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Salve, questa è la mia prima recensione e voglio iniziare con uno dei miei gruppi preferiti, i Mercyful Fate. Siamo nel 1983 e dopo una lunga serie di demo ed ep i Mercyful Fate pubblicano il loro primo album. La line-up è formata da King Diamond alla voce, Hank Shermann e Michael Denner alle chitarre, Timi Hansen al basso e Kim Ruzz alla batteria. Il loro sound è a metà strada tra il power e il black metal unito a tematiche sataniche e alla straordinaria voce falsettata di King.
L'opener è "Evil" una delle mie preferite; musicalmente molto varia, si avvale di un testo che parla di uno zombi, soldato dell'inferno, che tortura una donna, e che, dopo il funerale disotterra il cadavere per violentarla. Con la seconda canzone "Curse Of The Pharaohs", più lenta con un'intro somigliante a "2 Minutes to Midnight" degii Iron Maiden voliamo nel misterioso Egitto. "Into the Coven" ha un intro con 2 assoli: uno di chitarra acustica e uno elettrica, per poi proseguire con assoli, cambi di tempo e urla in falsetto. Mentre le prime 3 canzoni erano abbastanza simili il disco ha un'impennata di violenza con "At the Sound of the Demon Bell" dove la cattiveria che sprizza il testo si può percepire in modo impressionante. "Black Funeral" è un concentrato di satanismo e crudeltà in soli 2 minuti e mezzo e fa da apripista al capolavoro dell'album e cioè "Satan's Fall" della durata di 11 minuti, dove i cambi di ritmo, gli assoli, le urla si susseguono a una velocità impressionante, finchè verso metà brano tutto si ferma ed emerge un dolce arpeggio. Ma questa calma dura poco e così ritornano le chitarre e una voce che si avvicina molto al rap che chiude la canzone. L'ultima traccia è la title-track che, riprendendo il dolce arpeggio della canzone precedente, narra la storia della strega Melissa, venerata da King, che fu messa al rogo. La canzone termina con le parole sussurrate da King: "I think Melissa's still with us" e con esse anche l'album. Nella mia versione del cd è presente anche la bonus track "Black Masses" che si trovava nel lato b del singolo di "Black Funeral".
In definitiva questo è un grandissimo album, battuto forse solo dal seguito "Don't Break the Oath". Una curiosità: i Metallica fecero un medley delle canzoni di questo album in Garage Inc.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Evil (04:45)
I was born on the cemetery
Under the sign of the moon
Raised from my grave by the dead
I was made a mercenary
In the legions of Hell
Now I'm king of pain, I'm insane
You know my only pleasure
Is to hear you cry
I'd love to hear you cry
I'd love to feel you die
And I'll be the first
To watch your funeral
And I'll be the last to leave
I'd love to hear you cry
And when you're down beyond the ground
I'll dig up your body again
And make love to shame
Oh lady cry, and say goodbye
Oh lady cry, and say goodbye
You've gotta say goodbye
'Cause I will eat your mind
02 Curse of the Pharaohs (03:57)
Away out in Egypt in the valley of kings
Where the mummified pharaohs
Pretend dead in their sleep
Don't touch, never ever steal
Unless you're in for the kill
Or you'll be hit by the curse of the pharaohs
Yes you'll be hit and the curse is on you
Now if you're breakin' the seals
and disturbing the peace
Then you're startin' up a curse
Bringin' evil disease
Don't touch, never ever steal
Unless you're in for the kill
Or you'll be hit by the curse of the pharaohs
Yes you'll be hit and the curse is on you
The curse of the pharaohs can be so deadly
Or just destroying your future
Takin' it all shady
Don't touch, never ever steal
Unless you're in for the kill
Or you'll be hit by the curse of the pharaohs
Yes you'll be hit and the curse is on you
03 Into the Coven (05:11)
Howl like a wolf
And a witch will open the door
Follow me and meet our high priestess
Come, come into my coven
And become Lucifer's child
Undress until you're naked
And put on this white coat
Take this white cross and go to the middle of the ring
Come, come into my coven
And become Lucifer's child
Now crush it, crush the cross
Suck the blood f rom this unholy knife
Say after me: My soul belongs to Satan
Now, now you're into my coven
You are Lucifer's child
Into the coven
Lucifer's child
04 At the Sound of the Demon Bell (05:23)
Halloween is the night
The legend says the ghost will rise
On Halloween they can't redeem
A restless soul from an ancient scene
At the sound of the demon bell
Everything will burn to Hell
Rise... rise... rise... It's Halloween
Rise... rise... The ghost will rise
Reconciled with the powers of darkness
He'll uncover a saint
You won't believe? See for yourself
I hear a bell
A sound from Hell, the demon bell
I see a lightin' shadow in between the graves
Swinging his sword of hate towards the gates of Heaven
"Beelzebub, Astaroth...Bring me the Devil"
And as he says these words I can't believe my eyes
Upon a burnin' cross
The Lord Jesus, Satan's above
It must be a shame
To see the Lord fallin' again
Now rise, reconcile with the powers of darkness
Uncover a saint
You better believe or see for yourself
05 Black Funeral (02:50)
Bring the black box to the altar
Now raise your hands and do the sign
Oh hail Satan, yes hail Satan
Lay down your swords, the evil star
It's a black funeral
She was a victim of my coven
Open the black box on the altar
Her blood is still hot, so let it out
Oh hail Satan, yes hail Satan
Now drink it, drink, drink, forget that whore
It's a black funeral
She was the victim of my coven
06 Satan's Fall (11:23)
They're walking by the night
The moon has frozen blue
Long black coats a shelter for the rain
Their load must get through
Now bats are leaving their trees
They're joining the call
Seven satanic Hell preachers
Heading for the hall
Bringing the blood of a newborn child
Got to succeed, if not it's Satan's fall
Home... Come home
Evil messengers with blood stained wings
Home... Come home
Home... Come home
Is it Satan's fall?
No... It's Satan's call
Craniums high on stakes
It's Satan's epigraph
Something you can't erase... 666
They call him the beast
Use your demon eyes, uncover the disguise
Time is out.. Yeah, I don't need your god
Oh the law of Satan
Pray and obey it forever
Oh the law of Satan
Innocent lovers...it's a lie
Iron fists won't do no good against the evil eyes
Of seven holy Hell preachers, don't you even try
Now they cross the river Styx and see the castle rise
So high
Waiting on the other shore for Charon to arrive
A shape with horns and glowing eyes, Satanrs still alive
He receives the sacrifice with evil laughs and pride
You better escape, you've got to escape
You cannot escape
07 Melissa (06:40)
I'm kneeling in front of the altar
Satan's cross upon the wall
Strange emptiness, a crystal ball between two candles
Melissa has entered another life
Melissa, you were mine
Melissa, you were the light
She was a witch
Why did they take you away?
Melissa, you were the queen of the night
Melissa, you were my light
I swear revenge on the priest
The priest must die
He must die in the name of Hell
Melissa, can you hear me?
Melissa, are you there?
Nothing is left outside at the stake
They take my hurt away from me
I think Melissa still with us
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