Time

So, in 1993 and 1994, much like they did in 83-84, Mercyful Fate releases 2 back to back albums, both showing that the band, while not attaining the legendary status of the first two records, that they still record and release amazing, classic albums, showing that their 9 year split hadn't deprived them of much other than time (funnily also the title of this album. This album has classic Mercyful Fate metal, and great vocals because of freaking King Diamond, holy crap! You know he isn't human, he's far greater than mere mortals. This album is a classic and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Let's get into the music, so I can tell you just why it's great. Let's begin!

Mercyful Fate opens very strongly and the first four songs show the new Mercyful Fate continuing where they left off with the 1993 comeback, with King Diamond, Schenker, Denner and a new drummer creating new classics. The two highlights of these are Angel of Light and Witches' Dance, (which got an awesome music video on MTV) showing the songwriting ability hadn't decreased one bit. The solos offered by the legendary Schenker/Denner duo on Witches' Dance is one of the best moments on the entire record along with King's performance of the catchy chorus, with him uttering the lines in a low gruff voice and then going falsetto, making this a standout and an unforgettable song. The solos, melodies, chorus' and overall songwriting is very strong, many songs have haunting atmospheres, which Fate have always been wonderful at crafting. An interesting track, and a very strong one too, called, "Castillo del Mortes" which is Spanish for castle of the dead, has a lot of Spanish classical guitar influence, making it one of the most unique tracks on the album and a fantastic closer. That also reminds me of The Mad Arab which has middle eastern musical influence, and it's a very strong track. The band does a great job of backing vocals as always, and King's vocal layering is great as well. One thing this album does suffer from a bit is some of the tracks having a sameness to them. This sometimes makes it to where two songs with similar structures end up being mixed up in my head until the lyrics or chorus begin. Not that big of a deal, but can be a bit annoying at times. Let's talk about the production now.

This album has great production, all in all. King's vocals are mixed very well, with some great layering and backing vocals of the band. The new drummer does fantastic and his drums are produced pretty well, at times they seem a bit louder and at other times they seem less so. That may just be my botched hearing and perception, however. The bass guitar sounds fantastic, Sharlee's one and only performance with Fate is very good, he plays chords often and they sound very good. This production suits Fate very well, even though it is different than their previous 1980's productions.

I love this album, every Mercyful Fate album is good, but this and Don't Break The Oath are tied for me. This album has a lot of great moments and some minor complaints, but the good outweighs the bad so much it's barely worth talking about the bad that much. Definitely give this one a listen if you haven't. I was reluctant to listen to anything after the first two records until I heard WItches' Dance and subsequently listened to this entire album, enjoying every song. Go listen whenever the chance arrives! 91%

-Nolan

While I don't take exception to records like Into the Unknown or 9, which manage to channel most of Mercyful Fate's positive qualities, it's 1994 and Time which delineates the border for me between the Danes' 'timeless' (oh boy, I did not plan that) works, and those that really don't strike much of a chord with me when I'm scanning through the albums I wanna upload to my iPhone or whatnot. While it holds nothing on my unholy trinity of Don't Break the Oath, Melissa and In the Shadows, it is the last album that I can listen to entirely without ever really needing to skip any weaker tracks, the last one chronologically which I feel an urge to actually experience in sum. It just manages to maintain that sinister air of mystery that surrounded the band (and King's solo career) through the 80s, and for all intensive purposes it sounds like a record which belongs to that era...rather than being smack dab in the middle of a decade in which a group like this one only managed to thrive off its legacy rather than any new string of cult classic material.

Structurally, it's not a far cry from In the Shadows, in that it relies so heavily on mid-paced songs and extremely melodic, almost anthemic vocal lines from King, but at the same time it's both smoother and less ambitious. The lyrics still convey the themes of mysticism and horror, from the familiar ground of "Witches' Dance" which wouldn't have felt out of place on King Diamond's The Eye, to "The Mad Arab" which is a direct tribute to H.P. Lovecraft's recurring Abdul Alhazred. Diamond sounds perfect here as he shifts between his ghostly falsettos and impish lower pitches, in fact he throws a lot of the 'character' into his performance that many would probably equate more with his solo band, and I think of the whole Fate canon this is likely the greatest aesthetic 'crossover' between the two. Nary a tune passes without some memorable vocal passage, and it doubles down on how you take a listen to an album like Dead Again, or the pathetic The Graveyard and wonder where all this magic disappeared to in such a short time? Time might not have all the band's hits, but it is surely determined to make itself memorable throughout the 47 minute duration and it largely succeeds.

Another real strength here is how with these largely mid-tempo tunes the Denner/Shermann duo can lay into all manner of their great, groovy riffs, as well as the mildly progressive bent they often take with their riffs, just so that they eclipse the utter simplicity of audience expectations. Lots of great, doomy moments here with the drums shuffling along like graveyard creepers as King emits some exotic and pained vocal narration, and like In the Shadows before it, or the first decade of solo albums, the entire affair seems like its just focused on the listener experiencing this one in some mental moonlight, haunted landscape, tower or manor if the real thing isn't available. The title track with its organs and freakish harmonized lullaby vocals seems like it might have stepped out of a session for Them or Conspiracy, down to how it just sails right into those dreamy guitar melodies and chorus. Synthesizers, wah-wah and other effects are thrown in tastefully, and although I didn't have the same problem with the drums on its predecessor that some seemed to, I think Snow Shaw's beats here might prove a little more durable and evenly mixed to support the guitars and vocals. Sharlee's bass is perfectly supportive and steps away just as often as it needs to, with a great tone that hovers right above the kick.

The contrast between the lucid vocals and dirty riffs of "Mirror", unforgettable anthems like opener "Nightmare Be Thy Name" and "Witches' Dance"...this one just never quits playing to its strengths, and it's still a pleasure to experience 27 years later. Like many of his solo efforts, this one's also a perfect Halloween listen, and was released in that very month upon arrival. It's 'classy' of course, this one isn't about the blood and guts but the evergreen themes of Gothic, occult or even cosmic horror that will still send a chill down your spine at any age, regardless of the melodic breezes on which they are carried. It may not be a masterpiece, but it's great, and it STAYS great. At the risk of broken record status, I have to reiterate how these first four Mercyful Fate full-lengths, along with the first 5-6 King Diamond represent one of the most enduring bodies of work in my whole music collection. Seasonal or otherwise, they don't seem to age a day to when I first came across them from the raw, ripe ages of 10-20 years old. I cannot thank King and both his crews enough for the countless hours of enjoyment and escape they've written. Even my idiosyncratic Country lovin' big city significant other has fallen under these spells.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

It must have been a strange feeling to have been part of Mercyful Fate after the reunion. Because one thing no one should have doubted: no matter what the five musicians would produce, the two larger-than-life monuments "Melissa" and "Don't Break the Oath" would outshine it. More or less complexity, more or less falsetto, more or less harshness - none of it would matter in comparison. At the latest, the break-up after the second album and the following almost ten-year break put the early works into an unattainable dimension.

But well, the family needs money and it's not like the Danish unit had dried up creatively. So the King and his buddies opened the race for third place in their discography. "In the Shadows" had been very good, but "Time" took it up a notch. At the beginning of the album, the highlights pile up. The partly oriental but nevertheless heavy "The Mad Arab" is the best piece in the opening quintet. The King offers his whole spectrum and especially the somewhat haunting "ahaha ahaha" screams are a strong detail of this mid-tempo stomper. Every note is spot on here. Mercyful Fate once again create an eerily menacing atmosphere and surprise with an unexpected keyboard-dominated outro. Yet “The Mad Arab” also shows the dilemma of the band. Mercyful Fate had us already told about the “Curse of the Pharaos” and they had taken us to “Egypt”. Despite the undeniable class of the then new compositions, you couldn't help feeling for long stretches that Mercyful Fate were stuck in the prison of their own experiences and successes. The early works had been something musically great and they had been something almost completely new or, at least, very rare. But back in 1994, this situation had totally changed.

In view of the changed surrounding, it was left to the title track to actually show another new facet. "Time" (the song) has a very untypical, largely gentle approach and tends almost more towards chamber music than metal. But it is precisely the soft appearance that leads to an unsettling contrast, because the lyrics make everyone aware of the unrelenting inevitability of one's own transience. In addition, the King shines here again with whispers, vocal lines and, surprise, empathy. Moreover, I like the not spectacular but very impressive build-up of the piece, which gains more and more intensity before imploding on the last metres.

After that, there is again good-class, hard standard material to be heard, which, however, does not come close to the first five tracks. "Castillo des Mortes" adds its own touch at the end while inviting the listener to a spooky place “somewhere in ancient Spain”. It’s the most progressive track of the album and a worthy closer, even though a few breaks lead to almost Maiden-like guitar sequences. Either way, "Time" is a very recommendable album. No song flops, the band stays true to their roots and the production convinces with clarity and power. But the truth is that "Time" shares the fate of all albums by the Danes from "In the Shadows" to "9". Despite many ghostly (vocal) melodies and varied arrangements, there is nothing to be felt here, far and wide, of the overpowering occult force of the classics, their spiritual cruelty and their Luciferian omnipotence. Anyone who can block this out should appreciate "Time" wholeheartedly.

I will admit that, although I have been listening to metal casually for about 15 years, I had never gotten around to listening to Mercyful Fate until quite recently. And now I simply can't get enough! Although I much prefer the records that have a concept, Time is a good solid work of rocking metal mayhem. I won't analyze it track-by-track, because several others have already done a very thorough job of that elsewhere. What I will say is that I agree wholeheartedly with the people who have pointed out the quality of the rhythm players on the record.

The bass, guitar and drums on this album, quite simply, never let up. Everyone knows King's vocals tend to be of the highest quality on every King Diamond/Mercyful Fate album, so that's to be expected. But you don't hear playing of this exceptional energy every day. In a time when many metal bands had settled for playing somewhat namby-pamby hard rock (looking in your direction, Metallica!) it must have been refreshing to hear this kind of excitement back when this album came out. Listening to it today, I get the same feeling of freshness.

As I mentioned above, my personal preference, as far as King Diamond and Mercyful Fate, is towards their remarkably complex conceptual works, which is the only reason why I didn't give this album a 100% rating. Meanwhile, it's still an absolute kick to listen to: excellent playing, excellent singing. Well worth having in any metal fan's collection.

Mercyful fate reunited in 1993 in released “In the Shadows” which was a great album but lacking something that Mercyful Fate was famous for: Satanism. “Time” shows that Mercyful Fate can still bust out the satanic lyrics and I’m glad because that makes Mercyful Fate, Mercyful Fate. “Time” is just a dark album and one of the top five Fate albums I think. I’ll break down the songs

Nightmare Be Thy Name- This is a kick ass song to start off such a great album. It has a great guitar intro with a heavy riff, excellent double bass drumming and classic vocals where king goes “Master, you know I never pray.” This is classic fate.

Angel of Light- this song shows where the Satanism is back. This song has a great riff, excellent drumming and classic vocals from the king. “I have seen the angel of light, oh I have seen the angel of light, Lucifer.”

The Witches Dance- This song is a classic. It has some heavy bass with some great guitar. This is a slower song with some tempo changes and a violin piece in the middle but this song is still a classic.

The Mad Arab- this is the weakest song on the album and compared to the past three it seems like this song shouldn’t even be on here but it is a fate song so its still ok.

My Demon- This song has the heaviest riff on the album. This song shows the different styles of Mercyful Fate with its tempo changes and the part with kings demonic laugh in the background. This song is a classic.


Time- this is a slow song. It has a harpsichord throughput the entire song but there is just something about this song. It does get a little heavy towards the end right before a kick ass guitar solo. This song shouldn’t disappoint die-hard fans.

The Preacher- this song is ok. There isn’t anything really special about it.

The Lady in Black- This song is a classic. It starts out with a heavy riff and goes through tempo changes making this song one of the best off the album. There are some great solos in this song along with great drumming. “The lady in black was here now, here to take me far away.”

Mirror- Here is another slow song with some heavy parts. Again there is just something about this song to make it classic. King has some great vocals in this song and it is one of my favorite songs of this album. “The longest journey is the one of your own.”

The Afterlife- this song is a classic. It has a slow beginning and then gets heavy. One of the many classics from this album and shouldn’t disappoint die-hard fans like me.

Castillo Des Mortes- When I saw the Spanish title I thought to myself what the hell but this is one heavy, kick ass song. I thing it means castle of the dead in Spanish. It starts out slow and then it gets heavy and heavier. It’s about angels and demons battling in the sky. King has some classic lines in this song like “9 units of demon, the ancient ones command.” This song is an epic end to a classic album.

Time is one of the greatest Mercyful Fate albums and I suggest that if you don’t have it get it now. This really isn’t a place for new fans to start but this in a place to start for fans that have heard fate’s older stuff and now want to get into their newer stuff.

ALL HAIL KING DIAMOND

Probably the most "different" album to ever be released by Mercyful Fate. 'Time' is like one of those "love it or hate it" albums from a band, a different direction that fans will either have their ears glued to or turn away. The main differential factor that this has as opposed to other MF albums is that it's more in the melodic direction and less in the spontanious direction, unlike the band's other releases. The opening song, 'Nightmare Be Thy Name', could have easily fit on the 'In The Shadows' album. It sounds very much alike to the other tracks on that release, heavy and aggressive, yet very melodic. A very strong track. 'Angel Of Light' is another strong number. This is where the album turns a bit more melodic and symphonic, though keeping its heaviness all the way through. This song has a very memorable chorus. Going into an even more symphonic level is 'Witches' Dance'. It's one of the catchiest songs on the album, yet one of the more complexed yracks heard here. King shows his interest in writing middle eastern lyrics once more on 'The Mad Arab', except this time the music has an arabic tone to it that sets the mood well for the song. (unlike 'Curse Of The Pharoahs' and 'Egypt', though I like both of those far better) The fifth track, 'My Demon' is a fuckin' awesome song! The riffs heard through out are pure ownage and the chorus is just godly. This is probably the best song on here. The title track is the most melodic on the album, a beautifuly done number and also one of the band's best songs. Just beautiful! 'The Preacher' is another good track as well as 'Lady In Black', both incredibly melodic yet keeping it heavy. 'Mirror' is an underrated song from the band, very spooky and well done, something that should get more credit for what it is. Now we have the weakest song on the album, 'The Afterlife'. It's pretty boring in the begining but then gets heavier, though not memorable at all. The album's ending, 'Castillo De Mortes' is another one of Mercyful Fate's best songs. The spanish guitar work in the begining it great, as well as the rest of the song, ending off the album in a rather strong way.

This just goes to show that Mercyful Fate isn't only an aggressive, occult metal band, but they can also produce material away from their usual standards. This is essential for any music fan to own.

Best songs: Nightmare Be Thy Name, My Demon, Time, Castillo De Mortes

While not as good as their classic stuff, you can tell by hearing this that the old flame that fueled the aura of said early work still persisted, albeit not burning as strong as before. Most of the eerie feel of before is gone, but there's still some of it here. The exciting arrangements of songs like "Satan's Fall" and "A Dangerous Meeting" is replaced by more direct, to the point songwriting (tough not amateurish by any stretch of imagination) which is still very, very good.

My personal picks would be the creepy "Angel of Light", "Witches' Dance", "The Preacher", "Lady in Black" and "The Afterlife", followed closely by "Castillo des Mortes". All of them feature amazing riffs and lead guitar work and those haunting trademark vocals by the King, which still haven't lost their touch to become a silly cartoonish interpretation (The Graveyard, anyone?). My least favorites would have to be "My Demon", which never did too much for me and the title track that relies on keyboards and is the most "ackward" of the whole.

If you loved Melissa and The Oath, most probably you will like this, 'cause, believe me, Fate still had "it" during this period.