473:. Originally, 11 shows were booked, but it turned out that Mercyful Fate would only play one. That first and only show took place at St. Albans City Hall in Hertfordshire, where the main act crew did not leave Mercyful Fate time for a sound check or to properly set up their equipment. Manowar's sound engineer even tampered with Mercyful Fate's soundboard during their performance, which was reduced from 45 minutes to 25. Manowar refused to comply with Mercyful Fate and Roadrunner's request for better treatment, which forced the band to leave the tour with great financial loss to themselves, not to mention disappointment of their British fans.
368:
to learn and elicited an eerie feeling the few times he heard it. Hank
Shermann wrote the music for this song, which was composed during many sleepless nights on his unplugged guitar in his living room. The band kept rehearsing the song for a long time in its unfinished form, as Shermann continuously added new parts. According to Denner, there are about sixteen different riffs in "Satan's Fall", which was the band's longest song with a running time over 11 minutes, until the band released
425:
to make the most of the limited time. Lund, who had never produced a metal band before, mixed the album on his own, but accepted comments from the musicians on his different takes. The band found this procedure very irritating but, in retrospect, Diamond understands "that he didn't want a bunch of amateurs hanging over his shoulder." At that time, the label asked the band to do a cover song, so the band recorded
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The
European tour started in the Netherlands on 19 January 1984 at The Dynamo, in Eindhoven. The next day, they performed a set at The Countdown Cafe in Hilversum, which was broadcast live on Dutch national radio. On 21 January, they performed in Amsterdam, at The Paradiso Theatre, where the skull of
424:
On 18 July 1983, Mercyful Fate started recording at Easy Sounds
Studios in Copenhagen with producer Henrik Lund, who was the co-owner of the studio along with his brother. The band spent 12 days in the studio to record and mix the album. The songs had been thoroughly arranged and rehearsed in advance
367:
changed the lyrics originally written by the Brats bassist; "Love
Criminals", actually the first song Mercyful Fate ever wrote, was renamed "Into the Coven", which was originally meant to be the title of the album too. The album also contains "Satan's Fall" which, as Michael Denner recalls, took ages
476:
On 5 April, the band played a sold-out headline show at
Saltlageret, in Copenhagen. There, for the first time, they were able to present their new chapel stage set. Then on 30 April, they began to work on the next release for the next 19 days, once again at Easy Sounds Studios. On 10 June, the band
31:
384:' sound", and Justin Wearn of This Day in Metal noted that, "With dark lyrics, guitar solos prevalent throughout the record, fast paced and double bass drums throughout, and satanic imagery in the visuals, it was an inspiration and influenced many popular metal bands like
362:
Some of the material on the album had its roots in demos recorded when the musicians were members of the underground bands Black Rose and Brats: "Curse of the
Pharaohs", which was originally titled "Night Riders" on an old Brats demo, was retitled after
469:
Melissa was stolen from the altar on stage by a fan due to very incompetent local security. Then the band went touring Italy on
February, where they performed 6 shows, and on the following 3 March, they started their UK tour supporting
433:". The band skipped it because they felt it did not fit very well with the lyrics and feel of the album. According to Shermann, Diamond's performance was very surprising, because he sounded very close to
465:
in
Copenhagen, but due to an illness on Osbourne's part, the show was canceled. Later that same month, the band performed a headline show in Copenhagen as preparation for their upcoming European tour.
453:
sessions, but had been deleted from the album. It was the first song recorded in the initial session and the sound was not completely satisfying, so the track was reduced to a B-side only.
520:, whom they've stayed very good friends with since then. It all began when Metallica, while recording in Copenhagen, borrowed amplifiers from Mercyful Fate and various other equipment.
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performed at the prestigious Heavy Sound
Festival in Poperinge, Belgium. Beside Mercyful Fate, the bill also featured
319:, as the self-titled EP was a highly sought after import, and the BBC sessions were only available on bootleg tapes.
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In
December 1983, the "Black Funeral" single was released through Music For Nations label, It contained on the
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cited "Into the Coven" among their Filthy Fifteen objectionable songs due to its perceived occult content.
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315:. This was also the first Mercyful Fate effort to get an official release in the United States through
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311:, released in October 1983 through Roadrunner Records. It was the first album released by
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In 2005, Roadrunner Records re-released this album with several bonus tracks and a bonus
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1173:"Carcass' Bill Steer talks 10 albums that influenced their new LP 'Torn Arteries'"
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Original LP cover art. In later pressings the orange colour is replaced with red.
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as 17th on their list of 'The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time'.
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has been cited as "one of the first records to start to develop an '
1187:"The Dark and Downright Terrifying History of European Death Metal"
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was a groundbreaker in heavy metal history for multiple reasons."
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A re-recorded version of "Evil" is featured in the video game
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The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties
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It was in 1984 that Mercyful Fate first met the members of
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On 3 December 1983, Mercyful Fate were booked to support
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1125:"Essential Black Metal Listening: MERCYFUL FATE Melissa"
1357:. Heavy Sound Festival Official Website. Archived from
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the song "Black Masses", which was recorded during the
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has been identified as one of the earliest examples of
1260:"Decibel Hall Of Fame - No. 74 -Mercyful Fate Melissa"
1153:"Slayer's Kerry King: My 10 Favorite Metal Albums"
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1408:"Offiziellecharts.de – Mercyful Fate – Melissa"
374:, on which the title track is 13 minutes long.
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1219:Kaye, Don (1997). "Mercyful Fate - Melissa".
716:"Curse of the Pharaohs" (BBC Radio 1 Session)
242:
1381:"The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time"
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771:25th anniversary edition DVD track listing
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891:Produced for reissue by Tom Burleigh and
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1335:. The Mercyful Fate / King Diamond F.A.Q
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555:; all music is composed by Hank Shermann
1268:(78): 48–54. April 2011. Archived from
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919:Additional photography by Kevin Estrada
838:Benny Petersen – guitars (tracks 12–13)
776:Live at Dynamo, Eindhoven, Holland 1983
396:and countless others. With elements of
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872:Tracks 12–13 produced by Mercyful Fate
819:Michael Denner – guitars (tracks 1–11)
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18:1983 studio album by Mercyful Fate
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680:25th Anniversary edition bonus tracks
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738:"Satan's Fall" (BBC Radio 1 Session)
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303:is the debut studio album by Danish
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400:, musical traits you would hear in
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925:by James Moore / Moore Imagination
865:Tracks 9–11 produced and mixed by
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505:In 1985, advocating the need for
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1355:"Heavy Sound Festival - History"
1139:"Mercyful Fate - Melissa (1983)"
1007:"Mercyful Fate - Melissa review"
1004:
862:by Henrik Lund and Mercyful Fate
613:"At the Sound of the Demon Bell"
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509:labels on audio recordings, the
275:Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal
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201:"Black Funeral" / "Black Masses"
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1067:Constable, Dave (August 1983).
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881:Photography by Thomas Grondahl
749:"Curse of the Pharaohs" (Demo)
685:
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497:, H-Bomb and Faithful Breath.
1:
1292:"VERSUS: Melissa vs. Abigail"
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878:by Thomas Holm / Studio Dzyan
511:Parents Music Resource Center
1044:Collector's Guide Publishing
967:
895:, assisted by Steven Hartong
869:and engineered by David Dade
791:
727:"Evil" (BBC Radio 1 Session)
419:
7:
781:"Doomed by the Living Dead"
10:
1701:
1414:. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
1333:"Mercyful Fate Tour Dates"
551:All lyrics are written by
456:
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204:Released: 16 December 1983
1685:Roadrunner Records albums
1639:
1630:The Best of Mercyful Fate
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1201:"Mercyful Fate - Melissa"
1069:"Mercyful Fate - Melissa"
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1412:GfK Entertainment Charts
850:Produced by Henrik Lund
787:"Curse of the Pharaohs"
591:"Curse of the Pharaohs"
346:. Music is credited to
943:Chart performance for
760:"Black Funeral" (Demo)
526:Guitar Hero: Metallica
501:Additional information
1623:Return of the Vampire
856:by Jacob J. Jorgensen
833:Additional performers
1675:Mercyful Fate albums
1538:Don't Break the Oath
437:'s original vocals.
219:Professional ratings
168:Don't Break the Oath
1653:A Dangerous Meeting
1272:on 17 November 2015
1127:. 23 February 2012.
1040:Burlington, Ontario
1034:(1 November 2005).
947:
916:by Mr. Scott Design
910:written by Don Kaye
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626:
560:
220:
1608:Compilation albums
1361:on 9 February 2015
1296:thisdayinmetal.com
1229:Roadrunner Records
1111:Roadrunner Records
1099:Kaye, Don (1997).
963:Offizielle Top 100
942:
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624:
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313:Roadrunner Records
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1680:1983 debut albums
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1227:. New York, USA:
1109:. New York, USA:
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507:Parental Advisory
410:progressive metal
358:Content and music
317:Megaforce Records
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1640:Related articles
1559:Into the Unknown
1514:Sharlee D'Angelo
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1231:. 168 618 113-2.
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1046:. p. 220.
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961:German Albums (
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784:"Black Funeral"
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646:"Black Funeral"
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65:18–29 July 1983
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1545:In the Shadows
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1389:. 21 June 2017
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1223:(CD Booklet).
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1189:. 27 May 2020.
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1105:(CD Booklet).
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1616:The Beginning
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1591:Mercyful Fate
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1410:(in German).
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1386:Rolling Stone
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1298:. 24 May 2024
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994:. p. 38.
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546:Track listing
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325:extreme metal
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309:Mercyful Fate
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1464:King Diamond
1462:
1403:
1391:. Retrieved
1384:
1375:
1363:. Retrieved
1359:the original
1349:
1337:. Retrieved
1300:. Retrieved
1295:
1286:
1274:. Retrieved
1270:the original
1263:
1220:
1195:
1181:
1167:
1156:
1147:
1133:
1119:
1113:. RR 8771-2.
1100:
1079:. Retrieved
1074:Metal Forces
1072:
1062:
1035:
1026:
1014:. Retrieved
1000:
989:"Music Week"
983:
944:
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893:Monte Conner
886:2005 reissue
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435:Robert Plant
427:Led Zeppelin
423:
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398:thrash metal
377:
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365:King Diamond
361:
352:King Diamond
341:
329:thrash metal
320:
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287:Metal Forces
285:
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73:Easy Sound (
57:October 1983
42:Studio album
15:
1647:Discography
1501:Timi Hansen
1393:6 September
908:Liner notes
867:Tony Wilson
823:Timi Hansen
408:along with
406:death metal
402:black metal
337:death metal
333:black metal
305:heavy metal
131:Henrik Lund
90:Heavy metal
1669:Categories
1566:Dead Again
1496:Snowy Shaw
1042:, Canada:
975:References
903:Ted Jensen
899:Remastered
854:Engineered
845:Production
491:Barón Rojo
371:Dead Again
139:chronology
120:Roadrunner
75:Copenhagen
1509:Ole Beich
1488:Joey Vera
1481:Mike Wead
956:position
876:Cover art
816:– guitars
792:Personnel
668:"Melissa"
532:In 2017,
518:Metallica
495:Lita Ford
487:Metallica
479:Motörhead
420:Recording
386:Metallica
1365:6 August
1011:AllMusic
810:– vocals
625:Side two
559:Side one
339:genres.
238:AllMusic
190:Melissa
127:Producer
62:Recorded
54:Released
44: by
1531:Melissa
1265:Decibel
1221:Melissa
1077:(1): 21
1016:15 June
945:Melissa
703:Outtake
540:Melissa
538:ranked
471:Manowar
457:Touring
451:Melissa
441:Release
414:Melissa
378:Melissa
321:Melissa
300:Melissa
186:Singles
172:(1984)
163:(1983)
159:Melissa
154:(1982)
24:Melissa
1339:13 May
1302:5 July
1276:13 May
1081:3 July
1050:
938:Charts
929:
825:– bass
693:Length
638:Length
580:"Evil"
572:Length
447:B-side
394:Slayer
390:Exodus
232:Rating
229:Source
98:Length
70:Studio
992:(PDF)
860:Mixed
741:10:29
690:Title
660:11:23
635:Title
569:Title
307:band
188:from
115:Label
83:Genre
1552:Time
1395:2021
1367:2023
1341:2014
1304:2024
1278:2014
1083:2015
1048:ISBN
1018:2012
954:Peak
763:2:54
752:4:26
730:4:02
719:3:52
708:4:31
671:6:40
649:2:50
616:5:23
605:5:11
594:3:57
583:4:45
429:'s "
404:and
335:and
292:9/10
280:9/10
968:69
901:by
757:13.
746:12.
735:11.
724:10.
686:No.
631:No.
565:No.
344:DVD
1671::
1383:.
1312:^
1294:.
1262:.
1237:^
1209:^
1155:.
1091:^
1071:.
1038:.
1009:.
965:)
713:9.
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665:7.
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610:4.
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529:.
493:,
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103:40
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105::
77:)
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