Mercyful Fate

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Mercyful Fate
Mercyful Fate - 2022216204606 2022-08-04 Wacken - Sven - 5DS R - 0496 - 5DSR7583.jpg
Mercyful Fate performing in 2022
Background information
Origin Copenhagen, Denmark
Genres
Discography Mercyful Fate discography
Years active
  • 1981–1985
  • 1992–1999
  • 2008
  • 2011
  • 2019–present
Labels
Spinoffs King Diamond
Members
Past members
Website mercyfulfatecoven.com

Mercyful Fate is a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen, formed in 1981 by vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann. [4] Influenced by progressive rock and hard rock, and with lyrics dealing with LaVeyan Satanism (often with ironic or sardonic use of Christian themes) and the occult, Mercyful Fate was part of the first wave of black metal in the early to mid-1980s, along with Venom and Bathory. [5] [6] The band is also cited as a formative influence on many then-up-and-coming subgenres of heavy metal, including thrash metal [7] [8] and death metal, as well as the Norwegian black metal scene. [9] [10] [11]

Contents

Since its inception in 1981, Mercyful Fate has released seven studio albums, two extended plays, and four compilations. After several line-up changes and self-made demos, they released their self-titled EP in 1982, with the line-up of King Diamond (vocals), Hank Shermann (lead and rhythm guitars), Michael Denner (rhythm and lead guitars), Timi Hansen (bass) and Kim Ruzz (drums). With this line-up the group recorded their first two studio albums (1983's Melissa and 1984's Don't Break the Oath ); in spite of their reputation as one of the most acclaimed bands of the European heavy metal scene of the 1980s, Mercyful Fate were the subject of controversy due to their satanic imagery, and one of their songs "Into the Coven" (from Melissa) later gained notoriety for appearing as one of the PMRC's "Filthy Fifteen" list of objectionable songs. [12]

After disbanding in 1985 due to musical differences, four out of the five members of Mercyful Fate reunited in 1992 and recorded the album In the Shadows , which was released the following year. During the 1990s, the band released four more studio albums and went through several line-up changes. Mercyful Fate went on hiatus in 1999, but had reunited on occasion during the 2000s. On August 1, 2019, it was announced that Mercyful Fate were reuniting on a more permanent basis, with plans to tour [4] [13] and release a new album, which will be their first since 9 in 1999. [14]

History

Formation and first releases (1981–1985)

Mercyful Fate was originally formed in Copenhagen in the spring of 1981, [15] following the dissolution of the band Brats. [16] Brats had been a punk/metal band, featuring future Mercyful Fate members, vocalist King Diamond, and guitarists Hank Shermann and Michael Denner. [17] After two studio albums and several line-up changes (including the addition of Diamond and the departure of Denner), Diamond and Shermann began writing new material that was much heavier than any of Brats' previous work. [17] The band's record label CBS was not pleased with the material, and demanded they stop singing in English and become more commercial. [17] As a result, Diamond and Shermann quit the group and went on to form Mercyful Fate. [17] Former Rock Nalle bassist Ole Beich (later of L.A. Guns and Guns N' Roses) briefly joined the band around this time. [18] After several line-up changes and semi-professional demo tapes, Mercyful Fate released their self-titled EP in 1982. [19] [20] This line-up, consisting of King Diamond, Hank Shermann, bassist Timi Hansen, drummer Kim Ruzz and guitarist Michael Denner, [21] would go on to record the group's first two studio albums.[ citation needed ]

In July 1983, Mercyful Fate recorded their debut album at Easy Sound Recording, in Copenhagen, Denmark. [22] Entitled Melissa , the album was produced by Henrik Lund and released on October 30, 1983 through Roadrunner Records. [22] The character of Melissa, a witch who was burned at the stake, appears for the first time on the eponymous debut album and intermittently throughout the band's later work. [23] One of the album's tracks, "Into the Coven", received particular attention two years later, when it was listed by the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) as one of their "Filthy Fifteen" songs due to its perceived occult content. [12] King Diamond was, in reality, interested in LaVeyan Satanism, which he called "a life philosophy" and stated that it had nothing to do with the Devil of Abrahamic religions. [24] After a number of concerts around Denmark, Mercyful Fate entered the studio in May 1984 to record their second studio album Don't Break the Oath , which was released on September 7, 1984. [25] During the album's supporting tour, the band played the US for two months and made festival appearances in Germany. [26] Despite winning a cult following around the world, Mercyful Fate broke up in April 1985, due to musical differences. [16] [26] [27] Guitarist Hank Shermann wanted the band to move to a more commercial sound; [16] King Diamond refused and announced his departure from Mercyful Fate, which led to the band breaking up. [26]

After disbanding (1985–1992)

After Mercyful Fate broke up in 1985, King Diamond, along with Michael Denner and Timi Hansen, formed the eponymous King Diamond band. [28] [26] [27] Both Denner and Hansen stayed with the group until 1987's Abigail , after which both left King Diamond. [29] They were replaced by Mike Moon and Hal Patino, respectively, and King Diamond continued releasing albums even after Mercyful Fate had reformed. [29] After leaving King Diamond, Michael Denner opened up a recordshop in Copenhagen, until 1988, when he formed the band Lavina (which would later become Zoser Mez), along with former bandmate Hank Shermann. [29] [30] [ better source needed ] Hank Shermann had formed the hard rock band Fate in 1985, after having left Mercyful Fate. [31] With Fate, Shermann released two albums: 1985's Fate and 1986's A Matter of Attitude . [31] After leaving the band, Shermann joined-up with Michael Denner to form Lavina. [31]

During the time Mercyful Fate were disbanded, Roadrunner Records released three Mercyful Fate compilation albums. The Beginning was released on June 24, 1987, and featured material from the band's 1982 self-titled EP, as well as rare live and studio recordings. [32] On May 12, 1992, Return of the Vampire was released, which was another compilation of rare studio recordings. [33] On October 6, 1992, Roadrunner Records released A Dangerous Meeting ; a greatest hits album under the King Diamond name, featuring material from both Mercyful Fate and King Diamond. [34]

Reunion (1992–1999)

In 1992, King Diamond, Hank Shermann, Michael Denner and Timi Hansen reunited to reform Mercyful Fate (drummer Kim Ruzz was replaced by Morten Nielsen). [20] The result was the album In the Shadows , which was released on June 22, 1993 through Metal Blade Records. [35] The album also featured a guest appearance by Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich (a fellow Dane), on the track "Return of the Vampire". [35] For the album's supporting tour, Morten Nielsen was replaced by King Diamond drummer Snowy Shaw, due to a knee injury Nielsen had sustained. [20] Bassist Timi Hansen was also replaced by Sharlee D'Angelo, as Hansen did not want to take part in touring. [20] [36] [ better source needed ] On June 27, 1994, the band released The Bell Witch , an EP of live tracks, as well as studio recordings from In the Shadows. [37]

King Diamond performing with Mercyful Fate in 1999 King Diamond live 1999.jpg
King Diamond performing with Mercyful Fate in 1999

On October 25, 1994, Mercyful Fate released the album Time , which was recorded and mixed at the Dallas Sound Lab during May–August 1994. [38] After the album's release, drummer Snowy Shaw was replaced by Bjarne T. Holm for the Time Tour. [20] Holm had originally been asked to join Mercyful Fate back in 1981, but had declined due to prior commitments. [20] The band spent January through February 1996 recording and mixing the album Into the Unknown , which was released on August 20, 1996. [39] After the album's release, guitarist Michael Denner left the band and was replaced by Mike Wead. [20] In October 1997, Mercyful Fate began recording the album Dead Again at the Nomad Recording Studio in Carrollton, Texas. [40] Dead Again was released on June 9, 1998. [40] In February 1999, Mercyful Fate began recording the album 9 , which was released on June 15, 1999. [41]

Hiatus and sporadic reunions (1999–2018)

After the supporting tour for 9, Mercyful Fate was put on hiatus. King Diamond focused on his eponymous band, along with guitarist Mike Wead, who joined the group during the European House of God tour. [29] Hank Shermann and Bjarne T. Holm reunited with Michael Denner to form Force of Evil, while Sharlee D'Angelo joined the band Arch Enemy. [42] When asked about the current state of the band in 2008, Diamond stated that Mercyful Fate is currently "hibernating", and that "it's definitely not finished, at least in my book." [43] In August 2008, King Diamond was asked by Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich if Mercyful Fate would be willing to participate in Activision's Guitar Hero: Metallica video game. [44] Ulrich requested the original masters for two of the band's songs, so they could be used in the game. [44] Unable to locate them, Diamond suggested to Activision the band re-record the songs, and as a result, King Diamond, Hank Shermann, Michael Denner, Timi Hansen and Bjarne T. Holm reunited to re-record the songs "Evil" and "Curse of the Pharaohs". [44] King Diamond was also made into a playable character in the game. [44]

On December 7, 2011, King Diamond, Hank Shermann, Michael Denner and Timi Hansen reunited onstage at Metallica's 30th Anniversary concert, at the Fillmore in San Francisco, California, where they, alongside Metallica, performed the latter's "Mercyful Fate" medley from Garage Inc. [45]

On January 28, 2017, the original line-up of Mercyful Fate (minus Diamond) reunited to receive the Pioneer Prize at the Steppeulven ceremony by the Danish Association of Music Critics at the Bremen Teater in Copenhagen. This marks the first time drummer Ruzz appeared with the band after the 1985 split. [46]

Full-time reunion (2019–present)

Mercyful Fate performing in 2022 Mercyful Fate (52202517675).jpg
Mercyful Fate performing in 2022

On August 1, 2019, it was announced that Mercyful Fate would be performing an unspecified number of concerts throughout Europe in the summer of 2020. The band's line-up consists of King Diamond on vocals, Hank Shermann on guitar, Bjarne T. Holm on drums, Mike Wead on guitar and Joey Vera on bass, the latter of whom was filling in for Timi Hansen, who was battling cancer; [47] Vera then became their full-time bass player after Hansen died on November 4, 2019, shortly after his 61st birthday. [48] Aside from previously released material, the band was also going to perform new songs over the course of the summer. [49]

In a May 2020 interview with Heavy magazine, Shermann said that he had "written six or seven songs" for the band's new album. [50] On June 2, 2022, Mercyful Fate performed their first live show since 1999 in Hanover as part of a European tour, where they debuted a brand new song titled "The Jackal of Salzburg". [51] [52]

On January 16, 2024, Mercyful Fate announced that they had "mutually decided to split ways" with Vera. [53] Three days later, it was announced Becky Baldwin was the new bassist of the band, who filled in for Vera during the band's 2022 tour. [54] In the following month, Baldwin stated that the new Mercyful Fate album is not expected to be released before 2025, due to King Diamond's focus on his namesake band's upcoming thirteenth studio album The Institute. [55]

Style and legacy

Mercyful Fate were a part of the first wave of black metal, along with other groups, such as Venom, Bathory, and Hellhammer. [56] Many of these groups helped establish the style upon which future black metal artists would later build. [56] Unlike the other first-wave bands, typical elements of Mercyful Fate's style are influences from progressive rock, [57] epic 1970s hard rock, [19] and traditional heavy metal. As many of the band's songs featured lyrics about Satanism and the occult [11] [58] and King Diamond was among the first black metal musicians to use the now famous corpse paint, [59] Mercyful Fate was a pioneer in developing black metal, [11] [58] although their musical style was not as much an influence as that of other first wave bands. [19] The band has also been cited as an influence on or inspiration to bands of the then-emerging death metal genre, including Death, [60] Morbid Angel, [61] Obituary [62] and Cannibal Corpse. [63]

Mercyful Fate have been cited as a formative influence on the 1980s thrash metal scene, including two-fourths of the genre's "big four" – Metallica and Slayer. [7] [8] [64] Other thrash metal bands that have cited the band as an influence or inspiration to them include Testament, [65] Exodus [66] and Kreator. [67] Slayer guitarist Kerry King has stated that he and then-guitarist Jeff Hanneman were big fans of Mercyful Fate and cited them as influence on their second album Hell Awaits . [7] [68] [ better source needed ] Metallica recorded a medley of Mercyful Fate songs on their 1998 Garage Inc. cover album. Since then, the band has performed the song various times live with several members of Mercyful Fate. [45] [69] [ better source needed ] [70] Lars Ulrich from Metallica has said in about 2008: "Mercyful Fate has made two of the best heavy rock records ever. We have been friends with them for 23 years. The first time I ever played on some other record was with them – I was in Dallas to make Return of the Vampire in 1992. They have been a very, very big inspiration for our sound." [71]

Band members

Timeline

Mercyful Fate

Discography

Related Research Articles

<i>Dont Break the Oath</i> 1984 studio album by Mercyful Fate

Don't Break the Oath is the second studio album by Danish heavy metal band Mercyful Fate, released on 7 September 1984 through Roadrunner Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Diamond</span> Danish musician

Kim Bendix Petersen, better known by his stage name King Diamond, is a Danish rock musician. As a vocalist, he is known for his powerful and wide-ranging countertenor singing voice, in particular his far-reaching falsetto screams. He is the lead vocalist and lyricist for both Mercyful Fate and the eponymous King Diamond. He also plays keyboards and guitars on studio recordings but uses live shows to focus solely on his vocal performance. Diamond is renowned for his dark lyrical content and his story concepts. He is also known for his distinctive shock stage persona. He has been an influence for other rock and metal artists, including Metallica, Slayer and Cradle of Filth.

<i>Melissa</i> (Mercyful Fate album) 1983 studio album by Mercyful Fate

Melissa is the debut studio album by Danish heavy metal band Mercyful Fate, released in October 1983 through Roadrunner Records. It was the first album released by Roadrunner Records. This was also the first Mercyful Fate effort to get an official release in the United States through Megaforce Records, as the self-titled EP was a highly sought after import, and the BBC sessions were only available on bootleg tapes. Melissa has been identified as one of the earliest examples of extreme metal, and is often considered to be a major influence on the then-developing thrash metal, black metal and death metal genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Diamond (band)</span> Danish heavy metal band

King Diamond is a Danish heavy metal band formed in 1985 by vocalist King Diamond, guitarists Andy LaRocque and Michael Denner, bassist Timi Hansen and drummer Mikkey Dee. King, Denner and Hansen had recently departed the group Mercyful Fate, and decided to form a new band under the King Diamond moniker, as it was already known from the initial Mercyful Fate era. Since the band's inception, there have been over fifteen musicians in and out of King Diamond, with the only two mainstays being Diamond and LaRocque. Their current lineup consists of Diamond, LaRocque, guitarist Mike Wead, drummer Matt Thompson, and bassist Pontus Egberg.

<i>Mercyful Fate</i> (EP) 1982 EP by Mercyful Fate

Mercyful Fate is the first official release by Danish heavy metal band Mercyful Fate. It is also known as Nuns Have No Fun, the "first album" or the "EP". It is a four track, 45rpm effort and was recorded and mixed at Stone Studio in Roosendaal, Netherlands, in two days in September 1982, and released on the independent label Rave-On Records as RMLP-002 on 8 November 1982. The album was produced and mixed by Jac Hustinx and engineered by Willem Steetjes. The cover is drawn by Ole Poulsen. The album in its entirety was later re-issued in 1987 as part of The Beginning compilation. On 5 June 2020 it was released for the first time officially on CD through Metal Blade Records. Issued in hardcover gatefold sleeve, with black polycarbonate CD.

<i>Return of the Vampire</i> 1992 compilation album by Mercyful Fate

Return of the Vampire is a compilation album of rare demo tracks by Mercyful Fate recorded before their first, official release in 1982. It was released on 12 May 1992 through Roadrunner Records.

<i>The Bell Witch</i> (EP) 1994 EP by Mercyful Fate

The Bell Witch is a short, promotional EP released by Danish heavy metal band Mercyful Fate to herald their reunion album. It features two tracks off In the Shadows, of which one is based on the American legend of the Bell Witch, plus four live tracks. The EP was released on 27 June 1994. It was re-released in 2004 on Metal Blade Records.

<i>Time</i> (Mercyful Fate album) 1994 studio album by Mercyful Fate

Time is the fourth studio album by the Danish heavy metal band Mercyful Fate. It was released on 25 October 1994 through Metal Blade Records.

<i>Into the Unknown</i> (Mercyful Fate album) 1996 studio album by Mercyful Fate

Into the Unknown is the fifth album by Danish heavy metal band Mercyful Fate, released on 20 August 1996 through Metal Blade Records. It is the most commercially successful Mercyful Fate album to date, peaking at No. 31 in the Finnish charts and remaining for two weeks in the Top 40. It is the only album by the band to appear on the charts.

<i>Dead Again</i> (Mercyful Fate album) 1998 studio album by Mercyful Fate

Dead Again is the sixth studio album by Danish heavy metal band Mercyful Fate, released on 9 June 1998 through Metal Blade Records. It marks the first album from Mercyful Fate that Michael Denner is not present on. It also marked a new era for the band, as the production is more muddy and raw, and the guitar tone is more distorted than on the three previous albums. In addition, the album introduced a more complex and arguably progressive sound to several of its tracks.

<i>A Dangerous Meeting</i> 1992 greatest hits album by King Diamond

A Dangerous Meeting is the first compilation album of King Diamond songs, put out by Roadrunner Records. It also includes older Mercyful Fate songs, recorded during 1982–1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Diamond discography</span>

The discography of King Diamond, a Danish heavy metal band, consists of twelve studio releases, three live albums, five compilations, six singles, and four music videos. King Diamond was formed in 1985, after the dissolution of the group Mercyful Fate, by vocalist King Diamond, guitarists Andy LaRocque and Michael Denner, bassist Timi Hansen, and drummer Mikkey Dee. The following year, the band released their debut album Fatal Portrait on 14 March 1986 which charted at number 33 in Sweden. King Diamond's second studio album, Abigail, was released on 15 June 1987 and reached number 123 in the US, number 39 in Sweden and number 68 in the Netherlands. Following some line-up changes, the group released the album "Them" on 20 June 1988, which peaked at number 38 in Sweden, number 65 in the Netherlands, and at number 89 in the US, making "Them" King Diamond's highest-charting album in North America. The following year, the band released the follow-up album Conspiracy, which charted at number 111 in North America, number 41 in Sweden and at number 64 in the Netherlands. In 1990, after more line-up changes, King Diamond released the album The Eye, which only charted at number 179 in the US, which makes The Eye King Diamond's lowest-charting album in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercyful Fate discography</span>

The discography of Mercyful Fate, a Danish heavy metal band, consists of seven studio releases, three compilations, three singles, and six music videos. Mercyful Fate was formed in 1981 by vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann. After several line-up changes and self-made demos, Mercyful Fate released their self-titled EP in 1982, with the line-up of King Diamond (vocals), Hank Shermann (guitar), Michael Denner (guitar), Timi Hansen (bass) and Kim Ruzz (drums). With this line-up, the group released their debut album, Melissa, on 30 October 1983 through Roadrunner Records. The following year, Mercyful Fate recorded their second album Don't Break the Oath. Released on 7 September 1984, the album debuted at number 33 on the Swedish Sverigetopplistan charts. Despite winning a cult following around the world, with sales in the thousands, Mercyful Fate broke up in April 1985, due to musical differences.

<i>The Best of Mercyful Fate</i> 2003 greatest hits album by Mercyful Fate

The Best of Mercyful Fate is a compilation album by the band Mercyful Fate from years 1982-1984.

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Timi Hansen was a Danish bass player. He played in the Danish heavy metal band Mercyful Fate from 1981 to 1985 and from 1992 to 1993, and its successor project King Diamond from 1985 to 1987.

<i>Witchkrieg</i> 2010 studio album by Witchery

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<i>In the Shadows</i> (album) 1993 studio album by Mercyful Fate

In the Shadows is the third full-length studio album by Danish heavy metal band Mercyful Fate. It is the first offering of the band since their reunion in 1992. This would be the final full-length album Timi Hansen would appear on before his death in 2019. The album was released in June 22, 1993 via Metal Blade Records. Unlike previous Mercyful Fate albums, which were entirely centered around lyrical themes of Satanism and the occult, the lyrics on this album are rather focused on more conceptual horror-themes, akin to King Diamond's work with his eponymous band. The band would not return to a primarily occult/satanic lyrical approach until the band's latest album, 9, released in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank Shermann</span> Musical artist

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References

  1. ↑ Bille, Torben, ed. (2002). Dansk rockleksikon (in Danish) (1st ed.). Politikens Forlag. p. 314. ISBN   87-567-6525-8. En af grundlæggerne af 'black metal': heavy metal med udtalt satanistiske tekster. [English: One of the founders of 'black metal': heavy metal with pronouncedly satanic lyrics.]
  2. ↑ Nielsen, Jens-Emil (2014). 80'er rock: Dansk rock 1980-1990 (in Danish) (1st ed.). Her & Nu. p. 74. ISBN   978-87-93093-85-0. [...] sataniske tekster, som gør, at de er med til at skabe undergenren black metal. [English: [...] satanic lyrics, which entails that they are involved in creating the subgenre black metal.]
  3. ↑ Sharpe-Young, Garry & Born, R. "Mercyful Fate". MusicMight. Archived from the original on September 26, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2009.
  4. 1 2 Biography - Hank Shermann | Official Website
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  8. 1 2 "Mercyful Fate – The high pitched un-powered metal band". metalinjection.com. April 3, 2009. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
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  10. ↑ "The Impact of Mercyful Fate's Melissa 40 Years Later". metalsucks.net. October 30, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
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  22. 1 2 "Melissa at KingDiamondCoven.com". KingDiamondCoven.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
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  24. ↑ Rasmussen, Jens (2010). Heavy Metal – 40 år med hård rock (in Danish) (1st ed.). Informations Forlag. p. 138. ISBN   978-87-7514-2590. LaVey, som også var en ironisk mand, skabte en livsfilosofi, der ikke havde noget med religion at gøre, hvor der fandtes én Gud, der sagde, hvordan man skulle gøre [...] Ordet 'satanisme' skulle måske aldrig have været sat på den livsfilosofi, for det har kun givet grund til misforståelser og har ikke noget at gøre med kristendommens 'Satan', som er ét stort negativt fortegn. De 'satanistiske' tekster i Mercyful Fate gav os chancen for at forklare os på mange områder, men på samme tid gav de også anledning til en masse misforståelser. [English: LaVey, who was also a man given to irony, created a life philosophy, which had nothing to do with a religion that has one God, who says what one must do [...] The word 'Satanism' should perhaps never have been used to designate that life philosophy, because it has only provided grounds for misunderstandings and has nothing to do with 'Satan' of Christianity, which is one big negative characteristic. The 'satanic' lyrics of Mercyful Fate gave us the chance to explain ourselves in many ways, but they also gave the opportunity for a lot of misunderstandings at the same time.]
  25. ↑ "Don't Break the Oath at KingDiamondCoven.com". KingDiamondCoven.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
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  71. ↑ Hegnsvad, Kristoffer; Maegaard, Sofie (2008). Husker du – dansk rock gennem 50 år (in Danish). DR. p. 108. ISBN   978 87 7680 812 9. Mercyful Fate har lavet to af de bedste heavyrock-plader nogensinde. Vi har været venner med dem i 23 år. Første gang jeg nogensinde spillede med på en anden plade, var med dem – jeg var i Dallas og lave Return of the Vampire i 1992. De har været en meget, meget stor inspiration for vores sound.
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