Following the release of 9 (1999), King Diamond put Mercyful Fate on hold and continued his solo career. Similar to the band’s first run, members have left and been replaced Michael Denner left and was replaced by Mike Wead, Drummer Nielsen was later replaced by Snowy Shaw who was then replaced by Bjarne Holm, Bassist Timi Hansen left quickly and was replaced by Sharlee D’Angelo. In the years since, the band has released four other albums, with the last being 9. The album featured a re-recording of “Return of the Vampire”, with Metallica drummer and Mercyful Fate enthusiast Lars Ulrich playing on the track. All the original members without Kim Ruzz (replaced by Morten Nielsen) reformed and released In the Shadows in 1993. In July 1992, the band reformed and signed a contract with Brian Slagel’s Metal Blade Records. In response, Hank Shermann formed the band Fate, which pursued a more AOR direction. Diamond’s new venture continued the tradition of Mercyful Fate, but with a more progressive, conceptual twist to it. With him, Diamond brought band mates Hansen and Denner to found a new band under his own name.

Following the tour (which saw them play in the United States for the first time) in support of Don’t Break the Oath, Diamond split ways with Mercyful Fate in April 1985 as a result of frustration over creative differences with Hank Shermann. The release included heavy and evil material that would later inspire the black metal genre (although Venom and Bathory are as equally considered as the forefathers of black metal).įollowing the EP, the band released Melissa in 1983 and Don’t Break the Oath in 1984, which are now considered by many to be classics in both the power metal and black metal genres. Later on in the year, Mercyful Fate recorded its first material, Mercyful Fate, on vinyl for the Dutch label Rave On. In early 1982, the band contributed to the Ebony Records sampler Metallic Storm. In addition, the drummer position was a revolving door, but Kim Ruzz finally established himself as the drummer. The band experienced the usual member changes for a new band, as Denner left (and later returned). Soon, Shermann, Denner, Diamond, and Denner’s bass player Timi Grabber realized their potential as a unit and started performing as Mercyful Fate. In early 1981 they helped out Michael Denner with demos for his band Danger Zone. The band was founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1980 from the remaining members of Hank Shermann’s band Brats and King Diamond’s band Black Rose. Sharlee D'Angelo (Charles Peter Andreason) - Bassījarne Thomas Holm (aka Bob Lance) - Drums King Diamond (Kim Bendix Petersen) - Vocals Mercyful Fate is a Danish heavy metal band which helped inspire black metal through their lyrics and image. Mercyful Fate - 1982 - 1999 - Discography

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