Mercyful Fate formed in Copenhagen in 1981 by King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann after CBS told them to stop making such loud heavy music and stop singing in English. They wanted to produce heavy metal that was deeply influenced by the occult and Satanism – CBS wanted pop music. Their first album was named after King Diamond’s pet skeleton ‘Melissa’. Their second, ‘Don’t Break the Oath’ saw them garner a cult following around the world. They split and reformed many times and are currently active and recording their first studio album for over two decades.