Fear Emptiness Decibel

FEAR, EMPTINESS, DECIBEL: MERCYFUL FATE’S MELISSA GETS INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME

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FEAR, EMPTINESS, DECIBEL: MERCYFUL FATE’S MELISSA GETS INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME

FEAR, EMPTINESS, DECIBEL: MERCYFUL FATE’S MELISSA GETS INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME

Before there were blogs there were these things called magazines, and the only metal magazine we still get excited about reading every month is Decibel. Here’s managing editor Andrew Bonazelli…

I’m selfish/insensitive enough that, when it was announced last November that King Diamond was hospitalized for triple bypass surgery, my first thought was, “Oh shit, now we’ll never get Mercyful Fate in the Hall of Fame.” You know, as opposed to, “Oh shit, I hope this human being who has entertained and captivated metal fans for over a quarter-century is okay, much less his loving family.” No, being an asshole isn’t easy. One has to work at it. Anyway, everything more or less turned out okay—not only was the great Dane discharged in December to recuperate at home, but we had already conducted two-fifths of the required interviews to make a Melissa feature a reality, King being among them. Hence, a pretty colorful, totally essential feature for April. Oh, and if you prefer King Diamond the band’s classic ghost tales, stay tuned for a very special black horseman’s arrival in a dB somewhere down the line.

Back to Melissa, though. Its induction opens up a familiar Pandora’s box. Most fans argue that—not unlike Venom’s Welcome to Hell and Black MetalMelissa and sophomore sensation Don’t Break the Oath are equally ripping. Our contention is that Melissa has the more memorable set of tunes, and that most Oath-swearing is due to the fact that the LP afforded Mercyful Fate reams of exposure via their first U.S. tour. And not that this contributes all that much to said debate, but Decibel EIC Albert Mudrian, as big a Maiden apologist as—well, that’s not true; some of our staff writers are even more nuts—but whatever: he contends that Leyton’s finest ripped off the main riff to Fate’s “Curse of the Pharaohs” on Powerslave hit “2 Minutes to Midnight.” More food for your skull. What do you think?

-AB

You can buy the April 2011 issue of Decibel here, or just get a full subscription to ensure that you never miss an awesome Hall of Fame entry.

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