9 - Mercyful Fate

Advantages: Some excellent tracks
Disadvantages: A fair bit of filler, and one terrible song

Ah! Mercyful Fate - surely the name itself is enough to send tingles up and down the spine of any true metalhead? The band who influenced everyone from Metallica to Maiden to Mayhem, one of the inventors of black metal, and consistent churners out of what I can only describe as "horror metal". Mercyful Fate can always be relied upon to produce something which is at least workmanlike, but was their latest offering, 9, any more than this? Was it the ...
...Tragically not. Now don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a bad album by any means. I bought it, and I still own it, which should tell you something (I sell CDs I don’t like). But it is by no means an exceptional album, although it isn’t just a run of the mill Mercyful Fate album either. One good point about it is the progression in their sound - Mercyful Fate have brought themselves up to date, creating an album with a guitar tone ... Read review

Advantages: fantastic array of metal heroes, slick musicianship, Dave Grohl :)
Disadvantages: not for everybody

...Rotten Imbeciles) (10) Wino (The Obsessed) (11) King Diamond (Mercyful Fate) How’s that for a line-up ‘eh? Dave recorded all the music (manning all instruments himself) and sent out individual tracks to the above set of singers, matching them up as he thought best. One by one, over a period of months and YEARS (to the chagrin of the impatient fans!) the tapes were sent back with freshly recorded vocals. Understandably Dave was chuffed – “It was like Christmas.” Bless. He next had the pleasure of arranging the record ready for release. Lemmy came in to record his vocals personally and be worshipped by wide-eyed Dave - "Lemmy is God. He is the last man standing, and no one even comes close. That guy's a true rock 'n' roller. Everyone else is just trying. I can't even begin to explain how life altering a day in the studio with Lemmy really is... Read review

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