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.
Witches' Dance
Mercyful Fate Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The moon was dancing on the blackened sky
In my sleep nothing is real, dreaming
I'm dreaming
I can feel the shadows lurking
I can feel them closing in
I can hear their evil chanting
[Chorus]
Dancing the witches dance
Dancing the dance
Dancing the witches dance
Dancing the dance
Cold hands, leading the way
Through the woods and into the night
Outside nothing is real, dreaming
I'm dreaming
I can see a fire burning
Hooded shapes are all around
I can see a throne of silver
Thirteen we are in all
[Chorus]
Before the Goat Of Mendes
We all must take our turn
Into the magic circle
Where still the fire burns
We're spinning round and round
Until one takes a fall
The fallen one will not return,
the fallen one must burn
Just like a demon's eye
The moon is dancing on the blackened sky
I'm awake but nothing is real
Dreaming, not dreaming
I can feel the shadows lurking
I can feel them closing in
I can hear their evil chanting
This is not a dream at all
[Chorus]
I wish this was only a dream, a dream
Within a dream
The lyrics to Mercyful Fate's song Witches' Dance describe a dream that the vocalist is having, where he is being led by cold hands through the woods and into the night. The moon, symbolizing demonic energy, dances in the blackened sky, while shadows lurk and close in on the dreamer. The dreamer comes across a fire burning, and hooded shapes are all around. He sees a throne of silver and thirteen people standing around it. The group must take turns before the Goat Of Mendes and enter the magic circle where the fire still burns. They spin round and round until one person falls, and that fallen one must burn.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Dancing the witches' dance" as a mantra, symbolizing that they are all participating in a ritual that is beyond their control. The lyrics recount the experience of participating in a witches' ritual, with the Goat of Mendes being a symbol of the devil himself. The song echoes the themes of Satan worship, black magic, and paganism that are often present in heavy metal music.
Line by Line Meaning
Just like a demon's eye
The eerie full moon appears like a glowing demon's eye in the blackened sky
The moon was dancing on the blackened sky
The vivid imagery depicts a moon that appears to move and dance across the ominous sky
In my sleep nothing is real, dreaming
The singer dreams of a surreal world where reality holds no ground
I'm dreaming
The singer acknowledges the fact that he is in a state of dreaming
I can feel the shadows lurking
The singer senses the presence of something ominous lurking around him
I can feel them closing in
The feeling of being isolated and trapped with the shadows closing in on him
I can hear their evil chanting
The singer hears the ominous chanting of the shadows
This is not a dream for a king
The surreal world is not what a king would consider a dream come true
[Chorus] Dancing the witches dance Dancing the dance Dancing the witches dance Dancing the dance
The chorus refers to the witches' dance, where an unknown number of people dance around the fire for unknown reasons
Cold hands, leading the way
The sense of fear and looming danger is accentuated by the feeling of cold hands guiding them through the woods
Through the woods and into the night
The journey leads them through the darkness of the woods and into the night
Outside nothing is real, dreaming
The illusory dream-like state extends beyond his sleep and into the real world
I can see a fire burning
The singer sees a vividly burning fire surrounded by hooded figures
Hooded shapes are all around
The hooded figures create a sense of unknown danger and eerie presence
I can see a throne of silver
The singer can see a throne that is made of silver
Thirteen we are in all
The group is comprised of thirteen people, whose purpose remains unknown
[Chorus] Dancing the witches dance Dancing the dance Dancing the witches dance Dancing the dance
The chorus, again referring to the witches' dance, is repeated, emphasizing the surreal atmosphere in the song
Before the Goat Of Mendes
The group is gathered before the Goat of Mendes, a pagan deity , which signifies the occult
We all must take our turn
Each member of the group must perform a specific ritualistic act
Into the magic circle
People perform their pagan rituals in the magic circle inscribed with runes or other magical symbols
Where still the fire burns
The fire is still burning as the rituals are performed
We're spinning round and round
People are spinning and dancing around the fire invoking the spirits and abundance of nature
Until one takes a fall
One member of the group will eventually falter and stumble in the dance, which signifies their sacrifice to the deity
The fallen one will not return,
The person who takes a fall will not return, as he is a sacrifice to the deity for his blessings
the fallen one must burn
The dead member of the group is to be burned in the fire as a symbolic gesture
Just like a demon's eye
The moon again appears like a demon's eye in the singer's waking state
The moon is dancing on the blackened sky
The vivid description of the moon reflects the eerie aura of the song
I'm awake but nothing is real
The singer wakes up but finds the world no less surreal than his dream
Dreaming, not dreaming
The singer is unsure if he's awake or still dreaming
I can feel the shadows lurking
The sense of fear still lingers in the singer's mind as he feels the shadows lurking
I can feel them closing in
The shadows are inching closer and realize that they're not going anywhere
I can hear their evil chanting
The chanting of the shadows creates a haunted aura around the singer
This is not a dream at all
The singer realizes and accepts the surreal atmosphere and identifies it as not being part of his dream
[Chorus] Dancing the witches dance Dancing the dance Dancing the witches dance Dancing the dance
The chorus repetition emphasizes the witches' dance and its eerie atmosphere
I wish this was only a dream, a dream
The singer wishes that he could awaken from this surreal state which reminds him of a nightmare
Within a dream
A desire arises for the surrealism and the darkness to be limited to within his dream
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alexandru Ovedenie
Just like a demon's eye
The moon was dancing on the blackened sky
In my sleep nothing is real
Dreaming I'm dreaming
I can feel the shadows lurking
I can feel them closing in
I can hear their evil chanting
This is not a dream for a king
Dancing the Witch's Dance
Dancing the dance
Dancing the Witch's Dance
Dancing the dance
Cold hands, leading the way
Through the woods and into the night
Outside nothing is real
Dreaming I'm dreaming
I can see a fire burning
Hooded shapes are all around
I can see a throne of silver
Thirteen we are in all
Dancing the Witch's Dance
Dancing the dance
Dancing the Witch's Dance
Dancing the dance
Before the Goat Of Mendes
We all must take our turn
Into the magic circle
Where still the fire burns
We're spinning round and round
Until one takes a fall
The fallen one will not return
The fallen one must burn
Just like a demon's eye
The moon is dancing on the blackened sky
I'm awake but nothing is real
Dreaming, not dreaming
I can feel the shadows lurking
I can feel them closing in
I can hear their evil chanting
This is not a dream at all
Dancing the Witch's Dance
Dancing the dance
Dancing the Witch's Dance
Dancing the dance
I wish this was only a dream
A dream within a dream
Dancing the Witch's Dance
Dancing till death
Dimitra P.
Just like a demon's eye
The moon was dancing on the blackened sky
In my sleep nothing is real, dreaming... I'm dreaming
I can feel the shadows lurking
I can feel them closing in
I can hear their evil chanting
This is not a dream for a king
Dancing the Witche's Dance... Dancing the Dance
Dancing the Witche's Dance... Dancing the Dance
Cold hands, leading the way
Through the woods and into the night
Outside nothing is real, dreaming... I'm dreaming
I can see a fire burning
Hooded shapes are all around
I can see a throne of silver
Thirteen we are in all
Dancing the Witche's Dance... Dancing the Dance
Dancing the Witche's Dance... Dancing the Dance
Before the Goat Of Mendes... We all must take our turn
Into the magic circle... Where still the fire burns
We're spinning round and round... Until one takes a fall
The fallen one will not return, the fallen one must burn
Solo: D
Just like a demon's eye
The moon is dancing on the blackened sky
I'm awake but nothing is real
Dreaming... Not dreaming
I can feel the shadows lurking
I can feel them closing in
I can hear their evil chanting
This is not a dream at all
Dancing the Witche's Dance... Dancing the Dance
Dancing the Witche's Dance... Dancing the Dance
I wish this was only a dream... A dream
Within a dream
Solo: S/D
Dancing the Witche's Dance
Dancing till Death
PDX|BAM
Most Satanists are non-theistic and do not believe in Satan nor any "higher powers"
They believe in fairness and justice. Liberty. Civil rights. Mankind coexisting with positive ideals based upon practical logic. It's basically all the ideals America was founded on and fits our country better than any other religion, ha.
We'd be much better off as a satanic country actually.
Here are the 11 Satanic Rules of the Earth:
(note: the wording is weird on some but you can infer the meanings lol read with open mind)
1. Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked. (Be kind)
2. Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are sure they want to hear them. (Stop whining)
3. When in another’s lair, show him respect or else do not go there. (Give respect when due)
4. If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him cruelly and without mercy. (Demand respect when deserved)
5. Do not make sexual advances unless you are given the mating signal. (DO NOT RAPE)
6. Do not take that which does not belong to you unless it is a burden to the other person and he cries out to be relieved. (Do not steal)
7. Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained. (Humility & Thankfulness. Offer credit to the universe to refrain from arrogance.)
8. Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself. (Dont complain if you did it to yourself and could have avoided it)
9. Do not harm little children.
10. Do not kill animals unless you are attacked or for your food. (Respect ALL life)
11. When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him. (Treat others as you wish to be treated!)
Fratello Metallo
Before the goat of Mendes we all must take our turn
Into the magic circle where still the fire burns
We're spinning round and round until one takes a fall
The fallen one will not return, the fallen one must burn
Just like a demon's eye
The moon is dancing on the blackened sky
I'm awake but nothing is real
Dreaming not dreaming
I can feel the shadows lurking
I can feel them closing in
I can hear their evil chanting
This is not a dream at all
Dancing the witches' dance
Dancing the dance
Dancing the witches' dance
Dancing the dance
I wish this was only a dream
A dream within a dream
Dancing the witches' dance
Dancing till death
J.B. Beverley
I love it when people talk about how “scary” King Diamond is. Ironically, he’s one of the nicest and most hospitable metal musicians I’ve ever met. By far. Couldn’t ask for a nicer guy.
Vincent Odell
That’s exactly how people that I know that know him describe him. Very polite and kind . I will take him over some of these so called Christians any day.
JD
I've never heard anyone describe King Diamond as scary. Is that really a thing?
Michał Kochański
such threatening falsetto
Stephen Jones
Crocodiles are nice after they fed
Filipe França
Do you find him "scary"? Lol!!!!!!!!
j G
I LOVE PLAYING THIS OUT LOUD AT WORK AND SEEING PEOPLES FACES WHEN KING DIAMOND HITS A HIGH NOTE HAHAHA
Ian Speckmaier
I want to work with you! Closest we get to something good is Rammstein (still badass).
bumzilla 85
Me to makes their little bumoles twitch
George Herrington
I can feel the shadows lurking!!!