Mercyful Fate at MGM Music Hall – November 13, 2022

A day that many thought would never happen finally has. The mighty Mercyful Fate came to Boston for the first time in nearly 30 years! Joining them on this run are blackend thrash metal band Midnight, and thrash metal titans Kreator.

Midnight

Dressed entirely in black, with black masks and hoods covering their faces, Midnight can be an intimidating sight. Opening with “Fucking Speed and Darkness,” Midnight’s blend of black and speed metal is impossible to not head bang to. Harkening back to the feel of the influential thrash bands of the early 80’s, this Cleveland based trio got the night started off with a powerful set.

Kreator

Tearing onto a stage adorned with robe-covered hanging bodies, Kreator started their set with the title track of 2001’s Violent Revolution. These German thrashers, fronted by Mille Petrozza, have been on the scene for over 40 years. A recent lineup change saw former Dragonforce bassist Frédéric Leclercq join the band. Their ten-song set saw a diverse selection from their career, with nine of their fifteen albums represented.

Mercyful Fate

In 1999, Mercyful Fate went on hiatus, and frontman King Diamond focused on his solo career. In 2019, the band announced they were planning some festival appearances. After pandemic related delays, this June, they played their first full concert in 23 years. After a single summer US festival, King Diamond, along with guitarists Hank Shermann and Mike Wead, drummer Bjarne Holm announced Mercyful Fate’s US Headlining tour, delighting fans everywhere. Sadly, original bassist Timi Hansen passed away in 2019, and Armored Saint bassist Joey Vera has become the new bass player of the band. Currently, however, Armored Saint is touring themselves, so Becky Baldwin has been touring with the band.

This show was for the die hard fans, who never thought they’d get a chance to see Mercyful Fate perform live. Their set drew exclusively from Mercyful Fate’s self-titled debut EP, as well as Don’t Break the Oath, and the fan favorite, Melissa. Earlier in the summer, the band debuted a new song, “The Jackal of Salzburg,” which fit right in with the classic material. A highlight for me was definitely “Curse of the Pharoahs.”

It remains to be seen what will come next for Mercyful Fate. King Diamond has been working on his next solo album, so we’ll see if Mercyful Fate can keep up their momentum, and if we’ll get a new album out of the band. Whatever happens next, this was a night Boston was very lucky to experience, and fans certainly enjoyed it as if they may never have the chance to see Mercyful Fate again!