Some of the best riffs to grace metal denner and shermann imo are the best guitar team... and who can forget the awesome vocals bought to you by the king himself

Just amazing, riffs and solos are epic. King Diamond is great.

Curse Of The Pharaohs... What a masterpiece.

Originality and good ideas ... but too negligent performance. King Diamond's albums from 80s are better.

Also - Andy LaRocque is more talented guitarist than Hank Shermann.

Written by Vasil de Shumen on 15.07.2012 at 17:44

Originality and good ideas ... but too negligent performance. King Diamond's albums from 80s are better.

Also - Andy LaRocque is more talented guitarist than Hank Shermann.

I disagree on ALL counts. Melissa and Don't Break The Oath and the self-titled e.p. are far better than anything released as King Diamond or of the Mercyful Fate reunion.

Andy LaRoque might be a techincally better guitar player but he lacks the ideas and style of Shermann and Denner who are both unique sounding whereas LaRoque isn't.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 15.07.2012 at 17:49

... Melissa and Don't Break The Oath and the self-titled e.p. are far better than anything released as King Diamond or of the Mercyful Fate reunion.

Andy LaRoque might be a techincally better guitar player but he lacks the ideas and style of Shermann and Denner who are both unique sounding whereas LaRoque isn't.

I respect your opinion, Marcel.

But I think in Hank has a strong influence of NWOBHM ( + hard rock ), while in Andy no such influence and he is very original musician.

Amazing album,story is just amazing,epic and scary.King is very special metal musician.

The great classical heavy metal album. Not a single weak song.

Fantastic album. Took me a long while to get into King's vocal style, but glad it finally clicked for me.

Happy 30th birthday Melissa

Wha...blackened heavy metal?

Written by Monolithic on 06.11.2013 at 07:46

Wha...blackened heavy metal?

How is it blackened

Written by Daniell on 06.11.2013 at 10:06

How is it blackened

That was my reaction when I saw "Style: Blackened heavy metal" up there.

Written by Monolithic on 06.11.2013 at 10:09

That was my reaction when I saw "Style: Blackened heavy metal" up there.

Slayer sings a lot about satan on their first 2-3 albums, let's call them blackened thrash

This is first wave black metal, whether you like it or not, just like Venom were first wave black metal and old Venom rip-off Bathory were. There was no specific sound to black metal at the time. At the time black metal was about the lyrics. Even Slayer was called black thrash by quite a few people even though they are totally thrash.

It's the second wave of black metal which gave black metal its musical sound. But all were heavily influenced by the first wave bands and by death metal bands such as Morbid Angel. Hell, actually most second wave black metal bands started off as oure death metal (clearest cases in point being Darkthrone and then Mayhem)

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 06.11.2013 at 14:13

This is first wave black metal, whether you like it or not, just like Venom were first wave black metal and old Venom rip-off Bathory were. There was no specific sound to black metal at the time. At the time black metal was about the lyrics. Even Slayer was called black thrash by quite a few people even though they are totally thrash.

It's the second wave of black metal which gave black metal its musical sound. But all were heavily influenced by the first wave bands and by death metal bands such as Morbid Angel. Hell, actually most second wave black metal bands started off as pure death metal (clearest cases in point being Darkthrone and then Mayhem)

I don't have any problem with Mercyful Fate being called black but blackened heavy metal sounds...strange.

Written by Monolithic on 06.11.2013 at 15:43


I don't have any problem with Mercyful Fate being called black but blackened heavy metal sounds...strange.

oh in that way. There I agree

Written by Guest on 06.11.2013 at 17:35

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 06.11.2013 at 14:13

This is first wave black metal, whether you like it or not, just like Venom were first wave black metal and old Venom rip-off Bathory were. There was no specific sound to black metal at the time. At the time black metal was about the lyrics. Even Slayer was called black thrash by quite a few people even though they are totally thrash.

It's the second wave of black metal which gave black metal its musical sound. But all were heavily influenced by the first wave bands and by death metal bands such as Morbid Angel. Hell, actually most second wave black metal bands started off as oure death metal (clearest cases in point being Darkthrone and then Mayhem)

But at least in Norway the 2nd wave truly began when they rebelled against the trends and certain sounds like Morrisound and Sunlight. Darkthrone didn't release Goatlord when it was recorded, Mayhem had changed, bands like Old Funeral, Mortem, etc. were wiped away. Also, Bathory and Hellhammer had some 2nd wave ingredients in their music during the 1st wave.

DarkThrone had released Soulside Journey which was pure death metal before they turned into a black metal band.
Bathory were a total Venom rip-off band at the start, totally no 2nd wave sound in them. Hellhammer wasn't even considered 1st wave at the time, they were just considered a crap band that sounded way too punk whilst trying to be metal (and rightly so I would say)

Their next album is better.
Evil and Black Funeral are cool. There is one re-recorded Evil version in last few year, I called it an "improved version" which is breath-taking !!!

Breathtaking genius. Not a note out of place on this entire record. Easily my favorite metal album from any band prior to whenever Metallica hit their peak.