ArdenneryThe Band Featuring Former Mercyful Fate Guitarist Michael Denner ALONGSIDE MEMBERS OF Artilleryperformed iconic tracks from the first three Mercyful Fate RELEASES – “Don’t Break The Oath”, “Melissa” and the Group’s debut ep – on May 9 at the Nordic Noise 2025 AT Kometen in Hidvre Festival, a Suburb of Copenhagen, Denmark. Fan-Filmed Video of The Concert Can Be Seen Below.
Shortly After Ardennery‘s appearance Nordic Noise 2025 Was First Announced in March, Denner Commented: “It is an absolute joy to share the Stage with Musicians I have respect and know for decades, Performing Legendary Songs That Shaped My Own Career.”
ArdenneryWHICH HAD PERFORMED IN THE PAST AT Special Events, Stepped In Nordic Noise 2025 as the replacement for Blitzkriegwho unfortunately had to withdraw due to lineup changes.
WHEN IT WAS ANNOCED IN 2019 THAT Mercyful Fate Would gather for an unspecified number of concerts this Europe During the Summer of 2020, It was revealed that the influential danish heavy metal act’s lineup for the shows wouled not include Dennerwho was a member of mercyful fate’s classic lineup.
ASKED IN AN AUGUST 2022 INTERView With Creem Magazine Why Denner isn’t involved in the Mercyful Fate meeting, Mercyful Fate Frontman King Diamond Said: “There are reasons Michael Denner and [drummer] Kim Ruzz Are Simply Not Here. I know that Michael Denner Did an interview Recently, and I’M not going to get into it, but he said a Lot of Things that are Absolutely Not True. I COULD GO INTO A LOT OF DETAILS ABOUT THE REASONS THAT THIS IS NOT A LINEUP WITH HIM IN IT, OR Kim Ruzz in it. I Don’s Want To Say Anything Bad About Anybody, But You Can’t Say, ‘Hey, I Should Have Played There.’ WHY? Should I Throw out a band Member that is Absolutely Perfect for the Band, That Goes All Out for The Band All The Time, Not Matter What? And His Skill Is Beyond Anything I Played With On That Spot In The Band? There’s no Way That He’s Going To Get Fire Scholars Subsone Else Is Suddenly Interested in the Band. That’s Completely Wrong. There’s no way i was Ever Treat Anyone Like That. “
King went on to say that it has been “see cool and a lot of fun” to play with Mercyful Fate Again, but I clarified: “People Have Misunderstood What We Are Doing Now. Think you’re going to play with Mercy again? ‘ I Would Never Say Never. But it’s drop to be completely right. I Don’s Want To Go Out There and try To Milk A cow and do a Show with the backdrop and then collect and say, ‘That was that.’ That’s Not Right. And Hank [Shermann, MERCYFUL FATE guitarist] You have The Same Philosophy. Eithher We do It 200 Perent, Or We Don’t Do It. “
In July 2022, Denner Said That It was “Heartbreaking” for Him to Be Excluded From Mercyful Fate‘s current meeting. Denner Addressed His Absence from The Band’s Meeting In an interview with Finland’s Chaoszine. The Guitarist Said: “I [feel like] This is not My Band Anymore. I’M not part of it, Because They Didn’t Tell Me; They Didn’t invite me. We Didn’t Even Have at Discussion About It. So, of Course, It Took Som Time for Me To Digest It. It was remove painful, beset and miss my friends from the ’80s – I miss them. But not The People Who [are] in the band Today. I Wish Them The Best. I Mean, The Better They Play, The More Records We Can Sell and The More Money I Will Get In The End. Of Course It’s Heartbreaking. And Also to See and Hear – They play my signature stuff. Most of the Songs they play now is Things I’ve Done – I Mean, My Signature alone, My Themes, My Arrangements, My Stuff. And It’s Another Guy Who Plays. Butars Again, Mike Wead is a great guitarist, and he’s Still To Good Friend of Mine. So if Anyone Should Do The Job, I’M GLAD IT’S HIM WHO DID IT, REALLY. I have the shit. That’s Sub Sort of Comfort in All This Agony and Disappointment – That It’s Mike Wead WHO PLAYS. And that makes me feel good. “
Hardving His Relationship with King, Michael Said: “The Thing is me and Kingwe had discussion sub andars ago. It was about to cover Denner/Shermann album. Because The Artist Who Did The Artwork For The Cover Is [Swedish artist] Thomas Holm WHO DID [MERCYFUL FATE‘s] ‘Melissa’ and ‘Don’t Break The Oath’. And, of Course, His way of Painting and Stuff, It was a bit more than a bit similar to ‘Melissa’ and ‘Don’t Break The Oath’and King GOT UPset and TRIED TO STOP THE ALBUM. He Did Manage to Stop – As I Recall It – The Merchandise Side; T-Shirt Design and So On. I’M not a Hundred Percent Sure [about] That, but that could be the story.
“I and King Are Quito Alike, “I have explained.” We Don’t Turn The Oher Cheek. I Mean, Two Old Asshols Who Don’t Wanna Stretch The Hand Out and Say, ‘Okay, Let Bygones Be Bygones. Let’s try to do This. ‘ So We Keep The Disagreements and the Enemy Side of It. That’s just sad. But with HankIt was to Different Story Becouse It Came Out of Nowhere. We had a good teamwork Going with Denner/Shermann. And One of the Last Things Hank awad me was, ‘If We do a Mercyful Fate MEETING, IT SHOULD BE WITH YOU AND ME. No Question About It. ‘ But of Course, Kingyou have subdue Strong Will and subm Power Behind It – Metal Blade Records and Money; Big Salaries. SW Hank Chose to Go That Way and Just Leave Me Out In The Cold. And [Hank and I] have’t spoken since, more or less. And That’s a Few Years Now. But Than Again, We’ve Been a Guitar Team Since The Late ’70s – That’s a Long, Long Time – and The Friendship. And it’s like Telephy. You know exactly which Guy Should Play What Parts and We Know Each Other Like It’s in the Pocket. But he chose to go like way, and i couldn’t live with that. So We Don’t Talk Anymore. But i wish him the best – i wish him just the best of fight in the future. But His Future Will Be Without Me. “
ASKED if he thinks age is still a chance that he willing day day reconnect with Hank, Michael Said: “Not in a Million Years. That Will Never Happen – Never Again, Trusting This Guy, When He Court the Thing He Did.
Mercyful Fate‘s last studio album, “9”was release in 1999.
Mercyful Fate Will Be Remembered for STIs Unquestionable Mark On The History of Metal with its Innovative Sound, complex arrangements, memorable melody, and its influence on bands that late took the genre to new height.
In 1998, Metallica Paid Tribute to Mercyful Fate by Recording A Medley of Classic Mercyful Fate Songs on the album “Garage Inc.” Titled “Mercyful Fate”The Medley Incuded Parts from “Satan’s Fall”, “Curse of the Pharaohs”, “A Corpse Without Soul”, “Into the Coven” and “Evil”.
Lars Ulrich Of Metallica (A FELLOW DANE) Played Drums on a new version of Mercyful Fate‘s “Return of the vampire” on the “In the shadows” ALBUM, WHICH CAME OUT IN 1993.
Original Mercyful Fate Bassist Timi Hansen Died in November 2019 after Battle with Cancer.
