Mercyful Fate

Mercyful Fate are a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen, formed in 1981 by vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann. Their sound draws on progressive rock and hard rock, while the lyrics deal with the occult and LaVeyan Satanism, often with a sardonic twist on Christian themes. They were part of the first wave of black metal in the early to mid-1980s alongside Venom and Bathory, and have been cited as a formative influence on thrash metal, death metal and the Norwegian black metal scene.

Their first two albums, Melissa (1983) and Don't Break the Oath (1984), are the place to start. "Into the Coven" from Melissa later landed on the PMRC's "Filthy Fifteen" list. The band split in 1985, then reunited in 1992 for In the Shadows, released in 1993. Time followed in 1994, and more albums came before a hiatus in 1999. A more permanent reunion was announced in 2019.