Few if any artists have influenced the world of extreme underground metal like Denmark’s Mercyful Fate. With their theatrical style, their overtly satanic lyrics, and the spectral falsetto of singer King Diamond, the band inspired countless bands across metal’s broad landscape, most notably in the world of black metal. Now, King Diamond has revealed that twenty-one years after the release of 1999’s 9, Mercyful Fate are working on a new album.
Speaking to Knotfest.com, King Diamond said, “Mercyful Fate will be playing live first, doing these European festivals that were supposed to be being played now. We’re in Denmark for rehearsals first and then there are eight or so festivals in Europe, then we have to fly all the gear over to the US to play Las Vegas. There will be a couple of new songs from the Mercyful Fate album in the set next summer, which otherwise will just be from the EP, Melissa and Don’t Break the Oath. Totally old, with a couple new songs added to it.”
His Majesty also said that his solo band are hard at work on their new album, and that his new home recording studio has breathed fresh life into his singing.
“I’ve recently moved into a new house with a studio upstairs which is the best sounding room I have ever been in,” said King Diamond. “I have very high expectations for what we are doing now. You can hear on the new song ‘Masquerade of Madness’ as well that it is back to the old vocal style where anything goes. All vocals are lead vocals in my mind. That’s how it was in the old days. Sometimes you can be talked into leaving the choirs as backing vocals or whatever but that is not how I feel. I will sing a lead and then the next part of that lyric will be sung by a choir to the right, then a choir to the left takes over the next line, where it is always moving around taking on different effects. That is what I love, that craziness, because that makes it even more theatrical to listen to. We are back into that, full blast.”
Keep your eyes out for new Mercyful Fate in the coming year!
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Words by Chris Krovatin
