KING DIAMOND ON THE COVER (ROCK HARD #15, 1985)

MERCYFUL FATE AT THE HEAVY SOUND FESTIVAL (1984)

 

KING DIAMOND

 

MERCYFUL FATE

 

WHEN SOUTH KOREA CENSORED ALBUM COVERS ... OR WHERE'S OZZY?

South Korea’s history of censoring records, media, and cultural materials is rooted in its geopolitical history, the rise of post-WWII authoritarian regimes, and cultural protectionism. While South Korea is now a vibrant democracy, this historical censorship was driven by several distinct motives.

National Security and Anti-Communism
Enacted in 1948, the National Security Act gave the government broad control over media to suppress pro-North Korean ideologies and prevent any information deemed a threat to the fragile state.

Regime Propaganda and Control
During the military dictatorships of the 1960s to the 1980s (such as under Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan), the government mandated that the media follow strict guidelines. Censors routinely banned records to suppress political dissent and forced pop artists to release "Healthy Music" that promoted patriotism and the administration.

Public Morality and Decency
Regulatory bodies like the Korea Media Rating Board and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) traditionally enforced stringent guidelines to protect "family values." Record covers containing suggestive nudity, violence, or references to drug use were routinely censored, edited, or mandated to carry 19+ ratings.

Cultural Protectionism
Following decades of harsh Japanese colonial rule, South Korea enacted sweeping bans against the distribution of Japanese records, films, and music to preserve and cultivate its own developing cultural industries. This embargo was only formally phased out in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Historical Impact on Foreign Music
Many classic western rock albums experienced bizarre cover and tracklist changes to comply with these local laws. For example, Ozzy Osbourne and King Diamond. I wonder what would have happened to Carcass "Reek of Putrefaction" 😬

KING DIAMOND "THEM/DARK SIDES" ALBUM AD (1989)

 

HEAVY SOUND FESTIVAL '84 REPORT (KERRANG #71, 1984)

 

MERCYFUL FATE FROM THE NEWS SECTION (KERRANG #71, 1984)

 

MERCYFUL FATE "DON'T BREAK THE OATH" TATTOO

By Alan Aldred

KING DIAMOND ”CHANCE THEATER, POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (SEPTEMBER 16, 1988)

 Courtesy of Mark Kurtzner

MERCYFUL FATE "TEATRO PROVIDENCIA, SANTIAGO, CHILE (AUGUST 15, 1999)

On August 15, 1999, the "9 Tour" hit South America, and first out was this show in Chile. They also did Argentina and Brazil before flying to Europe and the 1999 Wacken Open Air festival.

Unfortunately the picture is pretty bad, but the audience audio sound is really good so I usually listen to it instead of watching it.

Please report dead links! 

SETLIST

Evil

Doomed by the Living Dead

Nightmare

Desecration of Souls

Burn in Hell

The Oath

Melissa

Last Rites

Satan's Fall

A Dangerous Meeting

Black Funeral

Come to the Sabbath

 

MERCYFUL FATE - U.S TOUR 1984 + THE SPLIT UP OF THE BAND (UNCHAINED ENERGY #1&2, 1985)

KING DIAMOND

 

MERCYFUL FATE COVENS FIRST NEWSLETTER (JULY/AUGUST 1983)

Reprint of the first newsletter from the Mercyful Fate coven in Enlightened Chaos #26, 1993)

BEFORE KING DIAMOND'S FIRST CONCERT AT SAGA IN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK (DECEMBER 20, 1985)

Michael Denner: I had permed my hair and put on eyeliner. The Swedes in the band were obsessed with us having an LA look. Timi was all for it which can be seen on the back of 'Abigail', but I hated it and it shows in my picture there. A gloomy guy in a leather jacket in one corner while the rest looked like circus performers. We had a big fight when I said that I was tired of all the Mötley Crüe bullshit and wanted us to be a real heavy metal band. Go to hell, I'm out!' I said and that was it.

Drummer Mikkey Dee, King Diamond, guitarist Andy La Rocque, bassist Timi Hansen and Michael Denner.

 

DANGER ZONE (DEN) WITH KING DIAMOND

This is Michael Denner's band/project after he left Brats in 1980. According to Timi "Grabber" Hansen, the band was initially composed by himself, Denner, drummer Old Nick and another guitarist, who had already left during the recordings of the first demo. Denner then asked King Diamond and Hank Shermann, both former Brats members, to help them out with the recordings of the demo. After its release Danger Zone and Mercyful Fate (then King and Shermann's band, that was experiencing some major lineup shifts) merged.

They only released one demo, that you can listen to down below.

"Demo I" (1981)

1. Persecution

2. Mission: Destroy Aliens 

3. Truck Driver 

4. Killed for Love

5. Not Amusing 

Patron members can download the mp3 files here!

MERCYFUL FATE IN THE STUDIO RECORDING "MELISSA" (1983)

 

MERCYFUL FATE (NO GLAM FAGS #7, 1992)

 

KING DIAMOND (POWERLINE VOL.2, #2, 1987)

KING DIAMOND