmanship and authenticity. In fact, buy all the albums from King Diamond. I bet you won't regret it. You'll spend many creepy nights reading the stories while listening to a great metal score, so it is worth the price, believe me -- actually, joy is priceless! -- and by the way, thank you, King!

This is the best KING DIAMOND cd in some time...THE PUPPET MASTER was close to reliving the past of THEM, ABIGAIL, etc.

This one is very melodic and heavy in the parts it should be..his falsetto is used a tad less here than in the past but the music is driving and the story is very fluid...not reading the lyrics yet I'd say this story will match up with past ones.

Definitley a solid return by a much underappreciated artist.

King Diamond has really created his own distinct style and genre, and in a playing field with no other contenders, he reamains the King indeed. King Diamond albums have been something I look forward to since I was 13 or so, when I first heard "Them". Bizarre, gothic and dark concept albums featuring the phenomenal classic metal guitar work of Andy LaRocque and others and, of course, King Diamond's incomparable caterwauling vocals and sinister storytelling, there is nothing else quite like it.

"Give Me Your Soul Please" is no exception, and an excellent addition to King's canon, his latest tale of the supernatural involves murder, suicide, a ghostly apparition of a little girl in a bloody dress, a black cat, and a floating severed head. So, business as usual. (laughs) I always love the way King assumes the voices of different characters in his stories in an almost theatrical manner, and the eerie music and amazing, intese riffs and solos laid out on this release by Mike Wead and Andy LaRocque are just sick....I had a blast with this disc, but for other King fans it is perhaps a bit weaker than some of his other releases (although it is hard to top the trifecta of "Them", "Conspiracy" and "The Eye", which remain my favorite). For folks who are new to the King, this really isn't a bad place at all to start. Be sure to listen all the way through, preferably in one sitting (the only proper way to listen to a King Diamond album). In a crowded metal scene, this stuff really comes off as being quite original....recommended!

Another splendid musical horror novel from King Diamond, the little girl in the bloody dress comes through the mirror, uncertain about her state of being... the introductory song "Dead" is laden with mood-setting organ, haunting voices explaining the basics of the disturbing plot, dealing with a little brother and sister who were murdered by their father, but are scheduled for different destinations "after death" - it is up to her to save him from Hell, after being accused by "the powers that be" of suicide. She reveals the true circumstances of their demise - to set the terms "right" so they may 'rest in peace' together, presumably in "Heaven", although 'demons' pine for both their 'souls' in this supernatural adventure / thriller concept album.

The album features the spectral voice of Livia Zita, whom you may recognize from 'The Puppet Master' as well, adding an enchanting compliment to the music as well as storyline. Besides the intricate Metal instrumentation, cellos and the harpsichord are included, adding an eerie feel to the brilliant orchestration.

Of particular note, My personal favorites herein are "Dead" {the 'gothic' horror instrumental}, "Give Me Your Soul" {really displays the talent and skill of the band}, "Shapes of Black" {great beat and harmony; one can actually relate to these occurrences, environment, and denizens}, "Cold As Ice" {the cold temperature in the dark room even in remmus}, "Girl In The Bloody Dress" {the rhythms and correlations of voices}, and "Moving On" {the hypnotically-melancholy quality and voice combinations} .

The aesthetics are predictably wonderfully ornate, of course featuring the band, and one Magic, King's black cat familiar, perceiving the ghost as familiars are said to sense. It was also gratifying to see the band dressed in black robes within, each signalling the Cornu, adding a most evocatively mystical impression. King promises a Hell of a show to accompany this chapter as well, repleat with horror psychodrama.

Overall, 'Give Me Your Soul... Please' is definitely one of King's best.

First i have to say that i do own all of the King's releases with King Diamond and Mercyful Fate, and i have to say that this new cd it's excellent, i cannot stop listening to it everyday...It's addictive. I do think it's one of his better albums, so if do you like King Diamond, this one's going to blow you away!

I have been a KD fan for over 20 years and this is his best record yet. It mixes the King's classic sound with a modern progressive sound. Production value is also his best. A must for any avid fan or first time listener.

I must say it took me about 2 songs to get into this one, but by THE CELLAR, I was hooked. LaRoque shreds on this album similar to the glory days of 87-93, but I hated the fact KD didn't give us the grand falsetto that I feel we all miss.

That being said, it's still a great listen. Second best of KD's this decade with THE PUPPET MASTER way out in front. But you'll love this one as well. Keep rocking KING!

I just bought this gem and couldn't wait to listen to it, so I faked that I was working at the office and enjoyed the nightmarish atmosphere of King's latest opus.
Musically speaking, it is genius. Here you will find the riffs and melodies that you not only expect but demand from this fabulous band.
The story is where I feel like picking up the phone and calling him to demand an explanation: "So, Kim, what's up with the whole 'suicide misunderstanding'? And the end... are you leaving it open for a follow-up? you better..."
This is King's probably most atmospheric album where not a lot of action happens in the story, but a lot of scenes are described, with the help of the music, as always. And when I say "atmospheric", I don't mean soft new-age music. It is HEAVY, don't worry about that.
Now I just found out he's coming to Winnipeg on April 16, 2008... I almost pooped my pants! I saw him on the Voodo tour on the White Rabbit hole, down in San Antonio, and now he will bless this cold city with his music! YEAH!
GO BUY THIS CD.
(I usually download a lot of music, but NOT King's, not King's)
BUY IT!!!!

for any king diamond fan out there i don't have to tell this.
buy it buy it buy it.
it's king diamond for crying out loud the story is great best stuff he ever did.

I was lucky enough to get this new CD a day early, and I haven't stopped listening to it since. The guitar work is incredible and the story is scarry as hell! I think that King Diamond has finally got a solid line up that willl work for him.