Voodoo is a
concept albumIn popular music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical". Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs...
by
King DiamondKing Diamond is the heavy metal band that King Diamond formed after the split up of his heavy metal band Mercyful Fate, and the departure of Hank Shermann. He was joined by most members of the then defunct Mercyful Fate. The Satanic focus was replaced by a focus on horror stories...
. The album was released in 1998. The album cover is drawn by
Kristian WåhlinKristian Wåhlin is a Swedish musician, graphic designer, and album cover artist for many bands in the extreme metal scene worldwide. He is often credited under his pseudonym, Necrolord....
.
Voodoo takes place in the year 1932 and deals with the affairs of the Lafayettes, a family consisting of Sarah (who is pregnant), David, and Grandpa. They move to an old colonial house on the
Mississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico....
, just north of Baton Rouge, which also happens to have been built next to a
voodooLouisiana Voodoo, also known as New Orleans Voodoo, originated from the traditions of the African diaspora. It is a cultural form of the Voodoo religions which historically developed within the French, Spanish, and Creole speaking African-American population of the U.S. state of Louisiana...
graveyard.
Unknown to the Lafayettes, the colonial house's servant, Salem, is involved in voodoo.
Voodoo is a
concept albumIn popular music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical". Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs...
by
King DiamondKing Diamond is the heavy metal band that King Diamond formed after the split up of his heavy metal band Mercyful Fate, and the departure of Hank Shermann. He was joined by most members of the then defunct Mercyful Fate. The Satanic focus was replaced by a focus on horror stories...
. The album was released in 1998. The album cover is drawn by
Kristian WåhlinKristian Wåhlin is a Swedish musician, graphic designer, and album cover artist for many bands in the extreme metal scene worldwide. He is often credited under his pseudonym, Necrolord....
.
Plot
Voodoo takes place in the year 1932 and deals with the affairs of the Lafayettes, a family consisting of Sarah (who is pregnant), David, and Grandpa. They move to an old colonial house on the
Mississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico....
, just north of Baton Rouge, which also happens to have been built next to a
voodooLouisiana Voodoo, also known as New Orleans Voodoo, originated from the traditions of the African diaspora. It is a cultural form of the Voodoo religions which historically developed within the French, Spanish, and Creole speaking African-American population of the U.S. state of Louisiana...
graveyard.
Unknown to the Lafayettes, the colonial house's servant, Salem, is involved in voodoo. Salem partakes in voodoo rituals at the graveyard, along with
Doctor le CroixIn Vodou, Baron La Croix , also spelled Lakwa, is one of the Guédé, a Loa of the dead and sexuality, along with Baron Samedi and Baron Cimetière. He is the ultimate suave and sophisticated spirit of Death - quite cultured and debonair. He has an existential philosophy about death, finding death's...
, a voodoo sorcerer, Madame Sarita, and Lula Chevalier, a girl who is never seen.
The Lafayettes hear the voodoo drums from the ceremonies in the graveyard. They call a secret meeting with Salem to discuss what should be done. The Lafayettes decide to destroy the voodoo burial ground. Salem does not want this to happen, so he sneaks out at midnight to talk to Doctor le Croix. Le Croix gives Salem money to buy some
goofer dustGoofer dust is an old hoodoo practice of African Americans in the Southern States of the United States.It can be used generically to refer to any powder used to cast a spell, especially if harmful in nature, but specifically refers to a concoction of natural ingredients that can be used to cause...
, and tells him that the Lafayettes must all die.
Salem puts a snake in David's room, mixes haunted graveyard dirt in Grandpa's food, and, after talking to the dead Baron Samedi, pours goofer dust on Sarah while she sleeps. David and Grandpa become very ill, and Sarah becomes possessed with a
voodoo spiritThe Loa are the spirits of the Voodoo religion practiced in Haiti, and other parts of the world. They are also referred to as Mystères and the Invisibles. They are somewhat akin to saints or angels in Christianity in that they are intermediaries between Bondye —the Creator, who is distant from the...
.
Grandpa manages to call Father Malone, an
exorcistIn some religions an exorcist is a person who is believed to be able to cast out the devil or other demon. A priest, a monk, a healer, a shaman or other specially prepared or instructed person can be an exorcist...
. Father Malone travels to the colonial house to rid Sarah of her possessor. He fails, and is rendered unconscious from exhaustion. While he is unconscious, Lula brings the heavy, nail-riddled ceremonial cross of
Baron SamediBaron Samedi is one of the loa of Haitian Vodou. Samedi is a loa of the dead, along with Baron's numerous other incarnations Baron Cimetière, Baron La Croix, and Baron Kriminel. He is the head of the Guédé family of Loa, or an aspect of them, or possibly their spiritual father...
to the possessed Sarah. Sarah attacks Malone with the cross, almost killing him. Grandpa comes in and tells Sarah to stop, and she does, which saves Father Malone's life. Grandpa calls the police and ambulance, which arrive two hours later.
The story concludes with Salem speaking about the aftermath of the situation, which also reveals that he escaped the events of the mansion. He explains that the Lafayettes abandoned the old colonial house after leaving the hospital. Sarah's child was born and it was speaking "in the strangest tongue...backwards. Some expert had uttered the word...'Voodoo'..."
Track listing
All lyrics by King Diamond. Music credits as indicated.
- "Louisiana Darkness" – 1:43 (Diamond)
- "LOA House" – 5:33 (LaRocque)
- "Life after Death" – 5:40 (Diamond)
- "Voodoo" – 4:34 (Diamond)
- "A Secret" – 4:04 (LaRocque)
- "Salem" – 5:18 (Diamond)
- "One Down Two to Go" – 3:45 (Estes - Diamond)
- "Sending of Dead" – 5:40 (Diamond)
- "Sarah's Night" – 3:22 (Diamond)
- "The Exorcist" – 4:52 (LaRocque)
- "Unclean Spirits" – 1:49 (Estes)
- "Cross of Baron Samedi" – 4:29 (Diamond)
- "If They Only Knew" – 0:32
- "Aftermath" – 1:39 (Diamond)
- There is a hidden track 1:50 after "Aftermath" on the European release which is basically "Unclean Spirits" played backwards.
Credits
- King Diamond
King Diamond is a Grammy Award nominated heavy metal musician. As a vocalist, he is known for his extensive use of vocals in the falsetto register...
- Vocals, Keyboards
- Andy LaRocque
Andy LaRocque is best known as the guitar player of the band King Diamond.-Biography:...
- Guitar, Keyboards
- Herb Simonsen - Guitar
- Chris Estes
Christopher Douglas Estes is a former King Diamond bass player . Originally from Dodge City, Kansas, Chris moved to Denton Texas in 1991 to attend the University of North Texas as a Jazz Studies major. During his time at UNT he met Darrin Anthony Stull and joined his unsigned Dallas band Mindstorm...
- Bass
- John Luke Hébert - Drums
- Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott, also known as "Diamond Darrell", "Dimebag Darrell", or simply "Dime" was an American guitarist...
- Guitar solo on "Voodoo"
- The Voodoo Story