home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Ian & Stuart's Australian Mac: Not for Sale
/
Another.not.for.sale (Australia).iso
/
Dr. Doyle
/
Book of Metal
/
Mercyful-Fate
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1994-10-02
|
3KB
|
51 lines
MERCYFUL FATE
line up: King Diamond (vocals)
Michael Denner (guitar)
Hank Shermann (guitar)
Timi 'Grabber' Hansen (bass)
Kim Ruzz (drums)
One of the most sensational bands of the eighties must be the Danish Mercyful
Fate. Especcially singer King Diamond, with painted face, earrings of
turned-down crosses and black cape, is often referred to as a clown, but his
musical talent real big. Together with guitarplayer Hank Shermann and also
(but less) Michael Denner, he is responsible for the typical Mercyful
Fate-sound. This sound is a complicated heavy metal-sound, with many tempo
variations and King's high, screaming vocals, maybe best compared to Rob
Halford's. Even more extreme than his vocals, are King Diamond's lyrics. These
talk about black magic and satanism and make Mercyful Fate THE black metal-band
of the century. It all starts in 1980 in Copenhage when the local punk/metal
band Brats falls apart. Brats has made one LP, released by CBS, entitled "1980
Brats". The two guitarplayers of Brats, Michael Denner and Hank Shermann, found
a new band, with Timi Hansen (who calls himself Timi Grabber at the time) on
bass and singer King Diamond, coming from the band Black Rose. Later, the band
is completed by drummer Kim Ruzz. In 1981 and '82 Mercyful Fate records two
demo's that attract attention from magazines and record companies. The English
record company Ebony Records invites the band to record two songs for a
compilation album. The songs "Walking Back to Hell" and "Black Funeral" are
recorded, but only the last song is released on the compilation album "Metallic
Storm". Short after the release, the Dutch Rave On Records contracts Mercyful
Fate to make a mini-LP and in september of '82 they record four songs. The
released mini-LP is a smash hit and they play for the BBC and big festivals.
They get a contract with Roadrunner Records, to make five albums. Eventual they
make only two: "Melissa", released in 1983, and "Don't Break the Oath",
released in 1984. A world tour follows. During this world tour, the first
friction between the band members shows off. This results in the departure of
King Diamond in april of 1985. He founds his own band, totally controlled by
himself. He askes Michael and Timi to join him and the band King Diamond is
born. Hank Shermann founds his own band, named 'Fate', but this band has
musically nothing to do with the old Mercyful Fate. In 1987, Roadrunner
releases 'posthumously' a compilation album "The Beginning", with the first
mini-LP, the BBC-sessions and the song "Black Masses", so far only
B-side of a single.
albums: Mercyful Fate (Rave On '82, mini-LP)
Melissa (Roadrunner, '83)
Don't Break the Oath (Roadrunner, '84)
The Beginning (Roadrunner, '87)
.