Composer Reacts to King Diamond - Tea (REACTION & ANALYSIS)

[@kevinmadden3396]

Re: the drummer. This was Mikkey Dee, who went on to play with Motorhead and now is the drummer for the Scorpions. He was best in King Diamond, without a doubt.

[@jima6545]

He was in Dokken as well

[@hablibubli8648]

The whole album is a horror story. Almost all of King Diamonds albums have a horror narrative. In ''THEM" there's King (the narrator), Missy (Kings little sister), mother and grandma who has returned from an insane asylum. This song is the part where the horror part of the story really kicks in. King Diamond is one of the most unique guys in metal and super influential. His earlier band Merciful Fate was one of the first openly satanic bands, he uses corpse paint which became a big thing in black metal and as you pointed out some of the vocals are kinda flirting with a black metal sound. King Diamond is more horror and not really satanic at Merciful Fate. The production in THEM is kinda rough for sure. Production is kinda hit and miss with King imo. The album Abigail is better but still feels kinda stuffy. Conspiracy is better and then we get a few nice sounding albums but then in the late 90s we go back to sounding closer to this. To me King is really fun type of horror. As you said, kinda b movie-ish spoopy ghosts and demons and whatnot. There is some darker stuff in a few of the albums but a lot of it just fun horror movie stuff. Also usually people just point out the crazy vocals and fair enough but the instrumental work is suprisingly varied. The guitarist Andy La Roque is great with his distinct sound. Thanks for checking out one of my favourite artists growing up!

[@kevinmadden3396]

I'm a big fan of King Diamond's three year/album stretch in 1987 (Abigail), 1988 (THEM), and 1989 (Conspiracy) and to a lesser degree the two albums on either end (1986's Fatal Portrait and 1991's The Eye), but I must admit I'm flummoxed by this song choice. I know everyone has his reasons for the Special Selections, but this was a very odd choice. On the other hand, this is probably the only KZbin reaction to "Tea" in existence!

[@evilervcowart6234]

You really typically should listen to King Diamond's albums in their entirety to get the full experience, as all but a few are conceptual in nature. Understanding the lyrical content and vocal performance especially tend to suffer criticisms otherwise, as they are not observed in context. Several of King Diamond's releases contain stand alone tracks, though. I haven't started this video reaction yet, and I'm not saying that what I mentioned applies to you; I have seen reactors who were basically left scratching their heads because songs were listened to out of context and didn't make any sense to them. It's like starting a book on chapter 6 and being lost. I highly recommend the albums Abigail, "Them", and Conspiracy (which is the finale to the story began on "Them"). Even better, I suggest reacting to Songs For The Dead Live which has the 1987 masterpiece Abigail performed in its' entirety. I waited 30+ years for an official KD concert dvd release and it blew my mind. And even though King is in his early 60's, it's the absolute best I have ever heard him...he basically nails every note, holds every sustain perfectly, the band members tearin' it up musically, and a very theatrical stage show that does not disappoint. Love your channel, by the way. I just get carried away when it comes to King lol Keep rockin' and stay heavy! And long live the King (now to sit back, relax, and enjoy your reaction to Tea 😏) 🤘 Edit: At the very least, I want to recommend the song Sleepless Nights live at the Fillmore. While it's from a concept album, it can be enjoyed on it's own (I think). Also...as far as the production on the album "Them", I've always loved it (to be fair, though, I do always manually eg music I listen to) but I assume that King & Co. weren't given too great a budget due to the fact that they were never really accepted by a considerable part of the metal community because of King's vocals despite having killer musical compositions. I can't count how many times I've heard people say "the music's awesome, but I hate the vocals" 🤘

[@thegrimner]

Now that you're a bit more familiar with the genres, remember seeing Mercyful Fate being mentioned in the early Black Metal week you've done a couple weeks back? This is King going solo, but by and large same energy and hugely influential on the aesthetics of Black Metal as a whole. Bands like Venom and Bathory came in with the harshness and the raw energy, Mercyful Fate/King DIamond came in with the theatrics.

[@progperljungman8218]

100%

[@robumphrey1344]

King uses his wide vocal range to portray different characters, demons and ghosts in conversational form.

[@justinvermilyea7640]

Every king diamond album should be a movie

[@di_amon]

you should check out Bye Bye Missy from that album its pretty nuts in terms of composition. The vocals are pretty insane in that one man. Also you really need to listen to entire King Diamond albums cause their are themes and variations used throughout as well as the story of the album.

[@Metalandstuff]

You are really good. You hear all the things, that make King Diamond so special..... Respect 🤘

[@brendanmanning2725]

Thanks for checking out my request! Yeah the production is a bit rough, I'll admit. I don't know for sure if having the vocals up so high was deliberate, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was since storytelling is a pretty big focus for King. The whole album tells a tale, this song is where we see why the album is called 'Them.' Listening to the full album with the lyrics is great, if you have the time. Some other great songs by the band to check out would be 'Abigail,' 'At the Graves,' 'Living Dead,' and 'Father Picard' Cheers!

[@kdiamond]

I'm Father Picard, I'm taking oooover

[@whythatspreposterous]

@@kdiamond Things will be different heeeeeerrreeeee

[@Headbanger9000]

Hey man what you said about the lyrics is spot on. I think it throws A LOT of people off first time listening to Kings music. Not just the vocals but, as you said, the way that they are sung in terms of structure and cadence. He sings as if he is telling a story. Almost like an opera or theater singer but, HES PLAYING ALL THE PARTS!! Thats what makes it sooo cool and unique. Someone who is used to traditional rock, pop, r&b or even Metal singing formats dont get the whole King Diamond thing most of the time,probably because they dont really listen to theater music or opera.

[@Pfarrer29]

Nice to see a reaction video where the critic has knowledge and isn’t just interested in gaining as many subscribers as possible. I adore King Diamond but was appreciative of the things you said. I’m now a subscriber and will be catching up on your previous videos. That being said, if I think you’re wrong you’ll be hearing it!

[@CriticalReactions]

Thank you and I look forward to your comments when you think I'm in the wrong. I've said many times before that I'm not some musical authority, just some dude giving my personal thoughts on music. I'm always welcoming of other perspectives. I also appreciate being called out regarding wrong information. I only ever want to say the wrong thing once 😅

[@ysfawolfpack]

I am a massive Mercyful fate and King Diamond fan, and although this is one of my favorite albums by King. This is the thinnest, tinniest productions of all their records. Micky's drums sound small and the kick has zero bottom end. I agree and would love a remix kinda like what they did with in justice for all with the bass enhancement.

[@rudyrosasjl]

I agree 100%....I mean the instruments generally sound good on the album but just lacks that bottom end.

[@raen19]

This song is perfect :) Edit: so, this whole album, called "Them", is a concept album. Each song is a small part of a larger story. The following album, Conspiracy, is part 2 of the same story. Yeah, the production issues you mention are a shame, but those aside the album is amazing.

[@SequinedTears]

this is why it is sometimes difficult to judge a track rather than an entire release, especially where Diamond is concerned. He is a story teller and you cannot get the full picture by henpecking one track. This is why music reviewers write about releases in their entirety.

[@karlfromtas]

Tea has my 2 favourite KD and MF solos , simply viscous

[@Grandmastergav86]

Taken from "Them" a classic KD concept album - they're designed to be listened to in their entirety for context. "Very interesting" - come on man, this is the King - he's the best. Forget "Elvis" there's only one King.

[@epic103]

In my opinion Abigail is his best album, it's a must listen.

[@Pattagorn123]

All King Diamond albums are pretty much concept albums, so yes this is in the middle of the story.

[@muttbull]

Old, old, Pantera was basically 80’s Hair Metal, if you ask me

[@sean7735]

In 88 it was.about pleasing the fans. Not super over analizing. Pleasing the King fans. The whole album is a great story. Appreciate your opinion

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

Mercyful Fate/King Diamond are in my top 20 artists. For classic metal I just don't think it gets any better. The stumbling block for many is KD's very distinctive voice, but it grows on you with time, and he actually has quite a lot of versatility in his range and styles. For me, though, the main attraction of his bands has always been the guitar playing. Between Hank Shermann, Michael Denner, and later Andy LaRocque (who plays on this) he had three of the best riff-writers in the history of metal, and with LaRocque he had a top-flight virtuoso as well. I also think that Melissa, Don't Break the Oath (from Mercyful Fate) Abigail, and Them (from King Diamond) are stone-cold classic metal albums. As others have mentioned, most all of King Diamond's solo material are horror concept albums. This particular track is from Them, and the story of this album was continued on his next album, Conspiracy (which is also excellent). In general KD always played up the more theatrical, fun, b-movie horror vibe than anything more serious. Like Iron Maiden there's a certain knowing embrace of cheese and camp, which I appreciate. It helps if you have a high tolerance for camp, or even the ability to enjoy it. As someone who's spent some very fun nights watching very bad horror movies, I definitely can! There's no denying the rough production on these 80s MF/KD albums especially. Back when I was listening to him/them regularly I actually took to EQ'ing them myself. EQ'ing them doesn't fix all the problems, but at least makes them sound better balanced. The original versions are ear-piercingly bright and the remastered are way too loud and compressed. Most of it is just a product of them not having much money/resources back then, and a lot of 80s metal sounds similarly bad unfortunately.

[@kriegmesserdclxvi2833]

Try listening to the whole album. You will see reoccuring themes popping up all over the place.

[@BlackieNuff]

Yes, this is a full-concept album. Each song serves like chapters in a book. King casts himself as the main character, but as a 9-yr-old boy, who moves into his grandmother's house with his mother and little sister, Missy. They move in to be with the old woman who has just been released from the insane asylum (Out From The Asylum / Welcome Home), who was previously institutionalized for murdering her husband and babbling that she did not commit the crime, but rather, it was "Them". The old woman acts peculiarly and late one night, King spies on her in her attic room, cos he hears her speaking to someone and hears strange voices. Peeking through the keyhole, he observes tea cups rising in thin air, among other inexplicable happenings (The Invisible Guests). Grandma catches him spying, and shoos him away back to bed, but a few days later (the"following Friday"), she decides to bring him in on the secrets of the house "Amon" and the unknown entities referred to only as "Them", and the enchanted concoction of Tea. The story continues through the following tracks : - Mother's Getting Weaker (but no, she does not die, lol - SPOYLUR ALURT, lol) - Bye Bye Missy - A Broken Spell - The Accusation Chair - "Them" - Twilight Symphony / Coming Home A "bonus track" (another soundscape/dialogue track, like the opening and closing tracks) entitled Phone Call is often included with this album, but the events played out here technically occur in the middle of Twilight Symphony, so It's kind of out of place, no matter where it is placed on this album. That's why I use it as a "recap" opening track for the follow-up album, Conspiracy. It works exceptionally well that way, imho. One final note : Typically, King's change in vocal style is indicative of different characters speaking, but not strictly. His vocals are everywhere even in stand-alone, non-conceptual songs. One final final note : All of King's (solo) albums are full-concept, where each song is a "chapter" in one big story, EXCEPT the albums Fatal Portrait (1985) and The Spider's Lullabye (1995), where only the first 3 songs (The Candle, the Jonah, The Portrait) and the last song (Haunted) on FP, and the last 4 tracks of TSL (The Spider's Lullabye, The Eastmann Cure, Room 17, To The Morgue), make up a "mini" concept suite telling a story - all other songs on the albums are stand-alone tracks.

[@patriotprospectingoutdoors3765]

Sleepless nights live, is a must listen 👂 , King is for real.

[@_Lux_Ex_Tenebris]

If you want another Kind Diamond song check out The Black Horsemen from the Abigail album

[@deanjones2164]

Theater is a major influence in the Danish music culture

[@onsesejoo2605]

I think I feel a Ghost hovering around the tea service.

[@justinvermilyea7640]

I'm old too man that's why we're listening to king diamond

[@justinvermilyea7640]

Thank you for responding Brian love ya man listen to the entire them album I think you will be pleasantly surprised 🤘

[@TheDretch]

A+ masterpiece album from beginning to end. Hail the King! \m/

[@estevaobotelho2231]

Its a master piece

[@steveee1972]

One of best metal album ever!

[@Teenieweeniemussolini]

24:37 the cut and that face had me expecting “wtf did I just read? Never mind, we aren’t going into the lyrics”

[@CriticalReactions]

😅 I certainly wasn't ready for those lyrics

[@justinvermilyea7640]

The production on this album is so different from the rest of king diamonds albums I enjoy it but I see your point may I recommend conspiracy for better production value Brian 🤘

[@mortifeus]

I’m 50. This album rules still! Merciful Fate rules too!!

[@liliIiliIilil]

This band also had a decent amount of influence on 2nd wave black metal. Ihsahn has borrowed a lot of King's signatures over the years.

[@sean7735]

,This amazing album has been re-produced

[@michaelbean105]

The whole album "Them" is one ghost story, the "Conspiracy" album is the sequel.

[@mortifeus]

Merciful Fate Satans Fall!!!

[@ThePatcriss]

I really love this album despite the production low quality (tho it's not that bad for a 80's black metal-ish band). As you have seen lyrics of king diamond songs dont make much sense when taken out of the context of the album. This one is especially weird out of context and doesn't stand very well alone because this is the moment in the story where the tension finally builts up around the middle of the song when the kid discovers his grandma is making his mother sick and uses her blood to summon and deal with entities. He said "he had fun and doesn't care about his mother" at the end after "They" put a spell on him to mind control him. All of his albums are concept horror stories often revolving around morally gray characters and paranormal events. The ambiance style, production quality and falsetto levels vary greatly from an album to the next. My favorite has to be The Puppet Master, it's wayyyy more theatrical and melodic, less falsetto and the production is way better as far as King Diamond goes. Voodoo is also amazing, It does have spacy falsetto and dirty sounding production but it really works in the context of a voodoo horror story.

[@justinvermilyea7640]

Mikkey Dee is an amazing drummer

[@justinvermilyea7640]

I know this is an old video Brian but if you give the whole album a listen I think you may enjoy it

[@justinvermilyea7640]

Oh Satan yes Brian please listen to more king diamond

[@punkjay4681]

I think Brendan wasn't completely clear in his request. "Horror story concept albums" here means that the album is a horror story from start to finish. Also, these are original stories, not adaptations from books or movies. Unlike some other bands who have horror story concept albums with every song featuring a different story, usually referring to some classic stories like Dracula or Frankenstein.

[@justinvermilyea7640]

I love campy b film horror too

[@justinvermilyea7640]

Tea is about 4 songs in Brian 🤘

[@korhansoydan]

I just couldn’t keep listening after he said “vocals were too loud in the mix” :)))))))))

[@deanjones2164]

Mikkey dee played with Ozzy too .

[@georgehoorhaydemos4876]

Heard. This when I was 13

[@jima6545]

Definitely check out the albums Abigail or Conspiracy. Much better,imo. Saw him in 2019 and King sounds even better live. Dual album on the way

[@ashleymarsden8676]

The band is named after the lead singer, so that probably had quite an influence on production. And the only constant member of the band is King himself. Make of that what you will....

[@ysfawolfpack]

Pretty sure Andy has been there since the beginning of King Diamond

[@rudyrosasjl]

Andy has been with King the whole time.

[@georgehoorhaydemos4876]

It reminded me of the pysyco movie

[@BruceDureaultJr]

This better then prog

[@JayInDecent]

Theres got to be a Tenacious D song he can review

[@CriticalReactions]

I've done Beelzeboss before but I had heard it previously. However I haven't heard their two latest albums so lots of Tenacious D material for me to react to. :)

[@robumphrey1344]

King's vocal talent is way deeper than just his high notes people that people know him for. The Eye is a fantastic album but it's flat and tinny sounding. Always wondered why the producers thought it was acceptable. Great album though.

[@rudyrosasjl]

I think the production on The Eye is pretty damn good. Yeah it's kinda "echo-y" but good overall.

[@ambassadortourettes753]

This is by far a very very pale example for a first time King Diamond song... There are tons of songs far far more dynamic and actually shows the level of skill this band has... BTW 🤔You are absolutely correct in my opinion on the production 🙄 Very very thin and hallow in every respect 🤔

[@justinvermilyea7640]

King crimson is a bit different Brian lol

[@justinvermilyea7640]

Lol indeed love them too though

[@bryanmchugh1307]

The entire album is about drinking blood and selling your soul to the devil.

[@stevenboyce4136]

JESUS ... DEBBIE DOWNER ...relax enjoy the story ...hard to make a album let alone a concept album...all your talk ..what have you done ...what is the name of your band...i will wait

[@averagedude1272]

Yeah, the production sucks. It's so flat and it just does not sound enjoyable at all. It's not typical for King's albums. For example Abigail, his most famous album, sounds perfect.

[@CriticalReactions]

I'll keep that in mind for the next one.

[@Headbanger9000]

TBH as A Diamond banger myself, ALL of KDs albums are recorded with a flat mix EXCEPT Fatal Portrait and Abigail. I will actually go as far as saying Abigail might be one of if not the BEST produced Heavy Metal album of the 80s and still sounds amazing today! He started the Flat trend with "Them" and carried it through the rest of his solo albums. Idk why, he just does....

[@godofalltexas5203]

This is very often considered his best solo album. U obviously have zero understanding of how to produce an album based on the artist. Your opinion is total crap and this album does not need to be remastered.. nor should it ever be..

[@BlackieNuff]

You are not wrong about the production. I've always felt this particular album could (and should) have been done better, and I've been a fan & listening since about 1983, shortly after he debuted with his prior band Mercyful Fate in 1982-ish. It's strange and unfortunate that this album did not turn out better production-wise, cos the 2 previous albums and the 2 following were much better. Not sure why this one suffered so bad? I always felt the drums were one of the weak spots ; like they were drowned out in the mix, almost to being non-existent, particularly in everything after this track on the album. The first two tracks (three if you count the soundscape intro track, which is just spoken dialogue and ambient music and sound effects) sounded better, a bit fuller and richer, but still falling a bit short. I had to run the entire album through some post-production editing to boost those lowered sections so make it more listenable (especially in comparison to his other albums), but not everyone can do that. I've not heard any remastered copies, other than the "Gold CD" remastered reissues (of both King Diamond and Mercyful Fate albums from 1983-1990) in 1997. Anything since then, maybe those have been given a better remix-n-remaster treatment that will balance things out better?

[@BlackieNuff]

This is perhaps the weakest song on the whole album ("weak tea", lol), imho, but that only means the other tracks are monsters. And the follow-up album (a continuation of this story) is even better still, especially production-wise.