MERCYFUL FATE - MELISSA 12" Vinyl LP Album

- This is the Canadian Release on ATTIC Records

Album cover of the Canadian release of Mercyful Fate’s 1983 debut album, Melissa. The artwork features a dark, demonic skull with glowing red eyes and mouth, partially obscured by streaks of red mist. The band’s name, ‘Mercyful Fate,’ is displayed in an old English-style yellow font in the top left corner, while the album title, ‘Melissa,’ appears in jagged red script at the bottom left. The eerie design reflects the album’s occult and heavy metal themes.

Alright, metalheads, buckle up, eh? We're diving into Mercyful Fate's 'Melissa' – the album that made Satan himself say, "Holy smokes, that's heavy!" This ain't no maple syrup-sweet sound; it's dark, it's theatrical, and it's gonna leave you wondering if you accidentally stumbled into a seance. So grab your denim jacket, crank the volume, and prepare to be possessed by the sheer awesomeness of King Diamond and his unholy crew. Just remember, if your neighbours start complaining, tell 'em it's the sound of Canadian metal history being made!

Mercyful Fate's 'Melissa': The Devil's Music Made Flesh on Attic Records' Canadian Release
Album Description:

It was the early 1980s, and the world of heavy metal was undergoing a seismic shift. The raw, blues-based sound of the 70s was giving way to something darker, more theatrical, and undeniably heavier. Emerging from the cold, windswept landscapes of Denmark, Mercyful Fate, led by the enigmatic King Diamond, arrived like a spectral apparition, ready to usher in a new era of heavy metal grandeur. Their 1983 magnum opus, "Melissa," especially on the Canadian 12" vinyl release by Attic Records, remains a testament to their unholy power and a cornerstone of heavy metal's evolution.

"Melissa" was more than just an album; it was a Faustian pact with the listener, a descent into a realm where the boundaries between the earthly and the supernatural blurred. King Diamond, with his operatic vocals and ghoulish stage persona, became the embodiment of heavy metal's theatrical potential. His voice, soaring to glass-shattering highs and plunging to demonic lows, was a force of nature, capable of conjuring images of ancient rituals and forbidden knowledge.

The album's musical landscape was equally captivating. Hank Shermann and Michael Denner's twin guitar attack was a whirlwind of razor-sharp riffs and dizzying solos, weaving intricate tapestries of sound that were both technically impressive and emotionally evocative. The rhythm section of Timi Hansen and Kim Ruzz provided a thunderous foundation, driving the music forward with relentless energy.

Recorded at Easy Sound Recording in Copenhagen, Denmark, "Melissa" was produced by Henrik Lund, who managed to capture the raw intensity of the band's live performances while adding a layer of polish that enhanced the album's sonic impact. From the opening chords of the title track to the epic closing strains of "Satan's Fall," the album was a masterclass in heavy metal songwriting and musicianship.

Lyrically, "Melissa" delved into the darkest corners of the human psyche, exploring themes of the occult, black magic, and the eternal struggle between good and evil. King Diamond's storytelling was vivid and immersive, drawing the listener into a world of gothic horror and macabre fascination. The album's title track, a haunting ballad about a witch burned at the stake, remains one of heavy metal's most iconic and enduring compositions.

The Canadian release of "Melissa" on Attic Records was a pivotal moment in the band's history. It introduced Mercyful Fate to a wider audience, solidifying their reputation as one of the most innovative and exciting bands in heavy metal. The album's controversial themes and imagery sparked debate and outrage, but it also resonated with a generation of fans who were hungry for something more than just the standard heavy metal fare.

"Melissa" wasn't just an album; it was a statement of intent, a declaration that heavy metal could be more than just loud guitars and aggressive vocals. It could be a vehicle for artistic expression, a canvas for exploring the deepest recesses of the human soul. Mercyful Fate, with their groundbreaking music and theatrical flair, paved the way for countless bands to follow, leaving an indelible mark on the heavy metal landscape.

Music Genre:

Black Thrash Metal (Denmark) 

Album Production Information:

The album: "Mercyful Fate Melissa NL King Diamond" was produced by: Henrik Lund, Roadster Music

  • Henrik Lund – Producer, Engineer

    The architect of the 'Copenhagen Sound,' a man who understood that even the darkest heavy metal needs a bit of cold, clinical space to breathe.

    If you want to know what the early 80s felt like inside Copenhagen’s Easy Sound Recording Studio, don't look at the charts—listen to the snare drum. Henrik Lund, alongside his brother Niels Erik, didn't just record bands; he sculpted them. While other producers were drowning everything in reverb, Lund kept his hands on the faders, ensuring Melissa (1983) and Don't Break the Oath (1984) sounded like they were recorded in a cathedral made of ice. There’s a specific, razor-edged clarity to those Mercyful Fate sessions that remains terrifyingly sharp, even forty years later. He brought that same meticulous, slightly detached discipline to outfits like Fate and Maltese Falcon, refusing to let the burgeoning 'metal' sound turn into a muddy mess. He was a musician himself—look for his name on Pop From The Deep End—and that pedigree shows in the way he prioritized the interplay of the instruments over technical flash. He wasn't there to capture a performance; he was there to document an atmosphere, usually one that felt like it was lingering just a few degrees above freezing. It's a sonic signature that is often imitated but rarely felt quite as deeply.

    • Sound/Recording Engineer(s): Jacob J Jorgenson

    Jacob J. Jorgenson is a sound engineer from Denmark and has engineered several records of Mercyful Fate and King Diamond.

    This album was recorded at: Easy Sound Recording Copenhagen, July 1983

  • Easy Sound Recording – Studio (Copenhagen, Denmark)

    A converted 1920s cinema that traded movie screens for 24-track tape, defining the icy, surgical punch of the Danish metal explosion.

    There’s a specific kind of arrogance to Easy Sound—the kind that comes from knowing you have the best acoustics in Copenhagen and not needing a neon sign to prove it. Founded by the Lund brothers in ’74, the operation spent its infancy in Hellerup before graduating in 1982 to the old Triangel Teatret at Østerbrogade 70. You can still hear the theater’s skeleton in the recordings; there’s a height to the room that turned Mercyful Fate’s 1983 Melissa sessions into something architectural rather than just loud. By the time they wrapped Don't Break the Oath in May ’84, the studio had perfected a sort of 'Nordic clinical' sound—sharp, dry, and unforgiving. Then, in a pivot that usually baffles the leather-jacket crowd, Miles Davis moved in for the Aura sessions in early ’85. It’s a delicious bit of irony: the same floorboards that vibrated under Shermann’s Flying V were, months later, supporting the weight of a jazz deity. The walls didn't care about the shift in tempo; they just gripped the high frequencies with that same signature, chilling precision. It’s not a cozy room. It’s a machine for clarity.

    Easy Sound Recording Studio Wiki

    • Album cover design: Thomas Holm, Studio Dzyan

  • Thomas Holm – Illustrator (Studio Dzyan)

    The Malmö-based hand behind those saturated, midnight-blue fever dreams that made the '80s occult revival look dangerously expensive.

    Thomas Holm doesn’t just illustrate album covers; he builds the cage you're about to be locked in. Co-founding Studio Dzyan in Sweden, Holm became the aesthetic architect for King Diamond’s most claustrophobic years. When you look at the oil-painted dread of Melissa (1983) or the sulfurous glow of Don’t Break the Oath (1984), you aren't looking at 'marketing'—you're looking at a specific brand of Malmö gothic that feels wet to the touch. Between 1986 and 1990, his work on Fatal Portrait through The Eye gave the King a visual consistency that most bands trade for cheap airbrushing. There’s a density to his colors—those bruised purples and sickly jaundiced yellows—that suggests a level of patience most metal artists don't possess. Even his later pivots to Wolf or Nifelheim carry that same meticulous, old-world grime. It’s the kind of artwork that makes you handle the sleeve by the edges, half-convinced the paint might still be drying or, worse, that something inside is actually breathing. It’s a grim, beautiful standard that most modern digital renders can’t even touch.

    Thomas Holm Wiki

    • Album cover photography: Thomas Grondahl

    Notes: Thomas Grondahl is a Danish photographer and has been working for the album covers of the bands: Mercyful Fate, Geisha

    Record Label & Catalognr:

    Attic Records LAT 1187 

    Media Format:

    12" Vinyl Stereo Full-Length Long-Play Gramophone Record

    Album weight: 230 gram

    Year & Country:

    1983 Made in Canada
    Band Members and Musicians on: Mercyful Fate Melissa
      Band-members, Musicians and Performers
    • King Diamond - Vocals
    • King Diamond – Vocals, keyboards

      The Danish high-priest of the falsetto, whose corpse-paint probably never quite washes off the collar.

      Before he was an icon, Kim Bendix Petersen was just another kid in Copenhagen lugging gear through the mid-70s gloom with Brainstorm and Black Rose. By the time Mercyful Fate coalesced in ’81, he’d stopped playing the part of a frontman and started inhabiting something far more unsettling. To hear that first EP is to hear a man daring the listener to laugh at his theatrics, only to realize the music is too sharp, too lethal, to be a joke. When the Fate inevitably fractured in '85—as bands built on such rigid alchemy usually do—the King simply took the candles and the bone-cross with him. His solo output didn't just 'feature' horror; it exhaled it, turning 12-inch vinyl into a physical medium for ghost stories. It’s music that smells of old velvet and cheap stage fog, anchored by a voice that shouldn't work but somehow, impossibly, does. You either buy into the ritual or you don’t, but you never forget the first time that scream hits the speakers. King Diamond Wiki

    • Hank Shermann - Guitars
    • René Krolmark – Guitarist, Songwriter

      Better known as Hank Shermann, he’s the man who traded the snotty rebellion of punk for a Flying V and a book of occult riffs.

      Before he was an architect of the black metal aesthetic, René Krolmark was stalking Copenhagen stages with Brats, operating under the delightfully puerile alias 'Hank de Wank.' It’s a bit of 1977 grit that he never quite scrubbed off, even as his playing evolved from three-chord thrashing into the sophisticated, neoclassical menace that defined Mercyful Fate. When he co-founded the Fate in '81, he brought a sense of 'swing' to heavy metal that most of his contemporaries lacked; his riffs didn't just chug, they danced. The mid-80s fracture saw him pivoting toward the melodic, stadium-leaning crunch of Fate (1985)—a move that baffled the purists but showcased a songwriter who refused to be buried in a tomb of his own making. Whether he was navigating the short-lived Lavina or the esoteric weight of Zoser Mez, Krolmark’s signature remained the same: a tone that feels like cold chrome and a vibrato that sounds distinctly, stubbornly Danish. He remains a study in contradictions—a punk heart wrapped in a virtuoso’s technical skin, still swinging that V like it’s the only thing keeping the lights on.

      René Krolmark Wiki
    • Michael Denner - Guitars
    • Michael Denner – Guitarist (Mercyful Fate, King Diamond)

      The master of the eerie harmony; the man who proved that heavy metal solos could be as graceful as they are grim.

      Michael Denner is the reason those early Mercyful Fate records didn’t just sound heavy—they sounded *expensive.* Emerging from the same snot-nosed Brats era as his partner-in-crime Hank Shermann, Denner brought a 70s-inflected soul to the band's occult attack. While others were chasing speed, Denner was chasing the kind of vibrato that lingers in the air like incense. His tenure from '81 to '85 didn't just 'feature' guitar work; it established a twin-guitar language that redefined the genre. When the Fate first fractured, he jumped straight into the fire with King Diamond, providing the neoclassical elegance that makes Abigail (1987) feel like a Victorian ghost story rather than a standard metal record. He’s floated in and out of the fold since—rejoining for the mid-90s resurrection and occasional guest appearances—but his thumbprint is permanent. To hear a Denner solo is to hear a player who values the space between the notes as much as the notes themselves. It’s a sophisticated, slightly melancholic touch that reminds you he grew up listening to the greats before the world turned into a distortion pedal.

    • Timi "Grabber" Hansen - Bass
    • Timi “Grabber” Hansen – Bassist (Mercyful Fate, King Diamond)

      The man didn't just play the bass; he attacked it with a pick-heavy rattle that became the heartbeat of Danish occult metal.

      Timi Hansen earned the name 'Grabber' for a reason. While most metal bassists of the early '80s were content to be felt and not heard, Hansen used his fingers and a relentless pick attack to carve a space for himself between the twin-guitar assault of Shermann and Denner. He was the foundational weight of Mercyful Fate during that lightning-in-a-bottle run from ’81 to ’85, providing a muscular, clattering drive that kept the band’s high-concept theatrics grounded in the gutter. When the King moved on to solo territory, Hansen was the logical choice to anchor the 1985–1987 era, his lines on Abigail pulsing with a sinister, driving urgency that feels like a pursuit. He returned briefly for the '92 reunion—a final, thunderous victory lap—before the rigors of the road took their toll. There’s a specific, trebly grit to his tone that sounds like a Rickenbacker being pushed to its breaking point. It’s a sound that is sorely missed, a reminder that in the right hands, four strings are more than enough to summon a storm.

      Timi “Grabber” Hansen Wiki
    • Kim Ruzz - Drums
    • Kim Ruzz – Drummer (Mercyful Fate)

      The engine room of the occult; a drummer who brought a Neil Peart-inspired precision to the damp basement of the early Danish metal scene.

      If Shermann and Denner were the architects of Mercyful Fate, Kim Thyge Jensen—rechristened Ruzz—was the one making sure the whole structure didn't collapse under its own weight. He was never a typical 'metal' drummer; he played with a loose, syncopated swing that felt more like a haunted jazz session than a military march. During that lightning run from 1981 to 1985, his work on the Melissa and Don’t Break the Oath sessions provided a frantic, busy counterpoint to the King's vocals. I’ve always found it fascinating that after helping define an entire subgenre, he simply walked away to become a postman—a quiet, analog life that makes his eventual 2017 stage cameo feel less like a 'reunion' and more like a ghost returning to the scene of the crime. His brief 2012 stint with Metalruzz was a reminder that the hands still remember the patterns, even if the industry had long since moved on. He remains the definitive pulse of the band's golden era, a man who understood that sometimes the most terrifying thing a drummer can do is play around the beat rather than right on top of it.

      Kim Ruzz Wiki

     

    Complete Track Listing of: "Melissa"

    The Songs/tracks on "Melissa " are

    • Evil 4:45
    • Curse of the Pharaohs 3:57
    • Into the Coven 5:11
    • At the Sound of the Demon Bell 5:23
    • Black Funeral 2:50
    • Satan's Fall 11:23
    • Melissa 6:40
    Album Cover Photo Gallery of: Mercyful Fate Melissa

    Album cover of the Canadian release of Mercyful Fate’s 1983 debut album, Melissa. The artwork features a dark, demonic skull with glowing red eyes and mouth, partially obscured by streaks of red mist. The band’s name, ‘Mercyful Fate,’ is displayed in an old English-style yellow font in the top left corner, while the album title, ‘Melissa,’ appears in jagged red script at the bottom left. The eerie design reflects the album’s occult and heavy metal themes.

    The Canadian release of Melissa, the 1983 debut album from Mercyful Fate, carries the same haunting, infernal artwork as other editions but with subtle variations depending on the pressing. The cover is dominated by the now-iconic skull-like demon head, partially obscured by swirling streaks of deep red, as if engulfed in spectral flames. Its eyes and gaping maw glow with a hellish intensity, complementing the album’s dark lyrical themes of witchcraft, the occult, and fate itself.

    The band logo, written in an old English-style yellow font, sits ominously in the top left corner, while the album title Melissa is scrawled in blood-red, jagged script along the lower left, giving the impression of an eerie whisper from the beyond. The Canadian pressing, like other early editions, was released on Roadrunner Records and licensed through Banzai Records, one of Canada’s premier distributors for heavy metal imports in the ’80s.

    This Canadian version is highly sought after by collectors, particularly the Banzai “Metal Blade” pressing, which features the distinctive Banzai Records maple leaf logo on the back cover or labels. Some versions may also have unique catalog numbers or slight color variations in the print.

    Overall, the Melissa Canadian release retains the sinister, spectral essence of Mercyful Fate’s aesthetic, making it one of the defining early black metal and heavy metal album covers of the era.

    Close-up of the Canadian vinyl record label for Mercyful Fate’s 1983 album “Melissa,” released by Attic Records. The label has a cream-colored background with black text, featuring the red and black “Attic” logo at the top. “Mercyful Fate” and “Melissa” are printed in bold black letters, with the tracklist for Side 1 displayed below, including song titles, durations, and credits. The outer edge contains a copyright warning and “Made in Canada” text, indicating this is a Canadian pressing of the album.

    This is the Canadian vinyl pressing of Melissa by Mercyful Fate, released by Attic Records under the catalog number LAT 1187. The label features a cream-colored background with black text, maintaining a clean and minimalist design. At the top, the Attic Records logo is prominently displayed in bold black serif letters over a red rectangular background.

    The album title, Melissa, appears in quotation marks beneath the band’s name, Mercyful Fate, which is printed in capital letters in a standard black font. The side indicator (Side 1) is printed on the left, with the playback speed (33 1/3 rpm) directly below it. The tracklist for Side 1 is centered, showing the song titles, their durations, and credits for songwriting, production, and publishing.

    Around the outer edge of the label, there is a fine-print copyright warning, stating: “Unauthorized copying, public performance, and/or broadcasting is prohibited.” It also includes a Made in Canada notice, confirming this as a Canadian pressing of Melissa.

    This edition was licensed from Roadrunner Productions B.V., which originally released the album in Europe. The Attic Records version was a significant Canadian distribution, bringing the album to North American metalheads during the early days of Mercyful Fate’s influence on the underground heavy metal scene.

    The MERCYFUL FATE Vinyl Discography and Album Cover Gallery

    MERCYFUL FATE - The Beginning
    Thumbnail of MERCYFUL FATE - Beginning with King Diamond 12" Vinyl LP Album front cover

    RoadrunneR RR 9603   , 1987 , Holland / The Netherlands

    The definitive collector's addition to the Mercyful Fate Catalogue featuring the band's official pre-Melissa recordings - The legendary Rave-On sessions (Fully re-mastered) The BBC "Friday Rock Show"

    The Beginning 12" Vinyl LP
    MERCYFUL FATE - Don't Break The Oath
    Thumbnail of MERCYFUL FATE - Don't Break The Oath 12" Vinyl LP Record album front cover

     RoadrunneR RR 9835 , 1984 , Made in Holland ( The Netherlands)

    "Don’t Break the Oath" isn’t just an album—it’s a blood pact sealed in fire. Mercyful Fate, led by the inhuman wail of King Diamond, pushed heavy metal into the abyss with this 1984 masterpiece. Riffs slash like ritual daggers, drums pound like a death march, and every lyric drips with infernal menace. This is where the genre’s shadows deepened, where metal stopped playing dress-up and embraced true darkness.

    Don't Break The Oath 12" Vinyl LP
    MERCYFUL FATE - Live From The Depth Of Hell
    Thumbnail of MERCYFUL FATE - Live From The Depth Of Hell 12" Vinyl LP Album front cover

    Satan's Nightmare SN1002 , 1984 , UK ( United Kingdom )

    This album "MERCYFUL FATE From the Depth of Hell" is an unofficial (bootleg record) album of this band of Mercyfull Fate. Title on the front cover and record's label are slightly different.

    Live From The Depth Of Hell 12" Vinyl LP
    MERCYFUL FATE - Live From The Depth Of Hell Red Vinyl
    Thumbnail of MERCYFUL FATE - From The Depths Of Hell Red Vinyl 12" LP Album front cover

    Satan's Nightmare SN 1002 , 2013

    This album is an unofficial (bootleg) album of this band Mercyfull Fate. Limited to 500 copies reissue on red vinyl. Classic and ultra hard to find semi official Mercyful Fate fan club recordings.

    Live From The Depth Of Hell Red Vinyl 12" Vinyl LP
    MERCYFUL FATE - Melissa (International Releases)
    Thumbnail of MERCYFUL FATE - Melissa Bernett France 1983 12" LP ALBUM VINYL album front cover

    Bernett Records SB 18011 , 1984 , France

    Melissa isn’t just a debut—it’s a declaration of war. Mercyful Fate, led by King Diamond’s banshee wail, tore open the gates of hell with this 1983 masterpiece. Henrik Lund’s production gave the record a raw, sinister edge, while Hank Shermann and Michael Denner’s twin guitars carved out the blueprint for black metal. Dark, theatrical, and utterly relentless, Melissa is where metal learned to stare into the abyss.

    - Melissa French Release Melissa Canadian Release Melissa Netherlands Release
    MERCYFUL FATE - Return Of The Vampire Compilation
    Thumbnail of MERCYFUL FATE - Return Of The Vampire Compilation 12" LP Vinyl Album front cover

    RoadrunneR RR 9184 , 1992 , Holland ( The Netherlands )

    "Return of the Vampire" is the compilation album of rare demo tracks by Mercyful Fate recorded before their first, official release in 1982. It is also released in 1992 by Roadrunner Records RR 9184.

    Return Of The Vampire Compilation 12" Vinyl LP
    Rave-On Hits Hard Mercyful
    Thumbnail of VARIOUS ARTISTS - Rave-On Hits Hard Mercyful Fate 12" LP Vinyl Record album front cover

    Rave-On Records RLP-011 , 1985 , Netherlands

    This album "VA Rave-On Hits Hard" includes tracks by the bands: Mercyful Fate , Astaroth, H-Bomb, Crossfire, Evil, H-Bomb, Gilgamasj, Sortilege. It was produced by Stefan Rooyackers, Jac Hustinx.

    Rave-On Hits Hard Mercyful Fate 12" Vinyl LP