MERCYFUL FATE-A corpse without soul RAVE ON LP w/Lyrics
$
186
Favourite Auctions
To save auctions to your favourites, please login
If you don't have an account, please register
Description
MERCYFUL FATE-"A corpse without soul" RAVE-ON Records (Holland) c.1982 Cat: RMLP-002
Here is the ultimate MERCYFUL FATE / King Diamond item. The original 1982 RAVE-ON mini LP with the original lyric sheet. The front cover of the LP has been AUTOGRAPHED by KING DIAMOND, TIMI HANSEN and HANK SHERMAN with a silverpen when KING DIAMOND visited Stockholm in May 1987.
Their first EP was nicknamed "Nuns Have No Fun" or "A Corpse Without Soul" by the fans because of the cover art.
Original pressing have a slim white border around the jacket.
1. A Corpse Without Soul 06:53 2. Nuns Have No Fun 04:17 3. Doomed By The Living Dead 05:06 4. Devil Eyes 05:48 Total playing time 22:04Mercyful Fate was formed in 1981 in Copenhagen (Denmark) on the ashes of the Punk/Metal band Brats, by vocalist King Diamond (ex-Black Rose (Dnk)) (real name Kim Bendix Petersen) and guitarist Hank Shermann (real name Rene Krolmark). After going through some lineup changes (see the liner notes in 'Return of the Vampire' for more info) the 'classic' lineup was born, with the addition of guitarist Michael Denner (also formerly of Brats) and bassist Timi 'Grabber' Hansen, the two were members of a band/project called Danger Zone (Dnk) at the time, King and Hank used to help them), as well as drummer Kim Ruzz who quickly replaced Nick Smith (Danger Zone (Dnk)'s drummer}).
The band put out three releases - the self-titled EP (nicknamed 'Nuns Have No Fun'), 'Melissa' and 'Don't Break The Oath' - which cemented their status in the metal underground and the emerging black metal scene. In 1985, citing musical differences, the band split up - Shermann apparently was tired of the Satanic content and wanted to move on to a more accessible hard rock sound. He did precisely that with the next band he formed - Fate (Dnk) - while King Diamond, Michael Denner and Timi Hansen moved on to create a band of their own, simply called King Diamond.
A single, ominous note, then a destructively insane guitar lead – so opens Mercyful Fate’s first ode to indecency and chaos. Behind the haze of early ‘80s hard rock megalomaniacs, a deadly curse lurks, waiting to steal your soul… This is no primitive tongue-in-cheek Venom. No, Mercyful Fate staked out their own territory through their crazed guitarists’ manic shredding and killer riffs – a land where Satan rules supreme, where honesty and saintliness are persecuted. This is the underground of 1982, where a kingdom of evil has begun its quest for domination… where all is black – the sky, the hearts of men, and especially the metal.
Denner and Shermann display a musical athleticism only matched by their unaware precursors in Judas Priest and perhaps London’s street-smart Iron Maiden. They pull diabolic leads and riffs from the netherworld with no regard to the demons within pulling them into the mist. Every riff, every solo – all exude a love, an obsession for the occult. The aforementioned opening sequence in “A Corpse Without Soul” ranks among the top work of Mercyful Fate’s career, and, not content with simply tearing the listener to pieces, the guitarists batter the remains with continuous maniacal musicianship reminiscent of the best Tipton and Downing compositions. Further guitar proficiency, whether it be the oddly “Living After Midnight” styled riffing in the beginning of “Nuns Have No Fun” or the malevolent riffs throughout “Doomed by the Living Dead,” asserts itself throughout the EP’s twenty-two minute duration. A highly competent rhythm section, subtly texturing the music’s demonically organic production with an extra feeling of monstrosity, backs this incredible performance.
And straight out of hell, Kim Bendix Petersen, better known as King Diamond, shrieks, screeches, and growls his way through four Satanic heavy metal classics. That screech at the end of the opening rite is so high-register that it’s likely even Rob Halford in his prime couldn’t reproduce it. Other passages King Diamond shadows with black emotion include his command to “say goodbye to all your holy angels” (which is followed by a melodic but still dark guitar section), his crooning over “long black hair,” and his disturbing falsetto wail of the final track’s title. That’s not even mentioning his vulgar chanting in “Nuns Have No Fun.”
Welcome to Hell had nothing on this. It’s easy to take a simple pentagram and stick it on the cover of an album – and after all, Venom were never quite serious – but it’s another thing entirely to grace the music with a black-and-white image of a virgin sacrifice. There is absolutely nothing holy about Mercyful Fate here, despite what such a name might lead some to believe. Even though the band would release two more majestically evil masterpieces before splitting up the first time, nothing would ever compare to the fury evident on their first EP.
This LP has been out of print for many years.
LP has some light wear. Most noteable is a light (NOT HEARABLE) scratch over "Devil's eyes". Cover has some wear too. Moste notable is a defect by the moon/bat in the upper left corner. Otherwise, you could say wear has been normal. Cover is a little bleached both on back and front, but no folds. It has been stored in a cool, dry shelf for 25 years.
I do not sell bootlegs or unauthorized reprints. All LP's are shipped from Stockholm, Sweden. Payment methods: PayPal (International) and IBAN (Europe). I do NOT accept cash, checks, moneytransfers or IMO's
Shipping costs (Worldwide): 1 LP - $15
If you win more than one item, I will combine shipping to reduce cost.
Feel free to contact me at any time: fantamej@hotmail.com for soundsamples or questions.
price rating
![THE ROLLING STONES 'MFSL BOX SET' [LP] LMTD. ED. NM/NM-](https://www.popsike.info/php/thumbnail.php?url=https://www.popsike.pics/pix/20110901/250884630970.jpg)
![Stevie Ray Vaughan – In The Beginning LP 1992 Epic – 472624 1 [Greece] VG+/VG+](https://www.popsike.info/php/thumbnail.php?url=https://www.popsike.pics/pix/20241105/156494957904.jpg)
