# Melissa (music)
**Melissa** is the debut full-length album by the Danish heavy metal band [Mercyful Fate](https://www.edgepedia.org/mercyful-fate), released on 30 October 1983 by [Roadrunner Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/roadrunner-records) (catalog ID RR 9898) as a 12-inch vinyl full-length.[1](https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Mercyful_Fate/Melissa/745) Recorded that July in Copenhagen, it fused occult-themed lyrics with a twin-guitar attack.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/album/MW0000194069) • [3](https://lebmetal.com/2012/04/mercyful-fate-melissa-1983/)
*Not to be confused with [Melissa](https://www.edgepedia.org/melissa-musician) (musician), the Venezuelan pop-rock singer.*
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release date | 30 October 1983[1](https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Mercyful_Fate/Melissa/745) |
| Label, catalog | Roadrunner Records, RR 9898[1](https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Mercyful_Fate/Melissa/745) |
| Recording | Easy Sound Recording, Copenhagen, July 1983; produced by Henrik Lund[1](https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Mercyful_Fate/Melissa/745) • [4](https://musicbrainz.org/release/8e2ab7e5-90ca-3c6c-9180-0b92cfc721c1) |
| Lineup | King Diamond (vocals, lyrics), Hank Shermann and Michael Denner (guitars), Timi Hansen (bass), Kim Ruzz (drums)[1](https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Mercyful_Fate/Melissa/745) |
| Songs and writing | Seven tracks; music by Hank Shermann, lyrics by King Diamond[4](https://musicbrainz.org/release/8e2ab7e5-90ca-3c6c-9180-0b92cfc721c1) • [5](https://www.metalblade.com/us/releases/mercyful-fate-melissa/) |
| Critical standing | #17 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Metal Albums; "Evil" #69 on its 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs[4](https://musicbrainz.org/release/8e2ab7e5-90ca-3c6c-9180-0b92cfc721c1) |
| Documented editions | 148 versions on Discogs, from the 1983 originals through 2025 reissues[6](https://www.discogs.com/master/58197-Mercyful-Fate-Melissa) |
## Background and recording
Mercyful Fate formed in early 1981 in Copenhagen around vocalist [King Diamond](https://www.edgepedia.org/king-diamond) and guitarist Hank Shermann; guitarist Michael Denner, bassist Timi Hansen, and drummer Kim Ruzz completed the lineup.[7](https://www.metalblade.com/us/news/mercyful-fate-release-melissa-digitally-in-honor-of-the-albums-40th-anniversary/) The band released a self-titled EP on Rave On Records in November 1982, joined Roadrunner Records in 1983, and recorded and released its debut full-length, Melissa, the same year.[7](https://www.metalblade.com/us/news/mercyful-fate-release-melissa-digitally-in-honor-of-the-albums-40th-anniversary/)
The album was recorded and mixed at Easy Sound Recording in Copenhagen in July 1983, produced by Danish producer Henrik Lund and co-mixed by the band, with engineering by Jacob J. Jørgensen.[1](https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Mercyful_Fate/Melissa/745) [MusicBrainz](https://www.edgepedia.org/musicbrainz) dates the production period from 18 to 29 July 1983 and credits Shermann as composer and Diamond as lyricist on all tracks.[4](https://musicbrainz.org/release/8e2ab7e5-90ca-3c6c-9180-0b92cfc721c1) The US Megaforce edition was mastered at Sterling Sound by Jack Skinner.[8](https://www.discogs.com/release/724590-Mercyful-Fate-Melissa) The cover artwork is by Thomas Holm.[1](https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Mercyful_Fate/Melissa/745)
## Music and lyrics
The album runs seven tracks: Evil, Curse of the Pharaohs, Into the Coven, At the Sound of the Demon Bell, Black Funeral, Satan's Fall, and Melissa.[5](https://www.metalblade.com/us/releases/mercyful-fate-melissa/) On the Discogs master release the timings run from 2:47 (Black Funeral) to 11:21 (Satan's Fall), with the title track at 6:40.[6](https://www.discogs.com/master/58197-Mercyful-Fate-Melissa)
Steve Huey of AllMusic describes the album's formula: it took [Black Sabbath](https://www.edgepedia.org/black-sabbath)'s dark occult obsessions to an extreme, fusing them with the speed and tightened twin-guitar riffing of British metal bands such as [Judas Priest](https://www.edgepedia.org/judas-priest) and Iron Maiden, with the basic components of the band's influential European gothic black metal sound already in place.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/album/MW0000194069) Lyrically, the title track introduces Melissa, whom King Diamond imagined as a witch burnt at the stake by a priest, her lover swearing revenge.[3](https://lebmetal.com/2012/04/mercyful-fate-melissa-1983/) "Into the Coven" reached a wider audience of notoriety than its music alone: it appears at number 11 on the PMRC's "Filthy Fifteen" list of songs with offensive lyrical content.[4](https://musicbrainz.org/release/8e2ab7e5-90ca-3c6c-9180-0b92cfc721c1)
## Release and editions
The 1983 original appeared simultaneously on several labels: [Roadrunner](https://www.edgepedia.org/roadrunner) (RR 9898) in Europe and the Netherlands, Megaforce (MRI-369) in the United States, Music For Nations (MFN 10) in the UK, and Attic (LAT-1187) in Canada.[8](https://www.discogs.com/release/724590-Mercyful-Fate-Melissa) Discogs documents 148 versions of the album in total, spanning those 1983 pressings and reissues through at least 2025.[6](https://www.discogs.com/master/58197-Mercyful-Fate-Melissa)
Reissue editions add material the original lacked: the Black Funeral B-side Black Masses (4:31), three [BBC Radio 1](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-radio-1) session tracks, two demo tracks, and, on one Roadrunner remastered edition, a DVD of the band recorded live at Dynamo in [Eindhoven](https://www.edgepedia.org/eindhoven) in 1983.[1](https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Mercyful_Fate/Melissa/745) Roadrunner unveiled that remastered edition with bonus tracks and the live DVD in 2005.[9](https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2011/02/24/mercyful-fate-melissa/)
## Legacy and influence
Melissa predates Bathory's self-titled debut and Slayer's Show No Mercy, and appeared a year after Venom's Black Metal, placing it among the earliest extreme metal records.[3](https://lebmetal.com/2012/04/mercyful-fate-melissa-1983/) Decibel describes Diamond, a corpsepainted vocalist and member of the Church of Satan, as an inspiration for the Scandinavian teenagers behind black metal's second wave.[9](https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2011/02/24/mercyful-fate-melissa/) A 2025 retrospective argues the record supplied the blueprint for black metal and that bands including [Metallica](https://www.edgepedia.org/metallica), Slayer, and Emperor owe something to it.[10](https://www.thisdayinmetal.com/mercyful-fate-melissa/) "Into the Coven," with its mentions of Lucifer, is credited with influencing a generation of black metal bands.[11](https://glorydazeaor.com/1980s/1983/Mercyful-Fate-1983-Melissa)
The skull named Melissa gives the album its title and its mythology. In the early 1980s, until it was stolen, King Diamond used a human skull he had baptized Melissa as his microphone handle; the skull appeared to have been severely hit on the head when he acquired it. The bones of the cross-shaped microphone handle he still uses are from Melissa's skeleton.[3](https://lebmetal.com/2012/04/mercyful-fate-melissa-1983/) Retailers describe the album as named after the fictional witch and that skull.[12](https://napalmrecords.com/english/mercyful-fate-melissa-white-lp.html)
Against its follow-up, the retrospective framing holds that while Don't Break the Oath refined the band's formula, Melissa retains a rawness that cannot be replicated, highlighting the eleven-minute, constantly mutating "Satan's Fall" and the mournful closing title track.[10](https://www.thisdayinmetal.com/mercyful-fate-melissa/) On Metal Archives, the album holds 25 user reviews averaging 92%.[1](https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Mercyful_Fate/Melissa/745)
## Recent developments
On 30 October 2023, Metal Blade released Melissa digitally for the album's 40th anniversary, using the 2005 Ted Jensen remaster that had not previously been available digitally; it was listed on the band's Bandcamp at $6.99 USD.[7](https://www.metalblade.com/us/news/mercyful-fate-release-melissa-digitally-in-honor-of-the-albums-40th-anniversary/) • [13](https://mercyfulfate.bandcamp.com/album/melissa-2005-remaster-by-ted-jensen) The anniversary was accompanied by a line of Melissa-themed merchandise produced with Bravado and offered worldwide.[7](https://www.metalblade.com/us/news/mercyful-fate-release-melissa-digitally-in-honor-of-the-albums-40th-anniversary/)
Two further vinyl reissues followed: a limited evil-orange-marbled LP on 17 January 2025, priced at €25.99,[14](https://napalmrecords.com/english/mercyful-melissa-evil-orange-marbled-lp.html) and a limited white 12-inch vinyl edition on Metal Blade (catalog ID 3984-15681-1) dated 13 March 2026 on Metal Archives; the retailer [Napalm Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/napalm-records) lists the white LP as released 27 March 2026 as part of a catalog-wide vinyl reissue that also covers Don't Break the Oath and In the Shadows.[15](https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Mercyful_Fate/Melissa/1418083) • [12](https://napalmrecords.com/english/mercyful-fate-melissa-white-lp.html) The band's current lineup is Diamond on vocals, Shermann and Mike Wead on guitars, Bjarne T. Holm on drums, and Joey Vera on bass.[7](https://www.metalblade.com/us/news/mercyful-fate-release-melissa-digitally-in-honor-of-the-albums-40th-anniversary/)
## References
1. Mercyful Fate – Melissa – Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives, https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Mercyful_Fate/Melissa/745
2. Melissa – Mercyful Fate | AllMusic (Steve Huey), https://www.allmusic.com/album/MW0000194069
3. LebMetal – Mercyful Fate: Melissa (1983), https://lebmetal.com/2012/04/mercyful-fate-melissa-1983/
4. Release "Melissa" by Mercyful Fate – MusicBrainz, https://musicbrainz.org/release/8e2ab7e5-90ca-3c6c-9180-0b92cfc721c1
5. Mercyful Fate "Melissa" | Metal Blade Records, https://www.metalblade.com/us/releases/mercyful-fate-melissa/
6. Mercyful Fate – Melissa | Discogs (master release), https://www.discogs.com/master/58197-Mercyful-Fate-Melissa
7. Mercyful Fate Release "Melissa" Digitally in Honor of the Album's 40th Anniversary | Metal Blade Records, https://www.metalblade.com/us/news/mercyful-fate-release-melissa-digitally-in-honor-of-the-albums-40th-anniversary/
8. Mercyful Fate – Melissa (1983, Vinyl) – Discogs, https://www.discogs.com/release/724590-Mercyful-Fate-Melissa
9. Mercyful Fate - "Melissa" - Decibel Magazine, https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2011/02/24/mercyful-fate-melissa/
10. Mercyful Fate's Melissa: The Album That Made Darkness Beautiful – This Day in Metal, https://www.thisdayinmetal.com/mercyful-fate-melissa/
11. Mercyful Fate 1983 Melissa – GloryDazeAOR, https://glorydazeaor.com/1980s/1983/Mercyful-Fate-1983-Melissa
12. MERCYFUL FATE - Melissa - White LP | Napalm Records, https://napalmrecords.com/english/mercyful-fate-melissa-white-lp.html
13. Melissa (2005 Remaster by Ted Jensen) | Mercyful Fate (Bandcamp), https://mercyfulfate.bandcamp.com/album/melissa-2005-remaster-by-ted-jensen
14. MERCYFUL FATE - Melissa - Evil Orange Marbled LP | Napalm Records, https://napalmrecords.com/english/mercyful-melissa-evil-orange-marbled-lp.html
15. Mercyful Fate - Melissa (2026 white vinyl reissue) – Encyclopaedia Metallum, https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Mercyful_Fate/Melissa/1418083
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › Transnational genre scenes › Heavy metal scenes › Landmark works: Heavy metal scenes*
*Initially written Sep 19, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 30, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license