Entertainment Earth

9/06/2022

Metal Legends Mercyful Fate Announce First North American Tour in Over Two Decades! Tickets on Sale Friday, September 9!

Photo by Livia Zita

 Heavy metal icons MERCYFUL FATE today announce their first North American headlining tour in over two decades! The journey will commence on October 25th in Dallas, Texas and weave its way through fourteen cities, closing on November 16th in Atlanta, Georgia. The tour follows the band’s stunning headlining performance at this year’s edition of Psycho Las Vegas.


Vocalist King Diamond comments, “These will be the first MERCYFUL FATE concerts in North American theaters in over twenty years. Memories of a lifetime. Your special chance to see MERCYFUL FATE with the full European festival production, but up close and personal. You cannot miss this… I hereby respectfully invite you to Come To The Sabbath by which you may free your soul and feast with us in the dark Of Night. Witches and Demons, you may come as you are! Satanic Regards - King Diamond 666.”

Support for MERCYFUL FATE will be provided by Kreator and labelmates, Midnight. Various presales are available throughout the week:

Citi Presale: Tuesday, September 6th @ 11:00am ET | Password: Citi BINs
Mercyful Fate Fan Club Presale: Tuesday, September 6th @ 12:00pm ET | Password: EVIL
Ticketmaster Presale: Wednesday, September 7th @ 10:00am ET | Password: MELISSA
Live Nation Presale: Wednesday, September 7th @ 10:00am local time | Password: VENUE
Blabbermouth Presale: Wednesday, September 7th @ 10:00am local time | Password: SABBATH
Knotfest.com Presale: Wednesday, September 7th @ 10:00am local time | Password: OATH
 
All presales end Thursday, September 8th at 10:00pm local time. General onsale date is Friday, September 9th at 10:00am local time at mercyfulfatecoven.com. These shows will sell out! Don't miss it!
 
Additionally, multiple limited VIP packages will be available which will include Meet & Greets, photo opps, private Q&As, exclusive merch, and more starting Wednesday, September 7th at mercyfulfatecoven.com. Secure yours today. 


MERCYFUL FATE w/ Kreator, Midnight:
10/25/2022 Dallas, TX - The Factory
10/27/2022 Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Financial Theatre 
10/29/2022 Inglewood, CA - Youtube Theater
10/30/2022 Wheatland, CA - Hard Rock Live Sacramento
11/01/2022 Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium
11/03/2022 Gary, IN - Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana
11/04/2022 Cincinnati, OH - The Andrew J. Brady Music Center
11/05/2022 Detroit, MI - Masonic
11/08/2022 Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore Silver Spring
11/10/2022 Brooklyn, NY - Kings Theater
11/11/2022 Laval, QC - Place Bell
11/13/2022 Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall At Fenway
11/14/2022 Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore Philadelphia
11/16/2022 Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle

MERCYFUL FATE is currently working on a new album and recently gave fans a taste of the new material when they debuted a song called "The Jackal Of Salzburg" in Germany this past June as well as at Psycho Las Vegas. The band's current lineup is King Diamond on vocals, Hank Shermann and Mike Wead on guitars, Bjarne T. Holm on drums and Joey Vera on bass.

MERCYFUL FATE was formed in early 1981 in Copenhagen, Denmark by vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann. They were later joined by guitarist Michael Denner and bassist Timi Hansen, and soon thereafter drummer Kim Ruzz would join to complete the band lineup. The band recorded two demos in 1981 and later signed with Rave On Records in Holland for the recording of their successful self-titled EP, released in November of 1982. The Mercyful Fate EP was soon in heavy rotation around core metal radio stations, launching a new breed of heavy metal with their unique sound.

The band joined Roadrunner Records in 1983 and their debut full-length, Melissa, was recorded and released that same year. The following year, MERCYFUL FATE returned to the studio to record their now legendary Don't Break The Oath full-length, released in September of 1984.

MERCYFUL FATE embarked upon a two month US tour in support of the record, which took them across the States several times sharing the stage with the likes of Motörhead and Exciter. The shows had created a brush fire within the metal community. The band reaped recognition globally, closing the year with a five-date tour in Germany with Motörhead, Girlschool, Helix, and Talon.

MERCYFUL FATE’s first concert of 1985 was in their hometown of Copenhagen at an old movie theater with a large capacity. The show sold out and their stage show exhibited a new level of distinction. The night was a huge victory and a new highlight for the band.

By April of 1985 however, MERCYFUL FATE decided to part ways for each to pursue new challenges. The King Diamond band was born and reaped critical acclaim the following years with five studio albums on Roadrunner Records. King Diamond has since signed with Metal Blade Records and is going stronger than ever before.

In the Summer of 1992, MERCYFUL FATE decided to reunite and penned a new deal with Brian Slagel and his label, Metal Blade Records. In The Shadows was released in 1993 and was an instant triumph furthered by a sold out US tour.

MERCYFUL FATE has gone on to release another five studio albums and have toured Europe, the US, and South America multiple times. The highlight of 1999 was their critically acclaimed album 9 which was followed by a European tour with Metallica, where King Diamond and Hank Shermann joined the band onstage several times for the medley "Mercyful Fate" which Metallica had recorded on their Garage Inc. double tribute album the year prior. Tours in the US and in South America followed, marking the band's last live performances for over a decade. MERCYFUL FATE then went on hiatus, but made a brief appearance when members joined Metallica onstage in 2011 for their 30th anniversary show in San Francisco, California.

For live coverage inquiries, contact earsplitpr2@gmail.com.

5/25/2018

(Video) Super7 at Toy Fair 2018


At this year's Toy Fair, I got a tour of the Super7 booth. There I was shown and told about all the cool toys and collectibles that have out and are coming out. They include product from franchises and fan favorites like: Transformers, G.I. Joe, Alien, Planet of the Apes, Universal Monsters, Masters of the Universe, Iron Maiden, King Diamond, and more!
Check it out in the video below:


 

Video shot and edited by BAS Photography & Design.
Photography by Janice Leung.

1/03/2015

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 13: 40-31

If you have been following this list since it's start, I'm sorry for all if the months where I did not continue it. Once convention season (Oct, with NYCC) started followed by the holidays, I was severely busy and couldn't continue to do this list. But, with all of that over now (well until I head out to Vegas for AEE, later this month), I can go right back to it. And, so let's not waste anymore time and get right back into it:

40. Cradle of Filth- Nymphetamine- The sixth album by this extreme metal act is actually my favorite of theirs. The title refers to the addiction towards a vampiric woman. Which is perfectly understandable in my book! The cover with a sexy and tempting vampire babe painting is truly beautiful, very cool, and captures the title perfectly.







39. Guns 'N' Roses- Appetite for Destruction- One of the greatest debut albums, and in fact one of the greatest albums period, in all of hard rock, this badass rocker is a must have. It's equally iconic cover was originally suppose to be a controversial piece of art with a robot rapist about to get his up and comings via a metallic monster. But, when stores refused to carry that cover they opted for this classic image of the band members represented as skulls on a cross. It was based on a tattoo by Billy White, Jr. I actually prefer the rapist cover, but at least that ended up on the inside sleeve. This image is still fucking awesome, though!!


38. Kreator- Terrible Certainty- The third album by these German thrashers is the one that I first bought from them. It's my second favorite of their albums and the cover with their badass demon mascot surrounded by statues of skull faced bishops on each side of him is fucking awesome!







37. King Diamond- Abigail- The second album, and first to be a concept album, remains the band's masterpiece. It also has one of it's most classic covers, evoking an old school, gothic horror movie with it's beautiful and creepy cover of a carriage being drawn by two horses.







36. Scorpions- Love After First Sting- This hard rock classic from the greatest band to ever come out of Germany features a truly classic photographic cover of a man tattooing a scorpion, of course, on a beautiful, partially nude woman. It was designed by Kochlowski.







35. Black Sabbath- Dehumanizer- The sixteenth studio album by these metal legends, was a return for metal god Ronnie James Dio at vocals. It's the first one that I ever bought with him signing for Sabbath. The cool looking cover features a robotic grim reaper turning a human into a machine. A cool image that goes perfectly with the title track.






34. Arch Enemy- Anthems of Rebellion- The fifth studio album by Arch Enemy is the first one that I ever bought of theirs. The cover depicts a man who pulls off the faceless visage that all the others have, rebelling and showing his own individuality.








33. Sodom- Agent Orange- The third studio release by this German thrash band had what might be their best cover, as it captures the inside of a large, flying war plane. It's badass and looks very eye-catching.








32. Suffocation- Blood Oath- This sixth studio album from this American death metal act, was actually the first album of theirs to chart on the Billboard 200. It's a killer one with a great cover by artist Jon Zig. It's pure classic death metal stuff with it's use of an otherworldly place and monk like phantom people with unseen faces.







31. Sepultura- Chaos A.D.- The classic and influential fifth album by Brazil's metal masters has them move away from thrash to groove metal. But that doesn't mean they have to stop having cool covers. In fact this another kick ass cover as a mummified man is tied to machines.

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 12: 50-41

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 11: 60-51


The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 10: 70-61


The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 9: 80-71


The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 8: 90-81 


The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 7: 110-101 


The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 6: 120-111 


The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 5: 130-121


The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 4: 140-131 


The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 3: 150-141


The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 2: 160-151


The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 1: 175-16

3/21/2014

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 2: 160-151

160. Deicide- Till Death Do Us Part- Taken from a part of the painting "Woman and Death" by Hans Baldung, this is beautiful and creepy looking cover adorns the ninth album by Florida evil masters of death. It's also a surprisingly non-satanic cover, but yet it ranks as one of their absolute best and creepiest looking covers.






159. Motorhead- 1916- The first of many Motorhead covers to make this list was the first Motorhead album that I ever owned. It's got cool WWI inspired artwork with flags, a war plane, and, of course, Snaggletooth!







158. The Black Dahlia Murder- Deflorate- A fat dude with some weird gas mask attached to something or another blasts some humans with an electric ray. I guess he is some sort of leader and these folk have disobeyed/ rebelled against him. I'm not really sure, but it is really cool, weird. and original looking.






157. Deftones- Diamond Eyes- The simple but beautiful photo of a majestic looking owl gives the alt/ nu-metal masters this spot on the list. Other bands have used animals on their covers, but it's the composition and shot, itself that makes this one rank here.





156. Five Finger Death Punch- War Is the Answer- The second album by popular groove metal act FFDP has their skull mascot in a gas-mask point at you with war planes flying over his head. He wants you!!







155. King Diamond/ Merycful Fate- A Dangerous Meeting- This compilation of some of the best songs from both bands fronted by the King, himself, is actually the first album I bought with him in it. The cover featuring a hand over an invitation, a dagger lying next to it, empty seats, a window with a cross, and a ghostly skull forming from it is both creepy and really cool!




154. Dying Fetus- Reign Supreme- A skeletal being with a torn up cloak and hood over skeletons and skulls is classic death metal. It looks great and cool. You see this and you just know that you are in for a real death metal album!







153. Bathory- Bathory- Classic and iconic cover from black metal fathers (or should I say father?) is a portion of a drawing by Joesph Smith. The satanic goat's head, AKA the Baphomet, is one of black metal's most easily recognizable images. Just think of how many people you have seen wear the shirt!






152. Blue Oyster Cult- Some Enchanted Even- This live album from this classic hard rock band is actually their best selling album. It also has their coolest cover as a grim reaper rides a horse. Just a great old school metal cover!


 




151. Malevolent Creation- The Ten Commandments- The debut from this death metal act has a demon rising what one would imagine to be the "evil" ten commandments in some desolate and nightmarish world. This is yet another album cover that perfectly captures what a cool death metal cover should be like.





The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 1: 175-161