Mercyful Fate is a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen, formed in Spring 1981 by vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann, following the dissolution of the punk/metal band Brats. Mercyful Fate was part of the first wave of black metal in the early to mid-1980s, along with bands like Venom, Celtic Frost, and Bathory. Their lyrical content deals with Satan and occultism. Various bands including Slayer and Metallica have cited Mercyful Fate as an influence. The band gained popularity thanks to their style, lyrics, and King Diamond’s phenomenal vocal range.

After going through several line-up changes, Mercyful Fate released their self-titled EP in 1982. This line-up, consisting of King Diamond, Hank Shermann, bassist Timi Hansen, drummer Kim Ruzz and guitarist Michael Denner, would go on to record the band’s first two iconic studio albums. In October 1983, Mercyful Fate recorded their debut album, Melissa. In September 1984, they released their second studio album Don’t Break the Oath. In April 1985, the band broke up after two full-length albums, due to musical differences. Shermann wanted a more commercial approach, but Diamond refused and announced his departure from Mercyful Fate, which led to the band breaking-up.

King Diamond pursued a solo career in the mid-1980s and guitarist Hank Shermann had formed the hard rock band Fate in 1985, after having left Mercyful Fate. In 1992, King Diamond, Hank Shermann, Michael Denner, and Timi Hansen reunited to reform Mercyful Fate. The drummer Kim Ruzz was replaced by Morten Nielsen. In 1993, Mercyful Fate released their third studio album, In the Shadows. For the album’s supporting tour, Morten Nielsen was replaced by King Diamond drummer Snowy Shaw, due to a knee injury Nielsen had sustained. Timi Hansen was also replaced by Sharlee D'Angelo, as he did not want to take part in tours. In 1994, the band released the album Time. After the album’s release, drummer Snowy Shaw was replaced by Bjarne T. Holm for the Time Tour. In 1996 Mercyful Fate began recording the album Into the Unknown. After the release of the album, guitarist Michael Denner left the band and was replaced by Mike Wead. In 1997, the band released their sixth studio album, Dead Again. In 1997, Mercyful Fate recorded their eighth and final album 9.

In late 2019, Mercyful Fate announced their reunion. The band was supposed to play a reunion tour with bassist Timi Hansen, who was battling cancer. Due to Hansen’s health problems, Joey Vera was announced as a replacement. Hansen died on November 4, 2019, shortly after his 61st birthday. The band is going to record their first studio album in over two decades.

Members

Current

King Diamond – lead vocals, keyboards (1981–1985, 1993–1999, 2008, 2011, 2019–present)
Hank Shermann – guitars (1981–1985, 1993–1999, 2008, 2011, 2019–present)
Bjarne T. Holm – drums (1994–1999, 2008, 2019–present)
Mike Wead – guitars (1996–1999, 2019–present)
Joey Vera – bass (2019–present)

Past

Timi Hansen – bass (1981–1985, 1993, 2008, 2011, 2019)
Carsten Van Der Volsing – guitars (1981)
Ole Beich – bass (1981)
Ole Frausing – drums (1981)
Jan Lindblad – drums (1981)
Nick Smith – drums (1981)
Kim Ruzz – drums (1981–1985)
Benny Petersen – guitars (1981-1982)
Michael Denner – guitars (1982–1985, 1993–1996, 2008, 2011)
Sharlee D'Angelo – bass (1993–1999)
Morten Nielsen – drums (1993)
Snowy Shaw – drums (1993–1994)