Mercyful Fate (EP)
Occupation
- Vocals: King Diamond
- Electric Guitar: Hank Sherman
- Electric Guitar: Michael Denner
- E -Bass: Timi " Grabber" Hansen
- Drums: Kim Ruzz
Mercyful Fate is the first EP of the band of the same name.
Genesis
The Dutch label Rave On Records Mercyful Fate offered to a first recording contract. In the following September, the band went into the Stone Sound Studios, where the four songs were recorded and mixed the EP within two or three days. The band was under time pressure, the EP was completed so quickly that they did not meet the expectations of the band. Some of the guitar solos on each were first takes, which were recorded under pressure. Jac Hustinx, producer of the EP and owner of the label, allowing for many of Hank Shermanns recordings only one take, including the intro solo from A Corpse Without Soul. Even with the quality of the production the band was dissatisfied.
A Danish priest tried to finish the musical career of the then-unknown band before the release of the EP. He wrote to newspapers to stop the tape. In response, the band designed the record cover of the EP. On this one, with the exception of a thongs naked, tied to a cross woman can be seen, which purports to be a nun. This is burned by a coven that consists of wrapped in Habite beings with demonic faces. Mercyful Fate was given the opportunity to appear on national television. Diamond explained that the cover is only a painting, whereas the church actually burning people. At this time, Mercyful Fate used at concerts in Denmark, a " nun " who was stripped and treated indecently.
Title list
Style and texts
The influences of the band are from the Progressive Rock, Hard Rock epic of the 1970s and the traditional heavy metal. Characteristic also is the song of King Diamond in falsetto. The lyrics are inspired by Satanism; while Diamond should " bring on a much higher language level " the satanic texts later, Nuns Have No Fun was " not less explicit than the early Venom substance".
When writing the song Devil Eyes Sherman from Kiss ' I Was Made for Lovin' You was inspired that represents the beginning of the descent of Kiss for Diamond. The beat of the hi-hats Diamond also reminded to disco music and it appears amateurish, which is why he does not like the song as a single by Mercyful Fate and refuses to play it live. In addition, he finds it " pretty singing unfriendly ".
Reception
Through their " superior pace, an aggressive lead guitar, haunting harmonies, rhythmic variable songwriting and this gloomy atmosphere, the Demon and Witchfinder General made her look pale ," provided the band with their EP " after only one year of joint semi-professional demo recordings for sensation ". While the band with the quality of the production itself was dissatisfied, many fans liked their sound. The EP is considered a classic of the genre. Since it was difficult to obtain in the U.S., created numerous bootleg pressings.
The German magazine Rock Hard took the EP in 2009 in the list of " 250 Black Metal albums you should know " on.