ACTIVE: 1981-
Mercyful Fate is one of the bands that helped shape how the darker side of metal would turn out. Formed in Denmark by singer King Diamond and guitarist Hank Sherman, the band laid the foundation for an entire subgenre.
In 1985, King Diamond went on to form a band under his own name and continued with that until the early nineties, when Mercyful Fate made its first comeback.
My first encounter with the band was in 1993. I’d been listening to King Diamond since 1990, when he released The Eye album, and at that point, I also got to know the history of Mercyful Fate. Once In the Shadows hit the stores in 1993, I was hooked immediately.
I think some of the most hardcore fans can explain what’s so different between these two bands, but musically, I don’t see that much of a difference. Maybe King Diamond, as a band, tends to write more concept albums with horror-like stories, while Mercyful Fate focuses more on song-based albums with Satanic lyrics. But since the singer — who also writes roughly 50% of the music for both bands — is the same, the bands sound very similar. The production also sounds quite alike, probably because the albums are recorded in the same studios and mixed by the same personnel.
But either way, I ain’t complaining! The more, the merrier.
MERCYFUL FATE x 2 | pencil & fineliner on paper | 2022, 2024