The hype sheet says this is “their most extreme album, we threw out the books of censorship on this one”. Yeah, whatever you say, King. Dude, you totally rip it up but THIS album is kind of disappointing. Sure, it would make a great late night cable movie or after-school special but it seems like this is one of those “high on concept” low on "great songs” albums.
The whole album, composition-wise, sounds great and not only just him but he always gets some of the best musicians to play in his band. This time out he’s got a female vocalist/keyboardist (also from Budapest), Livita Zita to throw in some additonal effects in the mix, so it works pretty well...
Overall, this isn’t that bad but...“puppets”? Oy vey! Marillion already covered this - like 20 years ago.
Puppets are amusing - but puppets AND King Diamond???....Well, the jury’s still out. The story is some odd thing about a puppet master in Budapest and well...just read the rest of the story - it’s a hoot! So it works pretty well...I can’t wait to see King & Co. playing in Vegas in a few decades.

((1))) Boo-scary! Creepy organ & King muttering about with a jovial tune that’s not too far from say, the movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas”. It’s cute, I guess...intros to...
((2)) Sounds like a more commerical version of something off the 1st K.D. album “Fatal Portrait”. Mid-tempo, theaterical, and oddly gothic (!). “Here come the puppets!” Wait wasn’t this a movie? No, it was 5 movies! (that would be “The Puppet Master 1-5 via Full Moon Enterprises). Classic K.D. neo-classical soloing & all the usual bag o’ tricks.
(((3))) Judas Priest style riffing with a "halloweenie" organ then more drama from the King on the bone microphone. Very much classic K.D. stylee with some cool duet parts with Livita. (Comes out better if you listen closely).
(((4))) Slow, melodramatic with a nice slow gallop. Again, this one sounds like it could’ve been on his first or 2nd album. More good male & female vox. Lots vocal tonalities a’ changing but it wouldn’t be King Diamond album without it.
((((5)))) Very spooky, children’s horror movie organ a’ playing then gets louder & heavier. Killer & very typical K.D. tempo with all the nice dramatic bits & good riffing going on. Soundtrack to the mad jester dance.
((((6)))) Modern, gothic keys with doomy guitars, super catchy, then sounds a bit like the single off of Abigal “The Family Ghost” minus the classic line from that song “Still-born!!!” Fucking genius either way, though
(((7))) Strange, evil circus organ & mad narrator vocals/story telling from King. Probably the only time that K.D.’s lyrics ever approached death metal territory. This one’s just weird! (But good!)
(((8))) Really excellent riffing & tempo & all else! Most likely the song that’ll be used for the video for the 4:35AM slot on MTV2’s “Headbanger’s Mall...er...Ball”.
(((9))) Mid-tempo tune with some nice Middle-Eastern scales & such. Nice duet in the chorus, too. Plus, Andy LeRoque magically turns into Dokken’s George Lynch!
“Tonight You Will Dance For Me Puppet Girl/Tonight...No Strings Attached....Broken Glass and Puppet Life is on the floor”.
Silliest...King Diamond...Lyrics...Ever !
((10)) Winding tempo, doomy feeling kind of like a sad goth-metal ballad. File under filler.
((11)) W.T.F.??? First it was “There’s No Presents For Christmas” and now this??? Then again King IS a Satanist and this is a bleak-ass Christmas tune (obviously his Scandinavian roots are showing!). Anyway, It's a sort of amusing mid-tempo romp with King wanting you to feel his pain. Some serious 80’s styled guitar parts, too.
((((12)))) Killer fast, sad puppet’s lament tune. He’s now in Berlin, far away from his puppet lover and...um...yeah...well, read the lyrics! Awesome soloing & riffage, too. Look out for King Diamond’s pet training album in 2004 “The Puppy Master”.