| House of God | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by King Diamond | ||||
| Released | 2000 | |||
| Recorded | Nomad Recording Studio, Carrollton, Texas, February-April 2000 |
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| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 51:18 | |||
| Label | Massacre (EU)/Metal Blade (US) | |||
| Producer | King Diamond Andy LaRocque Kol Marshall |
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| King Diamond chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
| Fangoria | [2] |
House of God is an album by the heavy metal band King Diamond, released in 2000. The album was remastered by Andy LaRocque and was re-released in 2009.
The album's thematics are loosely based around Rennes le Chateau. The thirteen tracks tell the story of a weary traveler who is led to a church for lodging by a terrifying but compassionate wolf creature. Once there the wolf transforms into a beautiful woman who seduces the traveler into a soul selling deal. Once imprisoned in the Chateau the traveler descends to the bowels of the building and finds a crypt, wherein lies the body of "Christ". Disillusioned and heartbroken the traveler prepares to commit suicide, only to learn that God and the Devil are toys of even higher entities. The album begins with a haunting monologue:
"Upon the Cross he did not die, they tortured him, but he survived. Smuggled across the open sea, to Southern France, tranquility. There he married Magdalene, and founded another dynasty. A church was built upon a hill, to serve all of the gods at will."
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Upon the Cross" | King Diamond | 1:44 |
| 2. | "The Trees Have Eyes" | King Diamond, Andy LaRocque | 4:46 |
| 3. | "Follow the Wolf" | King Diamond | 4:27 |
| 4. | "House of God" | King Diamond, Andy LaRocque | 5:36 |
| 5. | "Black Devil" | King Diamond | 4:28 |
| 6. | "The Pact" | King Diamond, Andy LaRocque | 4:10 |
| 7. | "Goodbye" | King Diamond | 1:59 |
| 8. | "Just a Shadow" | King Diamond | 4:36 |
| 9. | "Help!!!" | King Diamond | 4:21 |
| 10. | "Passage to Hell" | King Diamond | 1:59 |
| 11. | "Catacomb" | King Diamond, Andy LaRocque | 5:01 |
| 12. | "This Place Is Terrible" | King Diamond | 5:34 |
| 13. | "Peace of Mind" (Instrumental) | Andy LaRocque | 2:31 |
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