Another great entry from Italy. Intricate and complex, melodic and enjoyable. The style is a symphonic rock with arrangements and developments that make the most out of a rich and varied instrumentation. The delicate melodic work, shared by vocals, keyboards, guitars and flute, is supported by dynamic rhythms to create a sound that alternates from acoustic to electric. As good as the best Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso. Fans of lush, complex symphonic progressive rock will adore "Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più".
Dead Again is the sixth studio album by Mercyful Fate, released in 1998 by Metal Blade Records. It marks the first album from Mercyful Fate that Michael Denner is not present on. It also marked a new era for the band, as the production is more muddy and raw, and the guitar tone is more distorted than on the three previous albums. In addition, the album introduced a more complex and arguably progressive sound to several of its tracks.
Don't Break the Oath is the second studio album by Danish heavy metal band Mercyful Fate, released in 1984. The style Mercyful Fate employed on Don't Break the Oath resembled a mixture of heavy metal with progressive elements, lyrically preoccupied with Satan and the occult and distinguished by King Diamond's theatrical falsetto vocals. Although very influential to future black metal bands due to its lyrical content, the music itself is more reminiscent of traditional heavy metal. The album was remastered and subsequently re-issued on Roadrunner Records in 1997. This reissue came with the bonus track "Death Kiss (Demo)", which would eventually evolve into the album's lead-off track, "A Dangerous Meeting". Metal Rules named this the greatest extreme metal album of all time.
Melissa is the debut studio album by Danish heavy metal band Mercyful Fate, released on 30 October 1983. It was the first album released by Roadrunner Records. In 2005, Roadrunner Records re-released this album with several bonus tracks.
In the Shadows is the third full-length studio album by Danish heavy metal band Mercyful Fate. It is the first offering of the band since their reunion in 1992. The album was released in 1993 via Metal Blade Records. Unlike previous Mercyful Fate albums, which were entirely centered around lyrical themes of Satanism and the occult, the lyrics on this album are rather focused on more conceptual horror-themes, akin to King Diamond's work with his eponymous band. The band would not return to a primarily occult/Satanic lyrical approach until the band's latest album, 9, released in 1999. Some editions of In the Shadows contain a bonus track, "Return of the Vampire… 1993", that is a re-recording of the song "Return of the Vampire", present in the homonymous 1992 compilation album, featuring Lars Ulrich of Metallica on drums.
Into the Unknown is the fifth album by Mercyful Fate, released by Metal Blade Records in 1996. Into the Unknown is the most commercially successful Mercyful Fate album to date.