Several demos and live shows survive from 1981, including their infamous first concert "Sabbath of all witches" held in early/mid 1981.
In early 1982, the band contributed to the Ebony Records sampler Metallic Storm. Later on in the year, Mercyful Fate recorded its first official release, Mercyful Fate, on vinyl for the Dutch label Rave On. 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).
Following 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. 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. With him, Diamond brought band mates Hansen and Denner to found a new band under his own name. Diamond's new venture continued the tradition of Mercyful Fate, but with a more progressive, conceptual twist to it. In response, Hank Shermann formed the band Fate, which pursued a more AOR direction.
Reunion
In July 1992, the band reformed and signed a contract with Brian Slagel's Metal Blade Records. All the original members without Kim Ruzz (replaced by Morten Nielsen) reformed and released In the Shadows in 1993. The album featured a re-recording of "Return of the Vampire", with Metallica drummer and Mercyful Fate enthusiast Lars Ulrich playing on the track. In the years since, the band has released four other albums, with the last being 9. 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. Following the release of 9 (1999), King Diamond put Mercyful Fate on hold and continued his solo career. Shermann, Denner, Holm and (King Diamond Bass player) Hal Patino formed Force of Evil, which incorporates many of the themes of the original Mercyful Fate.
In a March, 2008 interview, King Diamond stated that Mercyful Fate is currently "hibernating", but had never split up. Though he does not know when the band will become active again, he said "It's definitely not finished, at least in my book.". With the Re-union in 1993, the same lineup returned for the album and European tour, with the exception of Drummer Kim Ruzz, who was replaced by Snowy Shaw. Bassist Timi Hansen also left after the European leg of the tour, and was replaced by Sharlee D'Angelo.
The Lineup remained the same for "Time" and "Into the Unknown". Snowy Shaw was then replaced by Bjarne Holm on drums.
Unfortunatley, Michael Denner had also parted ways with the band at this point, to stay with his wife and family. His replacement was Mike Wead, who recorded with the band for "Dead Again" As well as "9" and has proven to be a sufficient replacement for Michael Denner.
Melissa
"Melissa" is the name of a skull King Diamond used to carry on stage, and also a fictional deceased witch that appears in three songs. Before the recordings of the album Melissa, King Diamond had acquired a human skeleton that he named "Melissa". He used the femur bones to make his trademark microphone handle. The skull was apparently stolen during a show in the Netherlands.
The skull was inspiration behind the album Melissa, and the title track of the album is very different from the rest of the album, as it is much slower than the other songs (which are speedier and more aggressive). The lyrics tell of a male protagonist (usually identified as King Diamond himself by fans) who lost the love of his life, who was a witch who was burnt at the stake by a Catholic priest. The story builds itself up around the emotions of the protagonist, who first feels sadness and uncertainty, hope for her to still be alive, and then rage over his loss. He swears revenge on the priest who burnt her, proclaiming that he must die in the name of hell. The song ends with a whisper that hints Melissa's spirit is still with the protagonist.
The second song Melissa appears on is on the album Don't Break the Oath in the song "Come to the Sabbath", once again at the climax of the album. The lyrics tell about a Satanic coven holding a sabbath, in which the protagonist emerges to perform a ritual to "put an evil curse on the priest who took the life of Melissa". Though she is not the focus of the lyrics this time, because of her mention the song is known as a "Melissa song". Additionally, one of the main characters on the King Diamond's album Them was named "Missy", which is a common diminutive of Melissa.
The final song Melissa appears in is on Mercyful Fate's reunion album In the Shadows on the song "Is That You, Melissa?". The lyrics tell of the protagonist once again in sorrow about the loss of his love. He begins to hear her voice and goes to the coven to have them perform a ritual to speak with her ghost. The coven objects, saying that it is against the rules. The protagonist is visited by Melissa's spirit who shares a kiss with the protagonist. The subject of the song is argued by some; one side says the lyrics are not a continuation of the Melissa story but a tribute by the band to their past, while the other side sees it as the end of the Melissa story. It is widely accepted that she is the girl on the album cover of "In the Shadows" facing the old oak tree. After In the Shadows, Melissa has not been mentioned any more in both lyrics and artwork.
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; Vera then became their full-time bass player after Hansen died on November 4, 2019, shortly after his 61st birthday. Aside from previously released material, the band was also going to perform new songs over the course of the summer.
In a May 2020 interview with Heavy magazine, Shermann said that he had "written six or seven songs" for the band's new album. 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"
IN 2022, Becky Baldwin, a British musician who has previously played with Fury, Triaxisand Control The Storm. filled in for regular bassist Joey Vera, who had scheduling conflicts with his longtime band Armored Saint.
Into The Unknown
Mercyful Fate Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Darkness we are here tonight to select who's gonna die
Has everyone arrived?
Darkness open wide and let the lights go dim
While I dig into your soul my friend...
Looking for sin...sin...sin. Looking for sin..sin
Oh yeah, You're going into the unknown
Darkness we are here tonight to select who's gonna die
Has everyone arrived?
Darkness open wide and let the show begin
While we look into the Southern wind
Oh yeah, You're going into the unknown
Oh yeah, You're going into the unknown
[SOLO: Shermann]
Someone here will not survive the night that's creeping by
This is your time, not mine, for another life...
Don't you see...don't you see
You took a chance, now you must pay, say your last goodbye
This is your time, not mine, for another life...
Now die, die, die...
It is so much colder in here, hold on to your soul my dear
It is so much colder in here, hold on to...Nothing!!!
Who should I let go? Who needs to know...
[SOLO: Shermann]
The journey of a lonely soul, now you're on your own...yeah
The maker's waiting down the road, the dying has begun
Now my finger points at you
It is time for you to pay what's due
Now my finger points at you
And you must know...what you never ever knew
Oh yeah, You're going into the unknown
Oh yeah, You're going into the unknown
[SOLO: Denner]
Now my finger points at you, and you must know...
What you never ever knew
[SOLO: Denner]
The lyrics to Mercyful Fate's "Into The Unknown" explore the theme of mortality and death as the singer, presumably a malevolent force, guides a group of people through a journey into darkness where they must face the consequences of their sins. The opening lines "Darkness we are here tonight to select who's gonna die" sets a foreboding atmosphere, as they select who will face their fate. The chorus emphasizes the journey into the unknown that awaits those chosen to die, with the repetition of "Oh yeah, You're going into the unknown" creating a sense of impending doom.
As the song progresses, the singer indicates that this is not their time to die, but rather a chance for another life. Those who have taken chances and sinned now face the consequences, with the repetition of "now die, die, die" creating a sense of finality. The solo guitar sections add to the ominous mood of the song, with intense riffs and shredding providing a sense of urgency and danger.
Overall, "Into The Unknown" explores the themes of mortality, sin, and the unknown that awaits us after death. The lyrics paint a dark picture of what happens when we must face our consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Darkness we are here tonight to select who's gonna die
The setting is in a dark and ominous place where a group of people gather to choose someone who will perish.
Has everyone arrived?
A question from the person hosting the gathering as to whether all expected guests have arrived.
Darkness open wide and let the lights go dim
Calling upon the darkness to engulf the area with low visibility.
While I dig into your soul my friend...
The host is searching through each guest's innermost being.
Looking for sin...sin...sin. Looking for sin..sin
The host is specifically searching for immoral behavior in each guest's past.
Oh yeah, You're going into the unknown
A warning to the guest that they are about to face something unfamiliar and potentially dangerous.
Someone here will not survive the night that's creeping by
A statement implying that one of the guests will not make it out alive.
This is your time, not mine, for another life...
The host acknowledges that it is not their life that will be taken but that of someone else's.
Don't you see...don't you see
A plea or warning to the person who will soon perish.
You took a chance, now you must pay, say your last goodbye
The host believes that the person about to die brought this upon themselves and they must now face the consequences.
It is so much colder in here, hold on to your soul my dear
The atmosphere has shifted to become colder, and the person's soul might be at risk.
Who should I let go? Who needs to know...
The host is deciding who will be the unlucky guest that will meet their end.
The journey of a lonely soul, now you're on your own...yeah
The person who is about to die must now face the afterlife alone.
The maker's waiting down the road, the dying has begun
The host believes that the end is near and the person will soon meet their maker.
Now my finger points at you
The host has decided on the person who will die.
It is time for you to pay what's due
The host believes that the person deserves to die for their past immorality.
And you must know...what you never ever knew
A statement implying that the soon-to-be-deceased is unaware of their sins and the consequences they bring.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Fintage House Publishing
Written by: KIM BENDIX PETERSEN, HANK SHERMANN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ben - Moderator
on A Dangerous Meeting
Hi Chris, There were 2 interviews in particular which suggested this. (Unfortunately both the references below have since been taken down so the links below are broken)
Firstly in an interview with Loudwire, King Diamond discussed the inspiration behind "A Dangerous Meeting" and stated, "It's a song about a meeting that happened in Denmark, where I'm from, with some people who were into the darker side of things. They had a lot of things with them that I didn't want to have anything to do with. They had skulls, and there was a snake there, and all kinds of stuff that really freaked me out."
Loudwire - "King Diamond Talks Paranormal, Mysterious Fires + New Album 'The Institute'" (February 6, 2020)
https://loudwire.com/king-diamond-the-institute-album-interview/
Secondly in an interview with Metal Hammer, King Diamond stated that the lyrics to "A Dangerous Meeting" were based on his personal experiences, saying, "I have seen things that are unexplainable, and there's no way that science can prove some of the things that I have seen. It's just unexplainable. It's a very, very small percentage of the population that gets to see these things, and it's been with me since I was a child."
Metal Hammer - "King Diamond: The Real Story Behind 'Abigail'" (October 24, 2017)
https://www.loudersound.com/features/king-diamond-the-real-story-behind-abigail
Let me know if I've misunderstood what you've said or if you still think the above information is misleading.
Chris
on A Dangerous Meeting
I'd like to request a fact check on the above information.
"The lyrics to "A Dangerous Meeting" are based on King Diamond's experiences with the occult and paranormal."
King Diamond has actually said that the songs he wrote for Mercyful Fate are myths and legends, and that if anything the stuff he's written is more based on folktales and myths and that King Diamond the band is more based on personal experiences with the occult (though there are exceptions like Nightmare)