Published on Aug 16, 1999
Formed in Denmark in the early 80’s, Mercyful Fate achieved near
legendary status almost immediately after the release of
Melissa, the bands’ first full-length release. Led by their
face painted frontman King Diamond, the band was one of the
pioneers of Death or Black Metal. Aptly named, death metal’s theme
focused on more morbid topics, frequently with a satanic theme.
Feared by parents and despised by bible-wielders, Diamond wrote
about topics that scared people half to death. He didn’t just write
about death or Satan, he wrote about Satanism, sacrifice, grave
defiling, and cemetery births. People couldn’t believe what they
were hearing. Not only was the subject mater scary, but he sang
these songs in a voice that ranged from strident growls to falsetto
highs. Astute lyrics about the occult and stage props that included
a human skull and a cross constructed from bones made Mercyful Fate
quite famous, despite their short initial life span. Mercyful Fate
disbanded after their second album, and Diamond continued on to a
solo career, still maintaining that he was a practicing Satanist.
In the early 90’s the band re-formed, and since then Diamond has
split time between the two projects.
Quite frankly, many bands in this segment are hacks. They
pretend to be skilled at their instruments, and write completely
brainless lyrics. This has never been the case with Mercyful Fate.
These guys can flat out play. Fate’s latest release,
9, continues with this tradition. Lyrically, Diamond
continues with the dark themes, but has progressed beyond the
shock-oriented, over-the-top story lines of the past. Diamond still
writes about the devil, but he approaches the subject from a
seemingly atheist perspective. His stories are still dark, but have
developed into what I’d call “mini horror stories.”
Musically, the band sounds even more solid now than they did on
the early albums. Founding guitarist Hank Shermann still provides
much of the musical direction, with Diamond taking the music credit
on the remainder of the tracks. Dueling guitars are everywhere on
this album, with Sherman and fellow guitarist Mike Weed trading
solos on nearly every track. Drummer Bjarne Holm is simply
outstanding – his performance is one of the best I’ve ever
heard.
There aren’t many slow spots on this album, but there are a few
worth mentioning. “Church of Saint Anne” drags a bit, but Shermann
and Weed toss out some great solos, so overall it’s an enjoyable
song. Lyrically, “Sold My Soul” is a bit tired. It’s a theme that
we’ve all visited frequently in the past, but Diamond adds another
twist. The protagonist of the story admits he sold his soul, but
the real rub is that he sold YOURS too! Bummer, eh? The music on
“Sold My Soul” is excellent. It’s one that begs to be played at
high volume.
The title track is surprisingly boring, not typical for an
album’s namesake. “I am 9, we are 9” Diamond repeats throughout the
track, a possible reference to the 9 circles of hell as defined in
Dante’s Inferno. Still, “9” is a creepy song, and it really makes
you wonder if Charon the boatman might select it for mood music as
he ferries the damned across the river Styx.
9 is a solid, thoroughly enjoyable release, and fans of the
genre should enjoy it as much as I did. If you find yourself
singing Debbie Gibson while strolling through the office, you’ll
probably want to look elsewhere.