Mercyful Fate - Melissa review
| Band: | Mercyful Fate |
| Album: | Melissa |
| Style: | First wave of black metal, Heavy metal |
| Release date: | October 30, 1983 |
| Guest review by: | SeanC |
Disc I
01. Evil
02. Curse Of The Pharaohs
03. Into The Coven
04. At The Sound Of The Demon Bell
05. Black Funeral
06. Satan's Fall
07. Melissa
08. Black Masses [B-side Of "Black Funeral" Single] [25th Anniversary Edition bonus]
09. Curse Of The Pharaohs [BBC Radio 1 Session] [25th Anniversary Edition bonus]
10. Evil [BBC Radio 1 Session] [25th Anniversary Edition bonus]
11. Satan's Fall [BBC Radio 1 Session] [25th Anniversary Edition bonus]
12. Curse Of The Pharaohs [Demo] [25th Anniversary Edition bonus]
13. Black Funeral [Demo] [25th Anniversary Edition bonus]
Disc II [Live at Dynamo, Eindhoven, Holland 1983] [25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]
01. Doomed By The Living Dead
02. Black Funeral
03. Curse Of The Pharaohs
The "first wave of black metal" has always been a description of era rather than musical style, but it remains a bit of a sticking point for purists who - rightfully - have a hard time calling bands like Venom, Mercyful Fate and Celtic Frost black metal.
And while the music of Mercyful Fate is really just a continuation of the traditional heavy metal sound, the first wave of black metal gets its name because of the impact it had on that later genre. KISS may have paved the way for the popularization of corpse paint, but Mercyful Fate frontman King Diamond used it to accentuate his Satanic lyrics (Diamond is - or was, at least - a LaVeyan Satanist). Those sounds, images and lyrics all made a drastic jump in maturity and quality from the band's self-titled EP to their full-length debut, Melissa (released the day before Halloween).
Not quite a literal invocation of higher powers (a la Dissection's Reinkaos), Melissa might as well have been Satanic biblical scripture being performed. From Diamond's shrieks to the album cover art (even more sinister, I think, than Don't Break the Oath's) to the lyrical content - "Is it Satan's fall? / No! It's Satan's call!" - Melissa leaves a huge surface-level impression before it sinks its musical chops into the listener.
In his solo career, Diamond would work with - perhaps - the most technically talented of all his guitarist partnerships in Andy LaRocque, but it's Hank Shermann and Michael Denner of Mercyful Fate that make Melissa a bona fide classic. As essential to the Fate sound as Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing were to Judas Priest or Chris DeGarmo and Michael Wilton to Queensrÿche, the duo trade off memorable riffs and solos, culminating in the album's epic centerpiece, "Satan's Fall". Apart from the album's single, "Black Funeral", where bassist Timi Hansen gets to let loose, Shermann and Denner are constantly stealing the show away from the rhythm section and command as much attention as the now-iconic falsettos of Diamond.
The whole of the second side is unreasonably good, but Melissa is also one of those rare instances of an album that genuinely doesn't have a bad song. Even its least memorable track, "At The Sound Of The Demon Bell", is tight, catchy and interesting. The album's quality wouldn't go unnoticed, either. Not just a huge influence on later black metal bands, Mercyful Fate immediately impacted the thrash metal boom of the '80s, and bands as ubiquitous as Metallica and Slayer have worn their Fate influences proudly ever since.
It's hard for me to place any other debut album by a metal band above this. For sheer impact on the genre or subsequent subgenres, you could make extremely good cases for things like Black Sabbath, Kill 'Em All, Scream Bloody Gore or Focus. But, impact aside and thinking mainly about songwriting and timelessness, this edges out Epicus Doomicus Metallicus and Wolfheart as my favorite metal debut ever. Few albums are as enjoyable to come back to after time away, and few create such a specific sense of time and place. "I think Melissa's still with us," Diamond whispers at the end of the closing track. Almost 40 years later, I think Melissa is still with us, too.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 10 |
| Songwriting: | 10 |
| Originality: | 9 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written by SeanC | 09.09.2019
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
Comments: 19
Visited by: 98 users
| nikarg Staff Posts: 7345  |
I think I prefer almost every other debut you mention, but Melissa is indeed astonishing. Excellent review 
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| SeanC Posts: 7  |
Written by nikarg on 10.09.2019 at 00:02 All of those are excellent. Throw in Holy Diver and Blizzard of Ozz, too. Thank you!
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62012  |
Written by nikarg on 10.09.2019 at 00:02 I hate Kim, s voice i dont like non of his works, good music bad vocals
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| nikarg Staff Posts: 7345 |
Written by Bad English on 10.09.2019 at 18:28 I'm not a big fan of his vocals either but the music is so insanely good that every Mercyful Fate and King Diamond album released in the '80s is simply brilliant.
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62012 |
There are better
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die" I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| JoHn Doe Posts: 5091  |
Written by Bad English on 10.09.2019 at 23:25 there are better what?(!)
---- I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62012 |
Written by JoHn Doe on 10.09.2019 at 23:33 that perdiod bands what plays similar music
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die" I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by Bad English on 11.09.2019 at 08:51 There are no bands from that period that play similar music.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62012 |
Whole nwobhm scene was better in vocals, whole 80 and german metal scene was better, accept, scotpions, rw, wasp, other what came later. I would like Kim bands if he would not scream, its his bad side
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die" I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| Metren Dreadrealm Posts: 1410  |
Written by Bad English on 11.09.2019 at 15:26 What makes up "better" vocals is highly debatable but for me, King Diamond's vocals are way more interesting, thrilling and bone-chilling than any of the vocalists of the bands' you listed.
---- My one-man project's Bandcamp with free downloads: https://dreadrealm.bandcamp.com/
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62012 |
Written by Metren on 11.09.2019 at 15:31 Its matter of taste and no his scream scared me away long time ago
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die" I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| Metren Dreadrealm Posts: 1410 |
Written by Bad English on 11.09.2019 at 15:47 Well yeah, that's what I said. Also... "scared you away"  I guess that means it worked 
---- My one-man project's Bandcamp with free downloads: https://dreadrealm.bandcamp.com/
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62012 |
Written by Metren on 11.09.2019 at 15:48 Hehe, i cant Stand such vocals same as. M whit drum programing or so called raw bm
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die" I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Bad English on 11.09.2019 at 15:26 Since when is wasp part of the German metal scene? Scorpions better vocals? Accept better vocals? Gee wiz, no way. Scorpions are terrible due to the horrendously heavy German accent. And Kim's vocals are unique whereas the vocals you prefer aren't.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62012 |
That band had album out in 1983 and udo is good voice and klaus maine has not so horrible accent as doro had in 80s even now, but its a bit better
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die" I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| TheMAGAmvm Soycrusher Posts: 1086  |
Written by Bad English on 11.09.2019 at 16:36 Ok, but Mercyful Fate barely formed in 1981, they released an EP in 1982 and a full-length in 1983. Accept has been loitering around since the 1970s while Scorpions, if we are to believe the founding member, since the late 1960s. Also, I don't think Udo or Klaus's vocals are better than King's, but they fit the music they sing to. King's vocals are unique, in the sense that the guy has a wide range, from very guttural vocals to high pitch falsetto and pretty much fits the kind of music he sings to. In the early KD albums it feels as if you are listening to a theater play rather than a music album. I have to admit that when I first heard MF/KD I was put off by the vocals as well. But that was because I never heard anything alike before. When I gave it a second try, it sunk in. It is very theatrical, not for everyone, but in no way bad. Just different. Although I hate saying this phrase as it always comes up as pretentious, it is an acquired taste.
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62012 |
Written by TheMAGAmvm on 19.09.2019 at 12:13 I have tried dont works and never will ,
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die" I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| TheMAGAmvm Soycrusher Posts: 1086 |
Written by Bad English on 19.09.2019 at 12:19 Which is fine  I too have tried that never sunk in no matter what.
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| F3ynman Nocturnal Bro Contributor Posts: 3024  |
Great review! This is indeed an amazing debut! Satan's Fall by itself is already an absolute masterpiece - and then, like you said, all of the other songs are killer as well!
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