Dec 15

Mercyful Fate

MERCYFUL FATE
 
 
Mercyful Fate  is a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen, formed in 1981 by vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann.  Influenced by progressive rock and hard rock, with lyrics dealing with Satan and the occult, Mercyful Fate were part of the first wave of black metal in the early to mid-1980s.  Since the band’s inception in 1981, Mercyful Fate have released seven studio albums, two extended plays and four compilations.  Since 1999, Mercyful Fate have been on hiatus, but have reunited on occasion during the 2000s.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 

Other bands that Man in the Woods mentions include Faith No More (who had a big MTV hit with “Epic”) and Three Days Grace (I have their 2009 album, Life Starts Now), plus several others that I am not familiar with like Lamb of God, Testament, Our Lady Peace, Avenged Sevenfold, Sepultura, and Mercyful Fate.  

 

(October 2014)

 

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The infamous Filthy Fifteen, along with the reasons for their inclusion on the list, follow. Not only is Prince listed first on the list, he was also the songwriter for #2, “Sugar Walls”; and Vanity, at #4, is a one-time Prince protegé. 
1. Prince – “Darling Nikki” (sex, masturbation) 
2. Sheena Easton – “Sugar Walls” (sex) 
3. Judas Priest – “Eat Me Alive” (sex) 
4. Vanity – “Strap on Robbie Baby” (sex) 
5. Mötley Crüe – “Bastard” (violence) 
6. AC/DC – “Let Me Put My Love Into You” (sex) 
7. Twisted Sister – “We’re Not Gonna Take It”  (violence) 
8. Madonna – “Dress You Up” (sex) 
9. W.A.S.P. – “Animal (F--k Like A Beast)” (sex)
10. Def Leppard – “High ’n Dry” (drug and alcohol use) 
11. Mercyful Fate – “Into the Coven” (occult) 
12. Black Sabbath – “Trashed” (drug and alcohol use) 
13. Mary Jane Girls – “In My House” (sex) 
14. Venom – “Possessed” (occult) 
15. Cyndi Lauper – “She Bop”  (sex, masturbation)
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I had intended to go down the list, one by one, since the point of this post is to examine the outrageous and often offensive lyrics that rock music has created over the years, beyond those that I have talked about previously in earlier posts. Frankly, the Filthy Fifteen is under-whelming in this regard and doesn’t deserve that much attention. Most of the rock artists on the list are well known enough, but I am not at all familiar with Mercyful Fate or Venom, the two “occult” offenders. Their music is pretty disgusting all right, and they likely have the PMRC to thank for one-half of their record sales.  
(June 2016)

Last edited: March 22, 2021