Mercyful Fate

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{{Infobox musical artist |Background = darkgray |Border = black |Name = Mercyful Fate |Img = MercyfulFateGroup.jpg |Img_capt = |URL = |Formed = 1981 |First = Melissa |FirstYear = 1982 |Disbanded = 1985 |Latest = 9 |LatestYear = 1999 |Genre = Heavy Metal, Black Metal |Label = Metal Blade }}

Mercyful Fate is an influential Danish heavy metal group that helped inspire the black metal, thrash metal and prog metal genres.

Contents

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Biography

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Origins

The band was founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1980 from the ashes of Hank Shermann's band Brats' and King Diamond's band Black Rose. Shortly thereafter, in the Spring of 1981 they helped out a fellow Dane, Michael Denner, with demos for his band Danger Zone. Soon it was apparent that Shermann, Denner, Diamond and Denner's bassplayer, Timi Grabber, fit well together as a unit and those players performed under the Mercyful Fate moniker for the first time in Denmark.

There were the usual member changes for a young band; Denner left and then returned and drummers came and went, but finally Kim Ruzz established himself as the drummer. The band recorded their first material on vinyl late in 1982 for the Dutch label "Rave On" titled Nuns Have No Fun (album). This release included such heavy and evil material that a new genre was born: "Black Metal" (although Venom, who released Welcome To Hell' the year before should also be considered as the forefathers of Black Metal).

Following their first album (actually a four song EP) the band released two albums: Melissa and Don't Break The Oath. Both albums featured the distinctive sound of Shermann and Denner on guitar, the unique rhythm section of Grabber (aka Timi Hansen) and King Diamond's falsetto vocals. Both albums are now considered to be classics in both the Power Metal and Black Metal genres. Internal differences forced the band to break up in April of 1985. Diamond, Grabber (now Hansen) and Denner formed the King Diamond solo band which continued the tradition of Mercyful Fate, albeit with a more progressive, conceptual theme. Shermann went towards a more AOR-type approach with his band "Fate".

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Reunion

But these Danes always stayed in touch, even helping out in each others various solo performances. And as the years passed the cult following of the band refused to die off and, in July of 1992 the band reformed and signed a contract with Metal Blade (an independent Heavy Metal label led by Brian Slagel who released the debuts of MF influenced bands Metallica and Slayer). All the original members, minus Kim Ruzz, who was replaced by Morten Nielsen, were back for a second chance. In 1993 they released In the Shadows, and, in the years since have released four more albums; Time, Into the Unknown, Dead Again and 9. As in the past band 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. King Diamond has, since the initial split, also kept together a very successful solo band.

Currently, Mercyful Fate are on a hiatus; the band reportedly still owes the record company one more album, but when it will occur is unknown. There is also talk of a DVD release of early Mercyful Fate audio and video material which is highly anticipated by the fans of the band. Additionally, Shermann, Denner, Holm and King Diamond solo-band Bass player Hal Patino have formed Force Of Evil, a band that incorporates many of the themes of the original Mercyful Fate.

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Legacy

Mercyful Fate will always be remembered for their unquestionable mark on the history of metal, with their new innovative sound, complex arrangements, memorable melody, and their influence on bands that later took the genre to new heights.

In 1998, Metallica paid tribute to Mercyful Fate by recording a medley of classic Mercyful Fate songs on the album Garage Inc. Entitled "Mercyful Fate", the medley included parts from Satan's Fall, Curse of the Pharaohs, A Corpse Without Soul, Into the Coven, and Evil.

Lars Ulrich of Metallica also played drums on a new version of "Return Of The Vampire" on the In the Shadows album. Lars was also said to be instrumental in securing Mercyful Fate a new record deal with longtime friend Brian Slagel's label, Metal Blade.

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Members

Image:MF logo.jpg

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Current members

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Former members

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Discography

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Albums

Album Cover Date of Release Title Label Chart positions US sales
Image:MF NunsHaveNoFun.jpg 1982 Nuns Have No Fun (EP) Self-Released/Rave-On Records
Image:MF-Melissa.jpg 1983 Melissa Roadrunner Records
Image:MercyfulFateDBTO.jpg 1984 Don't Break the Oath Roadrunner Records
Image:MF TheBeginning.jpg 1987 The Beginning Roadrunner Records
Image:Dangerous Meeting.jpg 1992 A Dangerous Meeting (Comp) Roadrunner Records
Image:MF ReturnoftheVampire.jpg 1992 Return of the Vampire (Comp) Roadrunner Records
Image:MF InTheShadows.jpg 1993 In the Shadows Metal Blade Records
Image:MF BellWitch.jpg 1994 The Bell Witch EP Metal Blade Records
Image:MF Time.jpg 1994 Time Metal Blade Records
Image:Mf-intotheunknown.jpg 1992 Into the Unknown Metal Blade Records
Image:MF dead again.jpg 1998 Dead Again Metal Blade Records
Image:MF 9 gr.jpg 1999 9 Metal Blade Records
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External links

de:Mercyful Fate es:Mercyful Fate fr:Mercyful Fate he:מרסיפול פייט pl:Mercyful Fate pt:Mercyful Fate fi:Mercyful Fate sv:Mercyful Fate

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