«Melissa» is Mercyful Fate’s first album and it came out in October 1983 through Roadrunner Records. The band had formed in Copenhagen and recorded the album there, at Easy Sound Studio, with Henrik Lund producing. The line-up is King Diamond on vocals, Hank Shermann and Michael Denner on guitars, Timi Hansen on bass and Kim Ruzz on drums.
“`Country: Denmark
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: King Diamond, Judas Priest, Angel Witch
The sound here is more stripped down than one would expect from the King Diamond of later years. He keeps his high, chilling tone, but without the vocal acrobatics that later became his trademark. The two guitars of Shermann and Denner weave fast riffs with sharp solos. Above all, a sense of malicious ritual dominates, which makes the album sound like the soundtrack to a nightmare.
«Evil», which opens the album, «Curse of the Pharaohs» with its guitars up front and «At the Sound of the Demon Bell», where King Diamond shows his full range, stand out. «Satan’s Fall» stretches over eleven minutes, full of tempo changes, solos and a point where Kim Ruzz’s drums take the lead.
The title track «Melissa» closes the album on a quieter note. It is about Melissa, a witch who was burned at the stake, and her name stayed tied to the band — later the skeleton that appears at King Diamond’s live shows took it.
«Melissa» remains one of the most influential records of early extreme metal: its atmosphere and style opened the way for much of what followed. «Into the Coven» even made it onto the PMRC’s «Filthy Fifteen» list in 1985, alongside other songs that were considered provocative at the time.
See also
See also: King Diamond: The «grandfather» of extreme metal and Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast.
