MERCYFUL FATE - Melissa Netherlands 12" LP Album Vinyl

- This album includes the original custom inner sleeve with album details, complete lyrics of all songs by and artwork/photos

Album cover of Mercyful Fate’s 1983 release, Melissa. The artwork features a dark, demonic skull with curved horns, its eyes and mouth glowing with eerie red light that streaks across the image. The band’s name appears in yellow gothic-style font in the top left corner, while the album title, Melissa, is written in blood-red script at the bottom. The background fades from black to a murky yellow, enhancing the sinister and occult atmosphere.

The Netherlands release of"Melissa" by Mercyful Fate, the debut album of the Danish metal band, reverberates on a 12" LP Vinyl Album. Released in 1983 in Holland, this album stands as a foundational work in the metal genre. Produced by Henrik Lund, "Melissa" showcases Mercyful Fate's unique blend of occult themes, theatricality, and powerful music. This Netherlands release adds a distinct touch to the album's legacy, making it a prized possession for collectors and fans of Mercyful Fate's influential contribution to heavy metal.

Melissa: Mercyful Fate’s Dark Masterpiece That Shaped Heavy Meta
- The 1983 album that blended occult themes, haunting

The 1983 Mercyful Fate album Melissa is a landmark release in the history of heavy metal music. The album's dark, occult-inspired lyrics and haunting melodies have earned it a place as a classic of the genre.

The album opens with the track "Evil", which sets the tone for the rest of the album with its eerie keyboard intro and driving guitar riff. The following tracks, including "Curse of the Pharaohs" and "Into the Coven", continue the dark and menacing atmosphere, with King Diamond's haunting vocals and the band's heavy instrumentation creating an unforgettable listening experience.

One of the most notable aspects of Melissa is the band's use of occult themes in their lyrics. Songs like "Satan's Fall" and "Black Funeral" deal with themes of demonic possession and satanic ritual, which caused controversy at the time of the album's release. The band's use of occult imagery and themes has become a signature element of their music and has influenced countless heavy metal bands in the years since.

Melissa has been cited as a major influence on the heavy metal genre, particularly on the emerging black metal scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The album's use of occult themes and dark imagery paved the way for bands like Venom and Bathory to incorporate these elements into their own music. King Diamond's distinctive vocal style and the band's intricate guitar work have also influenced a generation of metal musicians.

Melissa Netherlands Release - Collector Information
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This section contains detailed information to be able to uniquely identify this particular version/release of the album MERCYFUL FATE Melissa NL King Diamond

Melissa is the debut studio album by Danish heavy metal band Mercyful Fate, released on 30 October 1983. It was the first album released by Roadrunner Records. This was also the first Mercyful Fate effort to get an official release in the United States through Megaforce Records, as the self-titled EP was a highly sought after import, and the BBC sessions were only available on bootleg tapes.

This album includes the original custom inner sleeve (OIS), with on one side the band-photo and the other has the lyrics of all the songs.

Barcode: This album has NO Barcode

Rights Society: STEMRA

Label Code: This album has NO Label Code

Music Genre:

  Danish Black / Thrash Metal  

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

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

    Record Label & Catalognr:

      Roadrunner RR 9898

    Media Format:

      12" Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record
    Total Album (Cover+Record) weight: 230 gram  

    Year & Country:

      1983 Made in Holland  
    Personnel/Band Members and Musicians on: MERCYFUL FATE Melissa NL King Diamond
      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 the album "MERCYFUL FATE Melissa NL King Diamond"

    The detailed tracklist of this record "MERCYFUL FATE Melissa NL King Diamond" is:

      Track-listing:
    1. Evil 4:45
    2. Curse of the Pharaohs 3:57
    3. Into the Coven 5:11
    4. At the Sound of the Demon Bell 5:23
    5. Black Funeral 2:50
    6. Satan's Fall 11:23
    7. Melissa 6:40
    Album cover of Mercyful Fate’s 1983 release, Melissa. The artwork features a dark, demonic skull with curved horns, its eyes and mouth glowing with eerie red light that streaks across the image. The band’s name appears in yellow gothic-style font in the top left corner, while the album title, Melissa, is written in blood-red script at the bottom. The background fades from black to a murky yellow, enhancing the sinister and occult atmosphere. https://vinyl-records.nl

    The album cover of Melissa by Mercyful Fate is a striking and sinister piece of heavy metal artwork. It features a dark, demonic skull with long, curved horns, its eyes and mouth glowing with an eerie, red light that seems to streak across the image like a phantom mist. The skeletal figure has jagged teeth, and its ominous presence is enhanced by the black, shadowy background that fades into a murky yellow hue.

    The band’s name, Mercyful Fate, appears in an old English-style yellow font in the top left corner, adding a classic and ominous touch to the artwork. The album title, Melissa, is scrawled in a blood-red, gothic-style script in the lower left corner, blending seamlessly with the red streaks that emanate from the skull.

    The overall aesthetic of the cover perfectly encapsulates the album’s dark and occult themes, evoking a sense of malevolence and mysticism that would become a hallmark of the band’s sound. The contrast between the blackened bones, the fiery red elements, and the aged, yellowish background creates a haunting visual that stands as one of heavy metal’s most iconic album covers.

    Album Back Cover  Photo of "MERCYFUL FATE Melissa NL King Diamond"
    Back cover of Mercyful Fate’s 1983 album Melissa. The design features a black background with the band’s name in large white gothic-style font at the top left. A red-bordered tracklist box in the center lists the album’s songs. Below, five red-framed photos depict band members: Kim Ruzz (drums), Hank Shermann (lead guitar), King Diamond (vocals), Michael Denner (lead guitar), and Timi Grabber (bass). To the right, red-bordered text provides recording credits, acknowledgments, and management details. The cover maintains a dark and ominous aesthetic, reinforcing the album’s occult themes. https://vinyl-records.nl

    The back cover of Melissa by Mercyful Fate maintains the album’s dark and sinister aesthetic while providing essential details about the release. The background is predominantly black, with the band’s name, Mercyful Fate, displayed in large, gothic-style white font at the top left.

    In the center, a red-bordered tracklist box outlines the songs on Melissa.

    Below the tracklist, there are five red-framed performance photos of the band members:

    • Kim Ruzz (Drums) – Captured behind his drum kit, focused in action.

    • Hank Shermann (Lead Guitar) – Playing his Fender Stratocaster with intensity.

    • King Diamond (Lead and Backing Vocals) – Holding a crucifix in one hand, surrounded by candlelight, enhancing the occult atmosphere.

    • Michael Denner (Lead Guitar) – Pictured in a classic rock stance, gripping his guitar.

    • Timi Grabber (Bass) – Shirtless, playing his bass with a raw and energetic expression.

    To the right of the tracklist, red-bordered text provides recording details, credits, and acknowledgments. The album was recorded at Easy Sound Recording, Copenhagen, in July 1983, produced by Henrik Lund, and engineered by Jacob J. Jørgensen. The cover artwork is credited to Thomas Holm/Studio Dzyan, and Thomas Grønhøj handled the photography.

    Additionally, the cover contains a list of personal thanks from each band member, as well as management and merchandise information for Mercyful Fate Coven in Denmark. The bottom section includes distribution details from Roadrunner Productions B.V., along with a mention of the availability of the Mercyful Fate 4-track 12” Rave on Records release.

    The overall design of the back cover complements the ominous and theatrical nature of the album, reinforcing its status as a classic in the heavy metal genre.

    Inner Sleeve   of "MERCYFUL FATE Melissa NL King Diamond" Album
    Black-and-white photograph on the custom inner sleeve of Mercyful Fate’s 1983 album Melissa. The image features the five band members posing outdoors against a large tree, exuding a dark and rebellious aura. From left to right: Kim Ruzz (drums) with long hair and an open jacket, Hank Shermann (lead guitar) with an intense gaze, Michael Denner (lead guitar) in a black-and-white jacket, King Diamond (vocals) wearing sunglasses, an inverted cross earring, and a leather jacket, and Timi Grabber (bass) shirtless under a vest with aviator sunglasses and wild hair. The high-contrast lighting enhances the moody and gothic feel of the image. https://vinyl-records.nl

    The custom inner sleeve of Melissa features a black-and-white photograph of the members of Mercyful Fate, captured in a moody, candid setting. The band is positioned outdoors, leaning against a large tree, exuding an aura of mystery and rebellion. Each member has a distinct expression, ranging from intense to detached, reinforcing the band’s dark and enigmatic image.

    • Kim Ruzz (Drums) – On the far left, with long, slightly disheveled hair, wearing an open jacket that reveals part of his chest, giving off a relaxed yet brooding presence.

    • Hank Shermann (Lead Guitar) – Next to Ruzz, with a slightly unshaven face and intense gaze, dressed in a dark jacket with a partially unbuttoned shirt, embodying the raw energy of the band’s music.

    • Michael Denner (Lead Guitar) – Centered, with a calm and composed expression, wearing a black-and-white jacket over a striped shirt, adding a subtle contrast to the otherwise dark attire.

    • King Diamond (Vocals) – Positioned in the upper right, unmistakable with his signature mustache, sunglasses, and inverted cross earrings. His leather jacket and layered necklaces reinforce his occult stage persona.

    • Timi Grabber (Bass) – On the lower right, shirtless under a vest, wearing aviator sunglasses and sporting wild, windswept hair, capturing the rebellious, untamed energy of early ’80s heavy metal.

    The overall composition of the photograph is stark and dramatic, with high contrast lighting that enhances the moody, almost gothic feel. The black-and-white aesthetic adds a timeless quality to the image, making it a fitting visual representation of Melissa’s dark themes and pioneering heavy metal sound. The bottom right corner of the sleeve contains the catalog number RR 9898 and the photographer credit Thomas Grønhøj, reinforcing the album’s meticulous attention to detail.

    Photo of "MERCYFUL FATE Melissa NL King Diamond" Album's Inner Sleeve  
    High Resolution Photo of the Original Custom Inner Sleeve (OIS) #2 of MERCYFUL FATE - Melissa https://vinyl-records.nl
    Photo of "MERCYFUL FATE Melissa NL King Diamond" 12" LP Record Label - Side One:
    Enlarged High Resolution Photo of the Record's label MERCYFUL FATE - Melissa https://vinyl-records.nl
    Photo of "MERCYFUL FATE Melissa NL King Diamond" 12" LP Record Label - Side Two:
    Enlarged High Resolution Photo of the Record's label MERCYFUL FATE - Melissa https://vinyl-records.nl

     Note: The images on this page are photos of the actual album. Slight differences in color may exist due to the use of the camera's flash. Images can be zoomed in/out ( eg pinch with your fingers on a tablet or smartphone ).

    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