Mercyful Fate – Melissa (White vinyl)

Melissa is one of the defining albums of early extreme metal, emerging from Denmark at a time when the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was reshaping the genre. Mercyful Fate pushed that sound into darker territory, combining sharp twin-guitar harmonies from Hank Shermann and Michael Denner with occult themes and the unmistakable falsetto of King Diamond. Songs like “Evil,” “Curse of the Pharaohs,” and “Into the Coven” balance fast, melodic riffing with eerie atmospheres, creating a record that feels both theatrical and genuinely menacing.

What makes Melissa endure is the precision of its songwriting. The band moves fluidly between galloping heavy metal, doom-laden passages, and melodic guitar interplay, while King Diamond’s dramatic vocal range adds a sense of storytelling rarely heard in metal at the time. The album’s influence spread far beyond traditional heavy metal, shaping the sound and imagery of later thrash and black metal bands. More than forty years later, Melissa still sounds strikingly original.

Reviews

“Melissa is a landmark album that helped shape the sound and imagery of extreme metal.” — AllMusic

“Mercyful Fate’s first full-length remains a cornerstone of heavy metal’s darker side.” — Decibel Magazine

“Melissa is a cult classic of early ’80s metal, packed with razor-sharp riffs and King Diamond’s unforgettable vocals.” — Metal Hammer

King Diamond explains: "These are not remasters, the albums are exactly as they were originally, straight from the original production masters. They contain all the dynamics as they were recorded back then. So I'm very happy to make the recordings available to the fans in their original state!"