Metal School - Mercyful Fate & King Diamond

An overview and retrospective of both Mercyful Fate and King Diamond. Formed in 1981 from the ashes of Danish hard rock band Brats, Mercyful Fate caught widespread attention with catchy riffs and dark occult imagery. Musical differences would soon cause the band to split again, this time forming King Diamond. Put on some headphones and kick back as we take a deep dive into the history, the albums, and the music of two bands with one of the most recognized frontmen in metal, King Diamond.
Patreon: / metalschool136
Music Videos
Evil: • Mercyful Fate - Evil (...
The Family Ghost: • King Diamond - The Fam...
Welcome Home: • King Diamond - Welcome...
Sleepless Nights: • King Diamond - Sleeple...
Egypt: • Mercyful Fate - Egypt
The Bell Witch: • Mercyful Fate - The Be...
Nightmare Be Thy Name: • MERCYFUL FATE - Nig...
Witches' Dance: • Mercyful Fate - Witche...
The Uninvited Guest: • Mercyful Fate - The Un...
The Night: • Mercyful Fate - The Ni...
Give Me Your Soul: • King Diamond - Give Me...
Interviews
Sky Trax (King Diamond - 1986): • King Diamond 1986 Inte...
The Joe Franklin Show (King Diamond - 1987): • King Diamond {intervie...
Music Box (King Diamond - 1987): • King Diamond Another R...
Headbanger's Ball (King Diamond at Dynamo Open Air - 1993): • King Diamond interview...
Headbanger's Ball (Hank Shermann & Michael Denner at Dynamo Open Air - 1993): • Mercyful Fate Intervie...
Headbanger's Ball (King Diamond - 1993): • King Diamond Interview...
Headbanger's Ball (King Diamond - 1995): • Mercyful Fate Via rock...
Headbanger's Ball (King Diamond - 1996): • King Diamond - Intervi...
MTV (King Diamond - 1996): • King Diamond talks abo...
Performances
Doomed by the Living Dead (Eindhoven, Netherlands - 1983): • Mercyful Fate -Doomed ...
Into the Coven (Eindhoven, Netherlands - 1983): • mercyful fate into the...
Victimized/Cremation (Houston, Texas - 1989): • King Diamond - Welcome...
Full Concert (New York, New York - 1989): • KING DIAMOND: live in ...
Last Rites (Montreal, Canada - 1999): • Mercyful Fate - "last ...
#KingDiamond #MetalSchool #MercyfulFate #MichaelDenner #HankShermann #HistoryofMercyfulFate #KingDiamondDocumentary #HeavyMetalHistory #TimiHansen #AndyLaRocque #MikeWead #Melissa #DontBreakTheOath #IntoTheShadows #FatalPortrait #IntoTheCoven #DoomedByTheLivingDead #Abigail #AbigailII #TheSpidersLullabye #HouseofGod #ThePupperMaster #GiveMeYourSoul #NoPresentsForChristmas #HeavyMetalSolos #HeadbangersBall #PeteBlakk #HalPatino #MattThompson #BlackMetal #EarlyBlackMetal #PowerMetal #Conspiracy #SnowyShaw #KimRuzz #TheFamilyGhost #MercyfulFateDocumentary #SleeplessNights #WelcomeHome #NightmareBeThyName #TheUninvitedGuest #TheInvisibleGuests #TheGraveyard #WitchesDance

[@tpecillo]

Andy Larocque is a freakin' god and is to often left out of the discussion of the worlds greatest metal guitarist

[@FreeRPGer]

Indeed. Andy rules (right up there with Michael and Hank, but with his own style). Same with Kim Ruzz. He was a self-styled, triplet heavy drummer when he played in the Fate days, totally overlooked.

[@Albendova666]

Fuken aye👊👊👊

[@baldvale5418]

Andy's guitar playing is spellbinding, we know he is the best f-ck the rest \m/

[@simonmoloney2783]

Hes one of my favorite guitar players, he also done solos on Deaths 1993 album individual thought patterns, it's unbelievably amazing, Andy is a God.

[@t.y.3966]

Absolutely!! It's criminal!!!

[@JoeyArmstrong2800]

Melissa and Don't Break the Oath changed my life. The guitar playing is absolutely phenomenal.

[@markusforsberg6741]

Dont forget their ep mercyful Fate or nuns have no fun from 1982 that album is fucking awsome.🤘😈🤘

[@GChris-ny8fp]

Same

[@seagullpoet]

I always hear new things, after decades, when listening to them.

[@keropiboy]

Ever heard "Burning the cross"? Absurd guitar playing!

[@Peter_Rosendahl]

Agree with you, but for me "Them" is the absolute favorite album.

[@shanegriffin2215]

Mikkey Dee is one of the most incredible drummers ever.

[@NikkLiberos]

Lemmy said it best: "The best drummer in the world, Mikkey Dee!"

[@humanactivated1017]

Yea but motorhead weren't exactly musicians , mickey dee is not bad but no dynamics in his playing .

[@TheTrooperMB]

@@humanactivated1017 his drum playing on Overkill blew my socks off with Scorpions regardless ..

[@screamingeagle7704]

Agreed. He is awesome as the Scorpions drummer

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

No argument

[@samgott8689]

Don’t Break the Oath has possibly the most metal album cover of all time. Iconic.

[@s.d.c5513]

That or "Live After Death" ⚖️

[@juliereminiec4937]

One of them

[@Chadner]

Not only it is iconic and hauntingly beautiful, but it's also the most 'real' looking. I always imagined some poor soul meeting a businessman in a bar and foolishly signing a weird contract and, the moment the deal is done, suddenly, the sharped-dressed businessman turns into a demon, the pub turns into hell, and as the demon slowly sinks into the fire he points at the man and says "don't break the oath", then as it never happened, he is back at the bar sitting alone. Minutes later, the waitress comes back, "oh, I see your friend just left you here, huh?" But the man can't hear a word.

[@whiptech]

It was an air brush project of mine in highschool in 1987. 👍

[@soundboyeric2276]

I prefer Melissa it's so awesome looking if I was a tattoo guy I'd get that shit. But The Oath is my favorite mercyful fate song by far.

[@MichaelHolmgaard]

Michael Denner & Andy LaRocque were one of the best guitar duos of all time!!!!! Their work on Fatal Portrait and Abigail is some of the most wickedly tasteful I've ever heard 🖤

[@jasoncrane2415]

Fuck don't forget Hank Sherman...

[@Hispandinavian]

I remember reading the liner notes "if you try to reenact any of the lyrics of this album, you are too stupid to live"

[@jamesddubz]

After 40 years still Love Mercyful Fate and King Diamond \M/

[@realmchat6665]

The early Mercyful Fate stuff is untouchable - without peers. The first time I heard Don't Break The Oath it blew my mind like few other albums have in how far beyond it was anything else at the time.

[@TheChadTI]

It's hard to pick a favorite between the 2. Depends on the day really.

[@benedictdonald4338]

Agreed. I first heard the EP is 1985 and couldn’t believe it. Nothing out there was remotely similar. Phenomenal band.

[@TheMafrand]

Two masterpieces. My favorite song is Night of the Unborn. Maybe not their most well known song but I find it awesome :-).

[@robertpreston2220]

Melissa and DBTO are the best metal albums ever! And the fact King is an actual satanist gives them an added thrill to listen to especially knowing they are based on many of his real life experiences and practices

[@eduardokaehlermeister9463]

@@TheMafrand my favorite song too… it would be awesome watch them playing’Night of the Unborm’ live.

[@mattiapramotton7486]

During those years I became convinced that the guitars of Shermann and Denner is the true sound of heavy metal.

[@jseipp]

The Thin Lizzy guitar solo 6:54 is one of my favorite Mercyful Fate guitar moments! It's such a great example of their uniqueness.

[@WyattScott]

yes! 👍👊🏻

[@tomwhittaker9461]

I love it too.

[@Jonathan_Brose]

Pure melodic evil🤘🤘🤘

[@klauswigsmith]

Mercyful Fate is the best metal band ever, IMO

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

Although I disagree with you I do enjoy your enthusiasm and I do respect the two bands. I would put Judas Priest Iron Maiden Black Sabbath or Metallica as the best metal band ever. 🤘

[@klauswigsmith]

@@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812 All amazing bands you listed, and of course this is all subjective, but I would agree that those bands are definitely more significant metal bands. Mercyful Fate is still my all time favourite metal band.

[@drummerw17]

Absolutely 🤘😈🤘

[@MidnightMark12]

Mind the moon, beware the path. MF>KD>Slayer>Testament>Megadeth>Kreator>Death>Opeth

[@gregpeterson994]

You forgot the band POISON

[@Monsterdrumma]

The first time I heard King was loading my drums in to my car and the walkway from my school right next to my house I heard some kids blaring something and I said wtf is that and they said Abigail by King Diamond. I went and bought it immediately and was absolutely floored then THEM! came out and I was further blown away, my favorite 2 metal albums ever created! I met Mikkey twice also and he is a super cool guy and the best metal drummer ever imo!

[@hangar4pro]

Mikkey Dee on "Abigail" was a game changer for me. I was hooked. Fast forward about 20 years and had my first child, which she is appropriately named...you guessed it, Abigail.

[@zls9890]

I once dated a girl named Melissa. We were trying for a kid. If it would've happened to be a girl, she would've been named Abigail.

[@darrenking2231]

@@zls9890 As it should be. :)

[@dougstephenson3126]

If my wife and I had a daughter she would have been named Abigail as well. I didn’t tell her why I loved the name because I’m fairly certain she wouldn’t appreciate it. We had a son so it never mattered by I love the name Abigail because that album is still one of my favorites to this day.

[@sinceunati]

Such a badass classic album

[@ffwdracingrods]

@@dougstephenson3126 Oddly enough, she knew exactly where the name, "Abigail" came from. lol Doesn't care much for the music, but she is pretty broad minded. That's why we're still together I'd imagine. :)

[@hektorlinko]

I discovered this band in high school when I was a sophomore in health class.This gangtser pot head sitting next to me saw my notebook had pics and doodling of bands like Slayer, Misfits, Exploited etc. and he was like "Hey bro do you like Mercyful Fate? I have a cassette I need to sell for some weed?" I was like never heard of them. He then said I'll probably like it from what he saw on my notebook. So I said yeah and gave him 5 bucks and the album was "In the Beginning." I went home and listened to that and it changed my life. I was so consumed by it. Then that same dude asked if I liked it and I was like Hell Yeah! He then sold me King Diamond's "Them." Then I was all in!! I needed to hear more. Then learned about all the releases and had to have all of them so I went hunting and researched and finally found them all. Abigail blew my mind away. Then "The Eye" was brand new coming up and bought that one and collected all the cassettes, singles, vinyl and anything rare and collectable and this started in 1992 and today is May 9 2022, 30 years later I'm now 48 years old and talking about this awesome band here so yeah this video gets a Thumbs Up! A+++++ and 6 hundred and 66 Evil Stars. lol Hell yeah this was a treat to watch. Thank You and hope others enjoyed this as well and remember....18 is actually 9. lol

[@JesusManera]

Count me as one of those who considers The Graveyard to be one of King Diamond's most underrated. I think it's a great album.

[@c.s.charles2102]

I like that one a lot too. Black Hill Sanitarium, Sleep Tight Little Baby, and Lucy Forever: Three awesome tracks for three different reasons

[@tonyruiz1976]

That whole album is very good, don't know why it didn't do so well, to me it was just as good as all the other stuff IMO

[@Coasterdude02149]

I just chalked it up to the changes in the scene. The labels killed metal, it was a sad, shitty end to our generation. I’ve been a huge fan of King from the start and feel he’s always stayed true to his roots and gave us awesome music. The only one I had trouble getting into was VooDoo. I still need to give that more spins. LONG LIVE KING🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@tonyruiz1976]

@@Coasterdude02149 The Album Voodoo is an awesome album you really have to give it a chance, but I guarantee you that you will like it once you listen to it and the congas are played by Dime bag and he helped with some of the songs 🎵 but it's a great album believe me 🎸☠💀✌🤘

[@kevinriley1818]

My favorite band. I’m shocked when I play their music nobody knows who they are yet they fall in love with them. I’ve turned a dozen or so into mercyful fate/king Diamond fans. Unfortunately only seen them twice live.

[@markpalavosvrahotes5575]

I consider Them and Conspiracy as a double album the best ever made.

[@badground3534]

Great for sure. I love don’t break the oath, Abigail and puppet master

[@hektorlinko]

Yes...absolutely a great double album. Very good storytelling. A+++

[@hektorlinko]

@@badground3534 Same here, The Oath and Abigail easily the best albums ever. Never get tired of listening to it. Have you seen the live concert in Philly with the Abigail tour? Awesome video! A+++

[@badground3534]

@@hektorlinko no I’ve never seen king diamond or mercyful fate I want to do bad

[@mrmogensen]

Dude Satan's Fall is a masterpiece. Just the title alone completely justifies the length of the tracks and all the changes

[@stevenmichael7770]

Cannot overstate how important Mikkey Dee's drumming was to the musicality of those albums. When he left, I played The Eye once and asked God why he did this to me. King Diamond without Mikkey Dee is like pizza without cheese. LaRocque also unbelievable - he's the dough, lol.

[@laliskoo]

Let's not forget to credit Livia Zita for her awesome vocals in puppet master and her contribution to all King Diamond concerts ever since

[@Torgo1969]

30 years younger than her husband King. Go King Go! And she does very well backing him up in concert.

[@Vasilis_Metalhead]

@@Torgo1969 Another reason for King to be our idol!

[@sinceunati]

And Jodie who's been playing Grandma for years!

[@216Numbskull]

​@@sinceunati Right On! My friend Michelle was who originally played "Grandma" back in the day. 🤘😜🤘

[@rattlhed1]

Conspiracy is a musical masterpiece. That album flows so well, and the musicianship is top notch. The songs are so complex, and they bring out such emotion. Still listen to it 25 years after I discovered it and it never gets old. 🤘🤘

[@thrasherftw]

That tape used to stay in my van for a week or more at a time.

[@NIGHTROCKER70]

It is for me too, Pete Blakk and Andy Laroque shred that album so incredibly to me. One of my favorite guitar albums ever. The King is just magic on it also 🎤💓🤘👑💎🪓👩‍🦽

[@mark_beastpriest5539]

If you made the PMRC's shit list in the 80's, it was guaranteed you were going to be HUGE! I started listening to metal back then, and I remember kids buying albums that said "parental advisory" on them. The best unpayed publicity a band could ask for.

[@fledglingbodhisatva4821]

That label appeared in 1990. Everything else is spot on!

[@andrewpardue3324]

I think WASP was the first band album to get tagged by the PMRC / Washington wives group in about 1984/85 the self titled album didn’t have a parental warning at that time it just said “Explicit Lyrics” so of course we all had to have it ! First pic I saw of Blackie was in Hit Parader magazine he was holding an axe 🪓 and drinking blood out of a skull!I ripped out and bought their 1st album the next day and have never been disappointed the guitar work was always awesome ( I prefer Chris Holmes and Blackie together best and I always loved Blackie’ singing voice he sounds incredible and very unique! He’s always been one of my favourite singers and still is to this day ! WASP has always had great musicians in every version of the band over the years. if I remember right i was in grade 8 and 14 years old at the time ( I’m 52 now and still a metalhead! 🤘🏻😎🤘🏻) it did not have the effect that censorship group wanted! Quite the opposite! Even Blackie Lawless said that was the best thing they could have done the album sold 10x as much as the record company had projected! 😄

[@henrychiarkas4415]

Satan's Fall was brilliant ... every second ... just like the rest of the album.

[@lucasmacleod8761]

Use your demon eyes Uncover the disguise Time is out YAAAAHHHHHHH! 🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼 One of my favorite parts

[@Torgo1969]

Listened to Conspiracy driving home from work today. An excellent album.

[@thinkforyourself2109]

Personally, I love the sudden tempo changes and the way the songs go in one direction then another, transitioning from one heavy riff to another. I think it's brilliant and makes Mercyful Fate incredible. I will never tire of listening to their albums.

[@djmerchant]

KIng Diamond band has the same tempo change formula. The most popular metal band on the planet- Metallica- was heavily influenced by the style as shown on Ride The Lightning, Master of Puppets and ... In Justice For All

[@thinkforyourself2109]

@@djmerchant The guys who wrote the music for Mercyful Fate were musical geniuses in my opinion: Hank Shermann, Michael Denner, King Diamond. I never tire of listening to those albums. The first three albums by Metallica are very good too. To appreciate the hidden beauty of some of the death metal genre, one has to listen to piano renditions of it by MetalHeart and others. This gets rid of the pounding drums, which distracts from the melodies. Transliteration to piano is a new sub-genre of metal. Some of the stuff is incredibly beautiful, e.g., this rendition of Dimmu Borgir's 'Enthrone Darkness Triumphant' by MetalHeart: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mn2pkoBmlNZslbM

[@Chadner]

@thinkforyourself2109 Yes, dude, you are so right! And if you think that with the passing of time, centuries, music production and arrangement change drastically, all that remains is the composition. It's funny to think that maybe in 200 years, our "heavy metal" will be bundled with all types of popular music from our age and only the ones who composed the best melodies will be remembered. Maybe in the future, names like Beethoven and Mozart will be forgotten, but Schuldiner, Iommi, Fripp, Shermann & Denner, will be their go-to classical composers.

[@thinkforyourself2109]

@@Chadner I agree with all that except the part that Beethoven and Mozart will be forgotten. That will never happen because their music is superlative and will last through the ages. My favourites are Bach, Handel and Monteverdi. People who have not listened to Monteverdi''s L''Orfeo or Israel in Egypt of by Handel, or William Byrd's motets are missing out.

[@Chadner]

@@thinkforyourself2109 Right, I didn't mean it like that, honestly, in all likelihood, our metal idols are the ones who will be forgotten. I meant that in the future there might be a difference in how we evaluate the culture of the past, and things that are too far removed will be lost in translation. Similar to what happens in our time when it comes to, let's say, medieval Gregorian chants. We know of them, but they aren't "available" to us anymore, not in the sense that Mozart is available today.

[@harpethguitar]

I love Merciful Fate & King Diamond. Thank You 💎💎💎💎💎💎😍😍😍😍

[@Darrell9000]

Those first two mercyful fate albums are so good.

[@kenedie4646]

Merciful fate and King Diamond are two of my favorite bands, since 1985. There has never been a song that I have not loved, from either band. End of story. I love both bands.

[@NIGHTROCKER70]

I was 15 in 85 and it was the year I discovered them. What a life changing experience, well...musically. Had never heard anything like it. Loved tons of metal, but never heard a singer like that. Then throw in the guitars that completely mesmerized me and it was done deal, I was a Huge fan.

[@theblackflame4002]

Abigail was such a huge influence on ,me that it became the name of my first horror novel. In 2019 I was able to take my daughter to see KD in Worcester Ma. The guy still doesn't miss a note, and the stage set and the women who play the characters are as amazing as ever. Its not a show its an experience And that is father daughter bonding

[@joshd1062]

Hey I went to that same show. At the palladium. It was indeed an experience, one I will never forget

[@jseipp]

I saw this tour in Baltimore, it was incredible! He sounded better than when I saw him in 2001, to be honest. His wife sings a lot of the high vocal parts live now and it sounds absolutely fantastic.

[@anfrankogezamartincic1161]

You are a good father

[@RealBillyGarcia]

I’m a huge fan of Mercyful Fate. Into The Unknown is such a underrated album IMO.

[@MetalSchoolChannel]

Totally. Into the Unknown has some great heavy stuff on it. And Under the Spell rocks.

[@gothicmetalmaniac7424]

@@MetalSchoolChannel when u get the chance can you do a video on the band motorhead

[@Palehorae20]

Into the unknown and Time Are my favorite merciful fate releases nine is my least favorite

[@joescambait]

I saw King for the 1st time in 86 at the Channel Club in Boston with casket and baby dolls, swords and ear piercing vocals . It was great . I was right up front banging my head off the stage. I will never forget

[@SelfHealingGod]

I still can't get over Don't Break The Oath. I went through the 80's on that album. I still feel it's most creative album.

[@ipeefreely2364]

Still to this day Merciful Fate n King Diamond are by favorite metal bands. They inspired metal so much bands blaintenly stole their ideas .

[@hektorlinko]

Same here, I'm now 48 and MF. and Diamond are in my top 5 metal bands. Of course Slayer is in that mix of favs as well.

[@itchy-scratchy]

Evil is one of the most iconic songs ever written. PERIOD......nuff said.

[@ndrlfrd]

"Mellissa" is #1 with "Dont break the oath" a close second...no bad songs on those!

[@nickyvestergaard6689]

Wow, just wow. Have listened to both King and Mercyful the most of my life, I still discovered new things in this video. Magnifico🤘🖤

[@knocked.y.t.f.o]

I’m glad to say I saw King Diamonds shows two times…once in 1987 and then took my son to see him in 2014… that man knows how to put on a show!

[@megadejv8883]

The Graveyard has one of the best stories ever written by King. Yeah, totally underrated album.

[@Tommi_O_Palve]

For me the best King Diamond album.

[@snader5485]

THIS. That album is awesome, and the story needs to be turned in to a movie.

[@toro5280]

Yeah, probably my most favorite KD album. I also love Spider's lullaby. I mean I love all of his albums plus MF, but these two must be my favorites.

[@benedictdonald4338]

Glad to see the love for “Puppet Master”, which I agree was his best since the classic era.

[@vladimirtemnyalov7059]

King is THE KING, so metal so special, so unique!

[@butterbagboy]

Andy is a beyond incredible guitarist

[@demolitionizer7686]

One of my favorite bands. This is going to be good. EDIT: Finally someone mentions Arthur Brown in relation the King

[@acdcking1234]

one of my favorite singers and mercyful fate is one of my favorite bands

[@peterlandbo2726]

Melissa is without fault whatsoever - every note has meaning. Perfect.

[@GhanimaGalach]

MF/KD are my all time favorite metal bands.

[@StocktonJustin95]

Love that you talked about Brats too!! Great punk influenced album!

[@Come-What-May]

The amount of quality music this guy has created is mind boggling. The Eye, Graveyard and Voodoo, to me were fantastic and deserve more attention. KD is definitely one of my all-time favorite artists. I've been lucky enough to see him a few times.

[@FlorianGeyer210]

I love both bands.....superb music for all these years. My favourite Mercyful Fate álbum is "In the Shadows" while for King Diamond is "House of god" 🤘🤘

[@RazorRex]

I am super excited for both new albums set to be released this year.

[@zionmartell42]

Same Here 🤘😈🔥

[@zls9890]

You forgot to mention that the remake of "Return of the Vampire" had Lars Ulrich on drums, and the first guitar solo on "Voodoo" has Dimebag Darrell on guitar.

[@davidmurray6176]

They could have found a better drummer bc L.U. is horrible.

[@Rubberbandman0529]

I've been a fan of both for decades. But the vocals.... woah. Luckily the music overshadows it. I didn't realize the 2 bands went back and forth so much. I always thought it was strange that King was the only one wearing makeup all the time. Usually bands sync together, whether it's makeup or masks or whatever. But it worked. I think my favorite Mercyful Fate is Don't Break The Oath and from King Diamond, The Graveyard. Love the concept story on that one. Of everything King has done, I like Sleepless Nights the best. I remember the video and still a favorite song of mine now. Thanks for this one, I know you put a lot of work into this one 🤘🏼

[@troy78]

Excellent work on this retrospective. It really stands out as it weaves both Mercyful Fate and King Diamond’s discography into a cohesive timeline. 🤘🏼🐐🤘🏼

[@1cedcoffee]

i've known of Mercyful Fate and King Diamond for a while now but i truly got into their music a few weeks ago Don't Break the Oath is one of my favorite albums of all time, and King's "solo" stuff is honestly very addicting to listen to, the albums and stories in them are so unique that its nothing but a pleasure to listen to

[@Mitch_The_Cadet]

King Diamond is a gift to heavy metal. Unique in all ways

[@SPANKYMCKRACKIN]

A show hosted by "Jim Ladd" on KMET 94.7 in the L.A. area, California. They called it Metal hour, then Mighty Metal hour, then The Mighty Metal shop which lasted 4 hours. This was early 80's and a great way to get turned on to new bands, up and coming and bands from other countries. You'd here local club bands demos played on the air, Armored Saint, Great White, Crue, Ratt, Virgin Steele all before they got singed. Maiden b sides, Accept, Loudness from Japan.... I mean, they had it all man!! Anyway....It was Friday night .... I was listening with headphones that night. I was 14 or 15 and Stoned! Recording with a trusty Memorex high bias 2 90 min tape,....all was well. Jim came on and introduced this band and gave a little info on them. He then said that this song was from the upcoming album and the song was called "Desecration of Souls" The guitar riff grabbed me, it was Evil....and then.....King Diamonds voice.....something sinister was happening. The hair raised on my arms, this was like the first time i heard Black Sabbath. As the song progressed i realized my self looking around, over my shoulder and back again...i was scared shitless and i loved it. I'll never forget that night. Bought the album day of release, bought Melissa about a week later. I miss those days......

[@p.d.l7023]

I saw King Diamond perform all of Abigail on stage like 5 years ago.

[@jackdough8164]

I never got how this band wasn’t considered one of the big metal bands of the day, at least here I North America

[@SuperTugz]

They kinda were, in the underground metal community at least... just never had the commercial appeal to the masses that say a band like Metallica had

[@neonknight-1522]

@@SuperTugz i agree... i dont think metallica or a few other big metal bands are better than mercyful fate.

[@jeremyindra3685]

Satanism declared, That's why, America particularly back in those days was fighting against that. HS!

[@Pr1me_Zer0.TheRealRevWD]

They were and are huge in the metal scene. Kings voice turns a lot of people away, they can't handle the greatness.

[@jeffd9782]

Excellent content and research. King Diamond is a 40 year favorite, and I look forward to seeing them LIVE one day!

[@XenobiaWinterWolfMoon]

I'll be honest I had only ever had listened to Welcome Home for years. It was the first song/music video I had ever seen from King Diamond. I had recently lost my grandmother at the time when a guy I was hanging out with showed me the video. The song was just prefect for me. With the line asking if it was a dream are you really back. I've had dreams about her somehow surviving her death and burial and coming back. I have only recently listened to the entire Them album. And added Halloween and Witches Dance to my play list. Thank you for making this video for those of us who have come late to the party.

[@stevenhodges6039]

Listen to them all. Brilliant. Simply amazing. Do yourself that favor and venture into all of them

[@earlyriser6360]

Wish you would have just slightly touched on Hank Sherman's band FATE in the timeline, right where you mentioned the Changing of band names. Up The Irons!

[@FreeRPGer]

Truly, it's not "that" convoluted, as "The Candle" and "The Portrait" were both heavily inspired by Edgar Allen Poe short stories. And I *love* the progressive writing in "Satan's Fall." There were several changes, but they all flowed nicely, IMO. It inspired me in drums & vocals, & added to my own creativity back then. Back when I 1st heard Mercyful Fate in the States (1981, '82), I thought it was new & innovative, & yet evolved from the prog 70's. I'd say it still holds up today.

[@seagullpoet]

Didn’t know Edgar Poe inspired them ?

[@FreeRPGer]

​Well, kind of. A few of his concept albums, anyways. After Fate, when the King went from the Satanic lyrics to more of a horror/ghost theme, a couple of his earlier story concept albums were inspired by Poe. A couple of the King's song titles were inspired by a few of Poe's short tales (The Oval Portrait). King Diamond even said such in a magazine article I read several years ago.

[@chrisquinn9104]

When you have that many riffs and a rhythm section 2nd to none I say keep the riffs coming!

[@user-yc1su3jl9p]

So glad i got to see King Diamond in 2019 right before Covid hit. I cant wait till they decide to tour again. That was def a bucket list concert for me scratched off the list!

[@christophermaynard1902]

Such a kick ass band..tremendous guitar playing....great horror rock....

[@JohnnyWolfram]

Mercyful Fate had the best musicians in metal...hands down!!

[@josephbeguhl5224]

I first heard Mercyful Fate and King Diamond about 20 years ago when I picked up the Dangerous Meeting compilation CD. I never had heard anything by either band up until that point. After about 10 seconds of hearing Doomed By The Living Dead my jaw dropped to the floor! I had no idea that these bands were so awesome. To this day it is the most incredible musical discovery of my life. Such a combination of riffs and melody unlike anything I had heard before. It was so cool to hear King talk about all the music that he created over the years. Despite his outwardly appearance, he is such a personable and engaging guy. I would love to just sit and listen to him tell stories.

[@heavybrett-al4082]

Never get tired of King diamond, still gets regular play in my house🤘

[@staalhard4044]

Thank you for highlightng The Puppet Master. Such an underrated gem. Not the best King Diamond album, but it's undeniably the most consistent one.

[@SuperTugz]

It's arguably the most disturbing story in any of his full concept albums....I LOVE it!

[@halvorjensen43]

The puppet master is great

[@WyattScott]

Emerencia!

[@AntonioSilva-hn5xv]

If you don't know why King Diamond has a Rotweiller in the video for "Witche's Dance", I suggest you watch the movie "The Omen".

[@llongone2]

Abigail is the best heavy metal album ever made. Fatal Portrait, Don't Break The Oath, and Melissa are also Top 100 of all time.

[@Torgo1969]

I got into King late in the game, in November 2015. But it was just in time, as I was able to see him in Detroit that very month!

[@MidnightMark12]

@@Torgo1969 I was at the Fillmore that night! I was up in the box tier. Wow, it was freezing that night. I thought that we would have made the DVD, but the Philly show made the cut. Stay Heavy \m/

[@theblackflame4002]

I wore out multiple copies of that album, and it was such an influence on me(along with 80's slasher/exploitation films) that I named my first self published novel "Abigail". Sadly Abigail 2 was not anywhere near as good. Even for KD leaving well enough alone isn't a bad thing.

[@MechaFenris]

I was in a record store and bought "Don't Break the Oath" based on the album cover alone. :) heheheheh. It matched the awesome cover. :)

[@affeneitrheim614]

«Abigail» was a so called life changing album for me back in 87. And I love everything by King and MF.

[@teamgaxiola]

All his solo stuff kicked ass period. The story telling is like no other in musical compositions.

[@Jim-be8sj]

Good one. "Don't Break the Oath" and "Abigail" are among my top 10 metal LPs of all time. I was totally hypnotized by the sounds of these bands back in the day. They did great live shows too.

[@beotheguitarist]

Thanks for thanks documentary. King Diamond is a genius with the best musicians on the planet. That Andy LaRocque guitar playing is amazing. Hail to the king!

[@JohnHenrySheridan]

Great overview of Mercyful Fate and King Diamond ! Thanks so much !

[@martinhertog5357]

It must be a sign that this video is released on my birthday. I have been King Diamond fan since I heard Them and Melissa around 1988.

[@QuasarSniffer]

I was really blessed to be a freshman in college when Puppet Master came out, so it was a perfect time for me to discover the majesty of King Diamond. I knew of him and Mercyful Fate before then, but that was the first new album he released as I was cognizant of their glory. I've been a devoted fan ever since.

[@uofksteel]

Love all the music that The King and Mercyful has put out. Almost every song is a great song. Some many underrated songs in the catalog like Crossroads, Banshee, and Leave My Soul Alone by Mercyful. King Diamond underrated songs include Mother's Getting Weaker, Cross of Baron Samedi, The Lake, Amon Belongs to Them, The Poltergeist, This Place is Terrible, Six Feet Under, Black of Night, and 1642 Imprisonment.

[@valeriyblinov1573]

Super GREAT LEGENDS!! Love!!! ART!! Thank You!!! Valeriy

[@mickcrocodiledundee6353]

I honestly think Them is the most accessible of the King's operas, it has stronger hooks (y'all may dispute) and a more cohesive narrative than Abigail or Conspiracy.

[@acloserlook5823]

The Eye was more measured and deliberate in it's storytelling, but yeah Them just swept you off your feet with the character development.

[@mikaelhanssin_MN]

Righteous! Enjoyed this very much. Been a King Diamond loyalist since Melissa record back in '83! I don't find Satans Fall at all awkward, whatsoever. One of the all time great tracks from M.F. As brilliant as both Melissa and Don't Break The Oath albums are, I adore Return Of The Vampire record a lot! Find myself jamming that album moreso than the others lately. However, in time the selections changes with mood, of course! Always end up back into the dearest arms of Melissa. Stay Heavy & Don't Break The Oath...18 is actually 9 🤘💀🤘

[@kenwheeler3637]

Very nicely done. Well thought out and organized information and presentation. I was lucky enough to get to see King Diamond live twice on the Them tour, the second time on Halloween night no less. Also got to see Mercyful Fate during their Into The Shadows tour.

[@mikerivera7509]

Another excellent documentary. Merciful Fate was one of the most incredible bands on the scene. I had sit out on the latest tour because I think it isn't the same without Michael Denner

[@MrJackrockerman]

When i heard King singing.i'm feel happy and full of energy.. Love both of them MF & KD..❤️🙌

[@gryper1690]

I saw King once on Abigail and twice on Them, in Detroit. Met him every time. The sound was so unique it affects you on a different level. Especially Don't Break the Oath and early King Diamond. Nothing sounded like that.

[@gregthompson3785]

Great documentary.Big fan of the old stuff by both bands.I will have to give the newer stuff a go.

[@RyanSeek]

Excellent career synopsis once again. As an aging rocker with gray hair claiming a solid foothold and who witnessed firsthand the times documented here, there isn't much I don't know about these classic bands you cover, but you never fail to drop a few little tidbits that I was unfamiliar with. So KUDOS to you for that! It must take an incredible amount of research (and album playthroughs) to put these rockumentaries together, and I, for one, can appreciate that kind of hard work and dedication. Thank you for that commitment and know your hard work is a worthwhile effort to many of us.

[@w4shep]

I loved that first Mercyful Fate EP. Picked it up in Frankfort Germany and freaked out when I first heard it. There was NO ONE that sounded like King Diamond at the time. And that scream... holy fuck!

[@kevincurry8350]

Mercyful fate is awesome, and they inspired many metal bands of all genres.

[@ChrisFerguson-zm4gt]

30:24 in the shadows is my favorite mercyful fate/king diamond album. Virtually every song a masterpiece.

[@sammyorr2265]

I was really surprised when I found Brats- 1980 was available on Spotify. Interesting album. First three tracks sound like heavy metal with punk vocals and then the rest of the album sounded fully punk.

[@MetalDad62]

Not that it would happen but King Diamond & Geoff Tate would be a helluva duo on a song.

[@golgothaassassin5035]

Man I miss the 80's and 90's so much killer music.......

[@zippydooda]

At least the music lives on! 🤟

[@niemals9837]

Saw them 84 at poperinge belgium heavy sound festival.metallica and mercyful fate were the best bands.i was 16years old. When our bus arrived from hamburg my friend and me run directly to the front and stay there for maybe the half festival.totally dehydried later whe go get 5 drinks everybody and saw from the back the headliners, twisted sister and motorhead. I drop a tear when i remember it.that was new stuff in metal and we enjoy the new bands in thrash speed.best time of my life.now im 55 years old and more into punk.singing in a hamburg local band cleansweep punkrock. I wish all the best everyone whose into the scene these days

[@CBT5777]

"Dead Again" is an underrated masterpiece. Are you kidding? Not sure why you didn't enjoy this one as much. It's brilliant! Every song on it is brilliant. I'll give The Puppet Master and Abigail 2 another listen. I have the CDs but I never listen to them.

[@williew705]

"Why does he have a rottweiler?' 😂😂 I love this channel so much!

[@mooninites3]

90s Mercyful Fate is so underrated. I love KD solo, but it comes with the commitment of the full storytelling and theatrical concepts, and sometimes I just need some hard riffs and Satan.

[@ferox965]

I don't think they ever did a bad one. Most importantly though, it's time for a new one.

[@jiriprecechtel3339]

I've been listening since I was young and it's still super original

[@ironwaiden]

Voodoo is the album that got me into King Diamond and remains a favorite alongside Fatal Portrait, Abigail and the Eye.

[@chrisb2535]

Nicely done! Conspiracy is probably my favorite King Diamond album (at least the first half). Favorite moment is from A Visit From The Dead, where he sings "standing at the edge of my bed" (just the awesome falsetto and sustain, I guess).